diff --git a/tools/extract/genebed_maf_to_fasta.py b/tools/extract/genebed_maf_to_fasta.py
index 3704d3f3216..18f34074341 100644
--- a/tools/extract/genebed_maf_to_fasta.py
+++ b/tools/extract/genebed_maf_to_fasta.py
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ def __main__():
     
     #ensure dbkey is set
     if dbkey == "?": 
-        print >>sys.stderr, "You must specify a proper build in order to extract alignments."
+        print >>sys.stderr, "You must specify a proper build in order to extract alignments. You can specify your genome build by clicking on the pencil icon associated with your interval file."
         sys.exit()
     
     output = open(output_file, "w");
diff --git a/tools/extract/genebed_maf_to_fasta_user.py b/tools/extract/genebed_maf_to_fasta_user.py
index aa53e78a308..997fc4f09e9 100644
--- a/tools/extract/genebed_maf_to_fasta_user.py
+++ b/tools/extract/genebed_maf_to_fasta_user.py
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ def __main__():
     
     #ensure dbkey is set
     if dbkey == "?": 
-        print >>sys.stderr, "You must specify a proper build in order to extract alignments."
+        print >>sys.stderr, "You must specify a proper build in order to extract alignments. You can specify your genome build by clicking on the pencil icon associated with your interval file."
         sys.exit()
     
     output = open(output_file, "w");
diff --git a/tools/extract/interval2maf.py b/tools/extract/interval2maf.py
index 5b026fbd06f..8f9b4afc2b9 100755
--- a/tools/extract/interval2maf.py
+++ b/tools/extract/interval2maf.py
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ def __main__():
         sys.exit()
         
     if dbkey == "?": 
-        print >>sys.stderr, "You must specify a proper build in order to extract alignments."
+        print >>sys.stderr, "You must specify a proper build in order to extract alignments. You can specify your genome build by clicking on the pencil icon associated with your interval file."
         sys.exit()
     
     
diff --git a/tools/extract/interval2maf_pairwise.py b/tools/extract/interval2maf_pairwise.py
index 3e7d5a02b0d..8c407d6efce 100644
--- a/tools/extract/interval2maf_pairwise.py
+++ b/tools/extract/interval2maf_pairwise.py
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ def __main__():
         sys.exit()
         
     if dbkey == "?": 
-        print >>sys.stderr, "You must specify a proper build in order to extract alignments."
+        print >>sys.stderr, "You must specify a proper build in order to extract alignments. You can specify your genome build by clicking on the pencil icon associated with your interval file."
         sys.exit()
     
     
diff --git a/tools/extract/interval_maf_to_merged_fasta.py b/tools/extract/interval_maf_to_merged_fasta.py
index 6ee16573ada..ee619976911 100644
--- a/tools/extract/interval_maf_to_merged_fasta.py
+++ b/tools/extract/interval_maf_to_merged_fasta.py
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ def __main__():
     
     #ensure dbkey is set
     if dbkey == "?": 
-        print >>sys.stderr, "You must specify a proper build in order to extract alignments."
+        print >>sys.stderr, "You must specify a proper build in order to extract alignments. You can specify your genome build by clicking on the pencil icon associated with your interval file."
         sys.exit()
     
     output = open(output_file, "w");
diff --git a/tools/extract/interval_maf_to_merged_fasta_user.py b/tools/extract/interval_maf_to_merged_fasta_user.py
index 0ac2f0d06b6..139d684f564 100644
--- a/tools/extract/interval_maf_to_merged_fasta_user.py
+++ b/tools/extract/interval_maf_to_merged_fasta_user.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def __main__():
     
     #ensure dbkey is set
     if dbkey == "?": 
-        print >>sys.stderr, "You must specify a proper build in order to extract alignments."
+        print >>sys.stderr, "You must specify a proper build in order to extract alignments. You can specify your genome build by clicking on the pencil icon associated with your interval file."
         sys.exit()
     
     output = open(output_file, "w");
diff --git a/tools/extract/user_interval2maf.py b/tools/extract/user_interval2maf.py
index 7a4cc1fe5cd..97c2daa96e2 100644
--- a/tools/extract/user_interval2maf.py
+++ b/tools/extract/user_interval2maf.py
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ def __main__():
         sys.exit()
                 
     if dbkey == "?": 
-        print >>sys.stderr, "You must specify a proper build in order to extract alignments."
+        print >>sys.stderr, "You must specify a proper build in order to extract alignments. You can specify your genome build by clicking on the pencil icon associated with your interval file."
         sys.exit()
     
     #index maf for use here