diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/openstack/openstack_volumes.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/openstack/openstack_volumes.go
index 4e36987c9df..c965a4ffe08 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/openstack/openstack_volumes.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/legacy-cloud-providers/openstack/openstack_volumes.go
@@ -419,7 +419,12 @@ func (os *OpenStack) ExpandVolume(volumeID string, oldSize resource.Quantity, ne
 	}
 	if volume.Status != volumeAvailableStatus {
 		// cinder volume can not be expanded if its status is not available
-		return oldSize, fmt.Errorf("volume in %s status can not be expanded, it must be available and not attached to a node", volume.Status)
+		if volume.Status == volumeInUseStatus {
+			// Send a nice event when the volume is used
+			return oldSize, fmt.Errorf("PVC used by a Pod can not be expanded, please ensure the PVC is not used by any Pod and is fully detached from a node")
+		}
+		// Send not so nice event when the volume is in any other state (deleted, error)
+		return oldSize, fmt.Errorf("volume in state %q can not be expanded, it must be \"available\"", volume.Status)
 	}
 
 	// Cinder works with gigabytes, convert to GiB with rounding up