diff --git a/docling-serve/docling-serve-client/src/main/java/ai/docling/serve/client/DoclingServeClientBuilderFactory.java b/docling-serve/docling-serve-client/src/main/java/ai/docling/serve/client/DoclingServeClientBuilderFactory.java
index cbd7edaa..0d76368f 100644
--- a/docling-serve/docling-serve-client/src/main/java/ai/docling/serve/client/DoclingServeClientBuilderFactory.java
+++ b/docling-serve/docling-serve-client/src/main/java/ai/docling/serve/client/DoclingServeClientBuilderFactory.java
@@ -46,7 +46,17 @@ else if (JacksonVersion.JACKSON_2.isOnClasspath(classLoader)) {
       return (B) DoclingServeJackson2Client.builder();
     }
 
-    throw new IllegalStateException("Neither Jackson 2 or 3 is on the classpath");
+    throw new IllegalStateException("""
+        Neither Jackson 2 nor Jackson 3 is on the classpath. You must add one of the following dependencies:
+
+        For Jackson 2:
+          Maven:  com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind
+          Gradle: implementation("com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind:<version>")
+
+        For Jackson 3:
+          Maven:  tools.jackson.core:jackson-databind
+          Gradle: implementation("tools.jackson.core:jackson-databind:<version>")
+        """);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/docling-serve/docling-serve-client/src/test/java/ai/docling/serve/client/DoclingServeClientBuilderFactoryTests.java b/docling-serve/docling-serve-client/src/test/java/ai/docling/serve/client/DoclingServeClientBuilderFactoryTests.java
index 1754d061..bee8bf82 100644
--- a/docling-serve/docling-serve-client/src/test/java/ai/docling/serve/client/DoclingServeClientBuilderFactoryTests.java
+++ b/docling-serve/docling-serve-client/src/test/java/ai/docling/serve/client/DoclingServeClientBuilderFactoryTests.java
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ void noBuilderWhenNeitherArePresent() {
 
     assertThatExceptionOfType(IllegalStateException.class)
         .isThrownBy(() -> DoclingServeClientBuilderFactory.<DoclingServeClient, DoclingServeClientBuilder>newBuilder(classLoader))
-        .withMessage("Neither Jackson 2 or 3 is on the classpath");
+        .withMessageContaining("Neither Jackson 2 nor Jackson 3 is on the classpath")
+        .withMessageContaining("com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind")
+        .withMessageContaining("tools.jackson.core:jackson-databind");
   }
 
   @ParameterizedTest