diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0e500e09c2..bbe88600f8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Only write entries that are worth mentioning to users.
 ## Unreleased
 
 - Kosong: Stop sending an empty `anthropic-beta` header when no beta features are declared — adaptive thinking removes the interleaved-thinking beta, which previously left an empty header value that some backends reject
+- Core: Point the unsupported-capability error at the fix, naming the `capabilities` setting to declare on the model entry instead of only reporting which capability was missing
 
 ## 1.49.0 (2026-07-16)
 
diff --git a/src/kimi_cli/soul/__init__.py b/src/kimi_cli/soul/__init__.py
index 5cde510dc5..0f20e41789 100644
--- a/src/kimi_cli/soul/__init__.py
+++ b/src/kimi_cli/soul/__init__.py
@@ -34,9 +34,13 @@ def __init__(self, llm: LLM, capabilities: list[ModelCapability]):
         self.llm = llm
         self.capabilities = capabilities
         capabilities_str = "capability" if len(capabilities) == 1 else "capabilities"
+        declared = ", ".join(f'"{c}"' for c in sorted(capabilities))
         super().__init__(
             f"LLM model '{llm.model_name}' does not support required {capabilities_str}: "
-            f"{', '.join(capabilities)}."
+            f"{', '.join(capabilities)}. "
+            f"If the model does support this, declare `capabilities = [{declared}]` "
+            "on its entry in your config file; input capabilities are only taken from "
+            "that setting for manually configured models."
         )
 
 
diff --git a/tests/core/test_exceptions.py b/tests/core/test_exceptions.py
index d0f7282628..93f567ee61 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_exceptions.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_exceptions.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ def test_soul_exceptions(llm: LLM):
         raise LLMNotSupported(llm, ["image_in"])
     except LLMNotSupported as e:
         assert str(e) == snapshot(
-            "LLM model 'mock' does not support required capability: image_in."
+            "LLM model 'mock' does not support required capability: image_in. If the model does support this, declare `capabilities = [\"image_in\"]` on its entry in your config file; input capabilities are only taken from that setting for manually configured models."
         )
 
     try:
diff --git a/tests/core/test_llm_not_supported_message.py b/tests/core/test_llm_not_supported_message.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..40de45ed21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/core/test_llm_not_supported_message.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+"""The capability error must name the config setting that fixes it.
+
+Capabilities like `image_in` are only picked up from a model's `capabilities`
+entry for manually configured models, so an error that just states the missing
+capability leaves the user with no way to act on it.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+from kimi_cli.soul import LLMNotSupported
+
+
+def _message(*capabilities: str) -> str:
+    llm = MagicMock()
+    llm.model_name = "Qwen3.6-27B"
+    return str(LLMNotSupported(llm, list(capabilities)))  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+
+
+def test_single_capability_message_points_at_the_config_fix() -> None:
+    message = _message("image_in")
+
+    assert "Qwen3.6-27B" in message
+    assert "does not support required capability: image_in" in message
+    assert 'capabilities = ["image_in"]' in message
+
+
+def test_multiple_capabilities_are_listed_in_the_suggested_setting() -> None:
+    message = _message("video_in", "image_in")
+
+    assert "does not support required capabilities:" in message
+    # Sorted so the suggestion is stable regardless of set iteration order.
+    assert 'capabilities = ["image_in", "video_in"]' in message
diff --git a/tests_e2e/test_wire_errors.py b/tests_e2e/test_wire_errors.py
index 8c08d386fa..f1a1b781a7 100644
--- a/tests_e2e/test_wire_errors.py
+++ b/tests_e2e/test_wire_errors.py
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ def test_llm_not_supported(tmp_path) -> None:
             {
                 "error": {
                     "code": -32002,
-                    "message": "LLM model 'scripted_echo' does not support required capability: image_in.",
+                    "message": "LLM model 'scripted_echo' does not support required capability: image_in. If the model does support this, declare `capabilities = [\"image_in\"]` on its entry in your config file; input capabilities are only taken from that setting for manually configured models.",
                     "data": None,
                 }
             }