diff --git a/scripts/base_train.py b/scripts/base_train.py
index a161c47..1fc2f80 100644
--- a/scripts/base_train.py
+++ b/scripts/base_train.py
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ else:
 # Figure out the needed gradient accumulation micro-steps to reach the desired total batch size per step
 tokens_per_fwdbwd = args.device_batch_size * args.max_seq_len # tokens per iteration for a single rank
 world_tokens_per_fwdbwd = tokens_per_fwdbwd * ddp_world_size # total tokens per iteration for all ranks
-assert total_batch_size % world_tokens_per_fwdbwd == 0
+assert total_batch_size % world_tokens_per_fwdbwd == 0, f"total_batch_size ({total_batch_size}) must be a multiple of {world_tokens_per_fwdbwd}."
 grad_accum_steps = total_batch_size // world_tokens_per_fwdbwd
 print0(f"Tokens / micro-batch / rank: {args.device_batch_size} x {args.max_seq_len} = {tokens_per_fwdbwd:,}")
 print0(f"Tokens / micro-batch: {world_tokens_per_fwdbwd:,}")
diff --git a/scripts/chat_sft.py b/scripts/chat_sft.py
index b46dd81..69ce1a1 100644
--- a/scripts/chat_sft.py
+++ b/scripts/chat_sft.py
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ depth = model.config.n_layer
 num_flops_per_token = model.estimate_flops()
 tokens_per_fwdbwd = args.device_batch_size * args.max_seq_len # tokens per iteration for a single rank
 world_tokens_per_fwdbwd = tokens_per_fwdbwd * ddp_world_size # total tokens per iteration for all ranks
-assert args.total_batch_size % world_tokens_per_fwdbwd == 0
+assert args.total_batch_size % world_tokens_per_fwdbwd == 0, f"total_batch_size ({args.total_batch_size}) must be a multiple of {world_tokens_per_fwdbwd}."
 grad_accum_steps = args.total_batch_size // world_tokens_per_fwdbwd
 print0(f"Tokens / micro-batch / rank: {args.device_batch_size} x {args.max_seq_len} = {tokens_per_fwdbwd:,}")
 print0(f"Tokens / micro-batch: {world_tokens_per_fwdbwd:,}")