diff --git a/edb/pgsql/resolver/expr.py b/edb/pgsql/resolver/expr.py
index fca1fb0685e..bd3a22d43b4 100644
--- a/edb/pgsql/resolver/expr.py
+++ b/edb/pgsql/resolver/expr.py
@@ -743,8 +743,9 @@ def resolve_ParamRef(
     # external params map one-to-one to internal params
     if expr.number < 1:
         raise errors.QueryError(
-            f'there is no parameter ${expr.number}',
+            f'param out of bounds: ${expr.number}',
             pgext_code=pgerror.ERROR_UNDEFINED_PARAMETER,
+            hint='query parameters start with 1',
         )
 
     param = ctx.query_params[expr.number - 1]
diff --git a/tests/test_sql_query.py b/tests/test_sql_query.py
index 4a5153be7ed..59907ef4236 100644
--- a/tests/test_sql_query.py
+++ b/tests/test_sql_query.py
@@ -1053,7 +1053,8 @@ async def test_sql_query_53(self):
 
     async def test_sql_query_54(self):
         with self.assertRaisesRegex(
-            asyncpg.UndefinedParameterError, 'there is no parameter \\$0'
+            asyncpg.UndefinedParameterError, 'param out of bounds: \\$0',
+            hint='query parameters start with 1'
         ):
             await self.scon.fetch(
                 '''