diff --git a/.changelog/10163.txt b/.changelog/10163.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..45f594680b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/10163.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:improvement
+acl: Give more descriptive error if auth method not found.
+```
diff --git a/agent/consul/acl_endpoint.go b/agent/consul/acl_endpoint.go
index b8ba08e0b2..64141f5cd1 100644
--- a/agent/consul/acl_endpoint.go
+++ b/agent/consul/acl_endpoint.go
@@ -2422,7 +2422,7 @@ func (a *ACL) Login(args *structs.ACLLoginRequest, reply *structs.ACLToken) erro
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	} else if method == nil {
-		return acl.ErrNotFound
+		return fmt.Errorf("%w: auth method %q not found", acl.ErrNotFound, auth.AuthMethod)
 	}
 
 	if err := a.enterpriseAuthMethodTypeValidation(method.Type); err != nil {
diff --git a/agent/consul/acl_endpoint_test.go b/agent/consul/acl_endpoint_test.go
index a265f79f47..213d540d9a 100644
--- a/agent/consul/acl_endpoint_test.go
+++ b/agent/consul/acl_endpoint_test.go
@@ -4428,7 +4428,7 @@ func TestACLEndpoint_Login(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		resp := structs.ACLToken{}
 
-		testutil.RequireErrorContains(t, acl.Login(&req, &resp), "ACL not found")
+		testutil.RequireErrorContains(t, acl.Login(&req, &resp), fmt.Sprintf("auth method %q not found", method.Name+"-notexist"))
 	})
 
 	t.Run("invalid method token", func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/command/login/login_test.go b/command/login/login_test.go
index e821eddb02..25a46dda5e 100644
--- a/command/login/login_test.go
+++ b/command/login/login_test.go
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func TestLoginCommand(t *testing.T) {
 
 		code := cmd.Run(args)
 		require.Equal(t, code, 1, "err: %s", ui.ErrorWriter.String())
-		require.Contains(t, ui.ErrorWriter.String(), "403 (ACL not found)")
+		require.Contains(t, ui.ErrorWriter.String(), "403 (ACL not found: auth method \"test\" not found")
 	})
 
 	testSessionID := testauth.StartSession()