diff --git a/src/games/arimaa.ts b/src/games/arimaa.ts
index 98f505b1..41d6983a 100644
--- a/src/games/arimaa.ts
+++ b/src/games/arimaa.ts
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@ export class ArimaaGame extends GameBase {
                     // cell must be empty, including of anything placed earlier in this move
                     if (cloned.board.has(cell)) {
                         result.valid = false;
-                        result.message = i18next.t("apgames:validation._general.OCCUPIED");
+                        result.message = i18next.t("apgames:validation._general.OCCUPIED", {where: cell});
                         return result;
                     }
                     // in normal play, must be on home ranks
@@ -989,7 +989,7 @@ export class ArimaaGame extends GameBase {
                 // to is empty
                 if (cloned.board.has(to)) {
                     result.valid = false;
-                    result.message = i18next.t("apgames:validation._general.OCCUPIED");
+                    result.message = i18next.t("apgames:validation._general.OCCUPIED", {where: to});
                     return result;
                 }
                 // to is orthogonally adjacent
diff --git a/test/games/arimaa.test.ts b/test/games/arimaa.test.ts
index a82f8146..b3febba7 100644
--- a/test/games/arimaa.test.ts
+++ b/test/games/arimaa.test.ts
@@ -186,17 +186,17 @@ describe("Arimaa", () => {
         let g = new ArimaaGame();
         let result = g.validateMove("Ee2,Me2,Hb2,Hg2,Cf2,Cc2,Dd1,De1,Ra2,Rh2,Ra1,Rb1,Rc1,Rf1,Rg1,Rh1");
         expect(result.valid).to.be.false;
-        expect(result.message).to.equal(i18next.t("apgames:validation._general.OCCUPIED"));
+        expect(result.message).to.equal(i18next.t("apgames:validation._general.OCCUPIED", {where: "e2"}));
         g = new ArimaaGame(undefined, ["free"]);
         result = g.validateMove("Ec3,Mc3,Rd4");
         expect(result.valid).to.be.false;
-        expect(result.message).to.equal(i18next.t("apgames:validation._general.OCCUPIED"));
+        expect(result.message).to.equal(i18next.t("apgames:validation._general.OCCUPIED", {where: "c3"}));
         // placing onto an opponent's piece is still caught the same way
         g = new ArimaaGame(undefined, ["free"]);
         g.move("Ec3,Rd4");
         result = g.validateMove("ec3");
         expect(result.valid).to.be.false;
-        expect(result.message).to.equal(i18next.t("apgames:validation._general.OCCUPIED"));
+        expect(result.message).to.equal(i18next.t("apgames:validation._general.OCCUPIED", {where: "c3"}));
     });
 
     it ("classifications", () => {