diff --git a/src/model_config_utils.cc b/src/model_config_utils.cc
index 598d1894f..68859abdf 100644
--- a/src/model_config_utils.cc
+++ b/src/model_config_utils.cc
@@ -302,14 +302,19 @@ ValidateIOShape(
         Status::Code::INVALID_ARG, message_prefix + "must specify 'name'");
   }
 
+  std::string message_prefix_with_name =
+      message_prefix + std::string("'" + io.name() + "' ");
+
   if (io.data_type() == inference::DataType::TYPE_INVALID) {
     return Status(
-        Status::Code::INVALID_ARG, "model output must specify 'data_type'");
+        Status::Code::INVALID_ARG,
+        message_prefix_with_name + "must specify 'data_type'");
   }
 
   if (io.dims_size() == 0) {
     return Status(
-        Status::Code::INVALID_ARG, message_prefix + "must specify 'dims'");
+        Status::Code::INVALID_ARG,
+        message_prefix_with_name + "must specify 'dims'");
   }
 
   // If the configuration is non-batching, then no input or output
@@ -319,7 +324,7 @@ ValidateIOShape(
       (max_batch_size == 0)) {
     return Status(
         Status::Code::INVALID_ARG,
-        message_prefix +
+        message_prefix_with_name +
             "cannot have empty reshape for non-batching model as scalar "
             "tensors are not supported");
   }
@@ -329,7 +334,7 @@ ValidateIOShape(
     if ((dim < 1) && (dim != triton::common::WILDCARD_DIM)) {
       return Status(
           Status::Code::INVALID_ARG,
-          message_prefix + "dimension must be integer >= 1, or " +
+          message_prefix_with_name + "dimension must be integer >= 1, or " +
               std::to_string(triton::common::WILDCARD_DIM) +
               " to indicate a variable-size dimension");
     }
@@ -341,7 +346,8 @@ ValidateIOShape(
       if ((dim < 1) && (dim != triton::common::WILDCARD_DIM)) {
         return Status(
             Status::Code::INVALID_ARG,
-            message_prefix + "reshape dimensions must be integer >= 1, or " +
+            message_prefix_with_name +
+                "reshape dimensions must be integer >= 1, or " +
                 std::to_string(triton::common::WILDCARD_DIM) +
                 " to indicate a variable-size dimension");
       }
@@ -359,7 +365,7 @@ ValidateIOShape(
         ((reshape_size != 0) || (dims_size != 1))) {
       return Status(
           Status::Code::INVALID_ARG,
-          message_prefix + "has different size for dims and reshape");
+          message_prefix_with_name + "has different size for dims and reshape");
     }
 
     // shape contains variable-size dimension, in this case we compare if
@@ -394,7 +400,7 @@ ValidateIOShape(
       if (dim_element_cnts.size() != reshape_element_cnts.size()) {
         return Status(
             Status::Code::INVALID_ARG,
-            message_prefix +
+            message_prefix_with_name +
                 "has different number of variable-size dimensions for dims "
                 "and reshape");
       }
@@ -402,7 +408,8 @@ ValidateIOShape(
         if (dim_element_cnts[idx] != reshape_element_cnts[idx]) {
           return Status(
               Status::Code::INVALID_ARG,
-              message_prefix + "has different size for dims and reshape");
+              message_prefix_with_name +
+                  "has different size for dims and reshape");
         }
       }
     }