diff --git a/cli/compose/interpolation/interpolation.go b/cli/compose/interpolation/interpolation.go
index 734f28ec9d..29c2e0e279 100644
--- a/cli/compose/interpolation/interpolation.go
+++ b/cli/compose/interpolation/interpolation.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func interpolateSectionItem(
 		interpolatedValue, err := recursiveInterpolate(value, mapping)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf(
-				"Invalid interpolation format for %#v option in %s %#v: %#v",
+				"Invalid interpolation format for %#v option in %s %#v: %#v. You may need to escape any $ with another $.",
 				key, section, name, err.Template,
 			)
 		}
diff --git a/cli/compose/interpolation/interpolation_test.go b/cli/compose/interpolation/interpolation_test.go
index c3921701b3..1852b9eb44 100644
--- a/cli/compose/interpolation/interpolation_test.go
+++ b/cli/compose/interpolation/interpolation_test.go
@@ -55,5 +55,5 @@ func TestInvalidInterpolation(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	_, err := Interpolate(services, "service", defaultMapping)
-	assert.EqualError(t, err, `Invalid interpolation format for "image" option in service "servicea": "${"`)
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, `Invalid interpolation format for "image" option in service "servicea": "${". You may need to escape any $ with another $.`)
 }