diff --git a/app/services/merge_requests/rebase_service.rb b/app/services/merge_requests/rebase_service.rb
index 0d5a25fa28e..c0083cd6afd 100644
--- a/app/services/merge_requests/rebase_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/merge_requests/rebase_service.rb
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 module MergeRequests
   class RebaseService < MergeRequests::WorkingCopyBaseService
+    REBASE_ERROR = 'Rebase failed. Please rebase locally'.freeze
+
     def execute(merge_request)
       @merge_request = merge_request
 
       if rebase
         success
       else
-        error('Failed to rebase. Should be done manually')
+        error(REBASE_ERROR)
       end
     end
 
@@ -22,8 +24,8 @@ module MergeRequests
 
       true
     rescue => e
-      log_error('Failed to rebase branch:')
-      log_error(e.message, save_message_on_model: true)
+      log_error(REBASE_ERROR, save_message_on_model: true)
+      log_error(e.message)
       false
     end
   end
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/4020-rebase-message.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/4020-rebase-message.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4793f3d9cb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/4020-rebase-message.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Display user friendly error message if rebase fails.
+merge_request:
+author:
+type: fixed
diff --git a/spec/services/merge_requests/rebase_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/merge_requests/rebase_service_spec.rb
index d1b37cdd073..5f047e61c31 100644
--- a/spec/services/merge_requests/rebase_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/merge_requests/rebase_service_spec.rb
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ describe MergeRequests::RebaseService do
 
       it 'returns an error' do
         expect(service.execute(merge_request)).to match(status: :error,
-                                                        message: 'Failed to rebase. Should be done manually')
+                                                        message: described_class::REBASE_ERROR)
       end
     end
 
@@ -41,15 +41,15 @@ describe MergeRequests::RebaseService do
         allow(repository).to receive(:run_git!).and_raise('Something went wrong')
       end
 
-      it 'saves the error message' do
+      it 'saves a generic error message' do
         subject.execute(merge_request)
 
-        expect(merge_request.reload.merge_error).to eq 'Something went wrong'
+        expect(merge_request.reload.merge_error).to eq described_class::REBASE_ERROR
       end
 
       it 'returns an error' do
         expect(service.execute(merge_request)).to match(status: :error,
-                                                        message: 'Failed to rebase. Should be done manually')
+                                                        message: described_class::REBASE_ERROR)
       end
     end
 
@@ -58,15 +58,15 @@ describe MergeRequests::RebaseService do
         allow(repository).to receive(:run_git!).and_raise(Gitlab::Git::Repository::GitError, 'Something went wrong')
       end
 
-      it 'saves the error message' do
+      it 'saves a generic error message' do
         subject.execute(merge_request)
 
-        expect(merge_request.reload.merge_error).to eq 'Something went wrong'
+        expect(merge_request.reload.merge_error).to eq described_class::REBASE_ERROR
       end
 
       it 'returns an error' do
         expect(service.execute(merge_request)).to match(status: :error,
-                                                        message: 'Failed to rebase. Should be done manually')
+                                                        message: described_class::REBASE_ERROR)
       end
     end