diff --git a/changelog.d/sh-cap-message.md b/changelog.d/sh-cap-message.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..99062c491
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/sh-cap-message.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Fixed
+
+- **The `--max-sh-creates` refusal names the real numbers.** It read
+  `(default 10000)` whatever the configured cap was. It now reports the
+  scripthash's create count and the cap in force, for example
+  `scripthash join exceeds --max-sh-creates (14437 creates, cap 10000)`.
+  Esplora still answers 503.
diff --git a/crates/rbitcoin-esplora/src/esplora_sh_journey.rs b/crates/rbitcoin-esplora/src/esplora_sh_journey.rs
index 12940a1ac..401be1142 100644
--- a/crates/rbitcoin-esplora/src/esplora_sh_journey.rs
+++ b/crates/rbitcoin-esplora/src/esplora_sh_journey.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ async fn cap_refuses_three_creates(q: &Query, app: &Router) {
     let (st, body) = oneshot_http(app, get_with_client(&format!("/scripthash/{h51}"), "cap")).await;
     assert_eq!(st, 503, "{body}");
     assert!(
-        body.contains("scripthash join exceeds --max-sh-creates"),
+        body.contains("scripthash join exceeds --max-sh-creates (3 creates, cap 2)"),
         "{body}"
     );
     let (st, utxo) =
diff --git a/crates/rbitcoin-esplora/src/server.rs b/crates/rbitcoin-esplora/src/server.rs
index 54b65f9f5..9b7f3a95c 100644
--- a/crates/rbitcoin-esplora/src/server.rs
+++ b/crates/rbitcoin-esplora/src/server.rs
@@ -1130,6 +1130,9 @@ pub(crate) fn store_err(e: rbitcoin_query::QueryError) -> Response {
         StoreError::Pruned { .. } => (StatusCode::NOT_FOUND, "pruned").into_response(),
         StoreError::Stale(m) => (StatusCode::SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE, m).into_response(),
         StoreError::Rejected(m) => (StatusCode::SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE, m).into_response(),
+        e @ StoreError::ShCreatesCap { .. } => {
+            (StatusCode::SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE, e.to_string()).into_response()
+        }
         other => (StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, other.to_string()).into_response(),
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/rbitcoin-query/src/lib.rs b/crates/rbitcoin-query/src/lib.rs
index 80260f6fb..eceb9412a 100644
--- a/crates/rbitcoin-query/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/rbitcoin-query/src/lib.rs
@@ -1306,9 +1306,6 @@ impl Query {
         self.reconstruct_archived.swap(0, AtomicOrdering::Relaxed)
     }
 
-    pub const MAX_SH_CREATES_MSG: &'static str =
-        "scripthash join exceeds --max-sh-creates (default 10000)";
-
     /// [`StoreError::Rejected`] payload from [`Self::block_queue_offer`] for
     /// wire that does not decode. Only this refusal is the sender's fault.
     pub const UNDECODABLE_WIRE_MSG: &'static str = "block wire does not decode";
diff --git a/crates/rbitcoin-query/src/query_sh_caps_journey.rs b/crates/rbitcoin-query/src/query_sh_caps_journey.rs
index 09df260d9..e811026e5 100644
--- a/crates/rbitcoin-query/src/query_sh_caps_journey.rs
+++ b/crates/rbitcoin-query/src/query_sh_caps_journey.rs
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ fn sh_history_caps() {
         q.scripthash_history(&sh).map(|_| ()).unwrap_err(),
     ] {
         assert!(
-            matches!(err, StoreError::Rejected(m) if m == Query::MAX_SH_CREATES_MSG),
+            err.to_string() == "scripthash join exceeds --max-sh-creates (7 creates, cap 2)",
             "{err}"
         );
     }
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ fn sh_history_caps() {
         )
         .unwrap_err();
     assert!(
-        matches!(err, StoreError::Rejected(m) if m == Query::MAX_SH_CREATES_MSG),
+        err.to_string() == "scripthash join exceeds --max-sh-creates (7 creates, cap 2)",
         "{err}"
     );
 
diff --git a/crates/rbitcoin-query/src/scripthash.rs b/crates/rbitcoin-query/src/scripthash.rs
index 980591e33..b1e3c8602 100644
--- a/crates/rbitcoin-query/src/scripthash.rs
+++ b/crates/rbitcoin-query/src/scripthash.rs
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ impl Query {
         if cap > 0 && !paging {
             let n = self.scripthash_create_count(scripthash)?;
             if n > cap {
-                return Err(StoreError::Rejected(Query::MAX_SH_CREATES_MSG));
+                return Err(StoreError::ShCreatesCap { creates: n, cap });
             }
         }
         let t_pages = std::time::Instant::now();
diff --git a/crates/rbitcoin-store/src/error.rs b/crates/rbitcoin-store/src/error.rs
index 26a0c4022..5dd709ef0 100644
--- a/crates/rbitcoin-store/src/error.rs
+++ b/crates/rbitcoin-store/src/error.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@ pub enum StoreError {
     Stale(&'static str),
     /// Request refused (DoS cap) — not on-disk corruption.
     Rejected(&'static str),
+    /// Unpaged scripthash join over `--max-sh-creates` (DoS cap) — not on-disk corruption.
+    ShCreatesCap {
+        creates: u32,
+        cap: u32,
+    },
     /// Class A seqsigwit dropped at/below the prune watermark. Not corruption.
     Pruned {
         height: u32,
@@ -95,6 +100,10 @@ impl fmt::Display for StoreError {
             StoreError::Layout(m) => write!(f, "{m}"),
             StoreError::Stale(m) => write!(f, "{m}"),
             StoreError::Rejected(m) => f.write_str(m),
+            StoreError::ShCreatesCap { creates, cap } => write!(
+                f,
+                "scripthash join exceeds --max-sh-creates ({creates} creates, cap {cap})"
+            ),
             StoreError::Pruned { height } => write!(f, "pruned data at height {height}"),
         }
     }
@@ -144,8 +153,12 @@ mod tests {
             StoreError::Unavailable,
             StoreError::Layout("seqsigwit is on a cold datadir".into()),
             StoreError::Stale("chain view moved"),
-            StoreError::Rejected("scripthash join exceeds --max-sh-creates (default 10000)"),
+            StoreError::Rejected("block wire does not decode"),
             StoreError::Pruned { height: 12 },
+            StoreError::ShCreatesCap {
+                creates: 14437,
+                cap: 10000,
+            },
         ];
         let texts: Vec<String> = arms.iter().map(|e| e.to_string()).collect();
         assert_eq!(texts[0], "invalid store magic");
@@ -161,11 +174,12 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(texts[9], "io_uring unavailable");
         assert_eq!(texts[10], "seqsigwit is on a cold datadir");
         assert_eq!(texts[11], "chain view moved");
+        assert_eq!(texts[12], "block wire does not decode");
+        assert_eq!(texts[13], "pruned data at height 12");
         assert_eq!(
-            texts[12],
-            "scripthash join exceeds --max-sh-creates (default 10000)"
+            texts[14],
+            "scripthash join exceeds --max-sh-creates (14437 creates, cap 10000)"
         );
-        assert_eq!(texts[13], "pruned data at height 12");
         for e in &arms {
             assert!(e.source().is_none());
         }
diff --git a/docs/operator/storage.md b/docs/operator/storage.md
index 31f117953..10b265236 100644
--- a/docs/operator/storage.md
+++ b/docs/operator/storage.md
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ Electrum/Esplora **start without** `--sh-index`. Address/scripthash methods then
 `--max-sh-creates N` (conf `max_sh_creates=`) defaults to **10000**. An unpaged
 Electrum history or full stats join with more than N creates is refused
 before Class A expand: Esplora **503** / Electrum JSON-RPC error
-`scripthash join exceeds --max-sh-creates (default 10000)`. **0** is unlimited.
+`scripthash join exceeds --max-sh-creates (<creates> creates, cap <N>)`. **0** is unlimited.
 A history request that names a page (Esplora's 25, or any caller that sets a
 limit) is still served: the join stops once that page is full.