diff --git a/pkg/cmd/apply/apply.go b/pkg/cmd/apply/apply.go
index 800fa736..f85247e3 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/apply/apply.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/apply/apply.go
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ var (
 		# Apply the configuration in manifest.yaml and delete all the other configmaps that are not in the file.
 		kubectl apply --prune -f manifest.yaml --all --prune-whitelist=core/v1/ConfigMap`))
 
-	warningNoLastAppliedConfigAnnotation = "Warning: %[1]s apply should be used on resource created by either %[1]s create --save-config or %[1]s apply\n"
+	warningNoLastAppliedConfigAnnotation = "Warning: resource %[1]s is missing the %[2]s annotation which is required by %[3]s apply. %[3]s apply should only be used on resources created declaratively by either %[3]s create --save-config or %[3]s apply. The missing annotation will be patched automatically.\n"
 )
 
 // NewApplyOptions creates new ApplyOptions for the `apply` command
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ See http://k8s.io/docs/reference/using-api/api-concepts/#conflicts`, err)
 		metadata, _ := meta.Accessor(info.Object)
 		annotationMap := metadata.GetAnnotations()
 		if _, ok := annotationMap[corev1.LastAppliedConfigAnnotation]; !ok {
-			fmt.Fprintf(o.ErrOut, warningNoLastAppliedConfigAnnotation, o.cmdBaseName)
+			fmt.Fprintf(o.ErrOut, warningNoLastAppliedConfigAnnotation, info.ObjectName(), corev1.LastAppliedConfigAnnotation, o.cmdBaseName)
 		}
 
 		patcher, err := newPatcher(o, info, helper)
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/apply/apply_test.go b/pkg/cmd/apply/apply_test.go
index 7fec5564..1d199ebf 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/apply/apply_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/apply/apply_test.go
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ func TestApplyObjectWithoutAnnotation(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// uses the name from the file, not the response
 	expectRC := "replicationcontroller/" + nameRC + "\n"
-	expectWarning := fmt.Sprintf(warningNoLastAppliedConfigAnnotation, "kubectl")
+	expectWarning := fmt.Sprintf(warningNoLastAppliedConfigAnnotation, "replicationcontrollers/test-rc", corev1.LastAppliedConfigAnnotation, "kubectl")
 	if errBuf.String() != expectWarning {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected non-warning: %s\nexpected: %s", errBuf.String(), expectWarning)
 	}