diff --git a/share/functions/fish_config.fish b/share/functions/fish_config.fish
index fa6c54e46..b8fb455d6 100644
--- a/share/functions/fish_config.fish
+++ b/share/functions/fish_config.fish
@@ -6,5 +6,12 @@ function fish_config --description "Launch fish's web based configuration"
         python2 "$__fish_data_dir/tools/web_config/webconfig.py" $argv
     else if command -sq python
         python "$__fish_data_dir/tools/web_config/webconfig.py" $argv
+    else
+    	echo (set_color $fish_color_error)Cannot launch the web configuration tool.(set_color normal)
+    	echo (set_color -o)fish_config(set_color normal) requires Python.
+    	echo Installing Python will fix this, and also enable completions to be automatically generated from man pages.\n
+    	echo To configure your prompt, create a (set_color -o)fish_prompt(set_color normal) function.
+    	echo There are examples in (set_color $fish_color_valid_path)$__fish_data_dir/tools/web_config/sample_prompts(set_color normal).\n
+    	echo You can tweak your colors by setting the (set_color $fish_color_search_match)\$fish_color_\*(set_color normal) variables.
     end
 end