diff --git a/CHANGELOG.asciidoc b/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
index 2c790010c..051f86487 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
+++ b/CHANGELOG.asciidoc
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ Changed
     * `fonts -> messages.info`
 - The `qute:settings` page now also shows option descriptions.
 - `qute:version` and `qutebrowser --version` now show various important paths
+- `:spawn`/userscripts now show a nicer error when a script wasn't found
 
 Deprecated
 ~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/README.asciidoc b/README.asciidoc
index 6eea6948b..fc710ac98 100644
--- a/README.asciidoc
+++ b/README.asciidoc
@@ -166,9 +166,9 @@ Contributors, sorted by the number of commits in descending order:
 * Nathan Isom
 * Thorsten Wißmann
 * Austin Anderson
+* Daniel Karbach
 * Jimmy
 * Niklas Haas
-* Daniel Karbach
 * Alexey "Averrin" Nabrodov
 * nanjekyejoannah
 * avk
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py b/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
index b6e4a2211..8d1b00ed6 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
@@ -1126,7 +1126,7 @@ class CommandDispatcher:
         try:
             userscripts.run_async(tab, cmd, *args, win_id=self._win_id,
                                   env=env, verbose=verbose)
-        except userscripts.UnsupportedError as e:
+        except userscripts.Error as e:
             raise cmdexc.CommandError(e)
 
     @cmdutils.register(instance='command-dispatcher', scope='window')
diff --git a/qutebrowser/commands/userscripts.py b/qutebrowser/commands/userscripts.py
index 4601ed528..de557f940 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/commands/userscripts.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/commands/userscripts.py
@@ -315,7 +315,34 @@ class _WindowsUserscriptRunner(_BaseUserscriptRunner):
             return
 
 
-class UnsupportedError(Exception):
+class Error(Exception):
+
+    """Base class for userscript exceptions."""
+
+
+class NotFoundError(Error):
+
+    """Raised when spawning a userscript that doesn't exist.
+
+    Attributes:
+        script_name: name of the userscript as called
+        paths: path names that were searched for the userscript
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, script_name, paths=None):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.script_name = script_name
+        self.paths = paths
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        msg = "Userscript '{}' not found".format(self.script_name)
+        if self.paths:
+            msg += " in userscript directories {}".format(
+                ', '.join(repr(path) for path in self.paths))
+        return msg
+
+
+class UnsupportedError(Error):
 
     """Raised when userscripts aren't supported on this platform."""
 
@@ -323,12 +350,37 @@ class UnsupportedError(Exception):
         return "Userscripts are not supported on this platform!"
 
 
+def _lookup_path(cmd):
+    """Search userscript directories for given command.
+
+    Raises:
+        NotFoundError if the command could not be found.
+
+    Args:
+        cmd: The command to look for.
+
+    Returns:
+        A path to the userscript.
+    """
+    directories = [
+        os.path.join(standarddir.data(), "userscripts"),
+        os.path.join(standarddir.system_data(), "userscripts"),
+    ]
+    for directory in directories:
+        cmd_path = os.path.join(directory, cmd)
+        if os.path.exists(cmd_path):
+            return cmd_path
+
+    raise NotFoundError(cmd, directories)
+
+
 def run_async(tab, cmd, *args, win_id, env, verbose=False):
     """Run a userscript after dumping page html/source.
 
     Raises:
         UnsupportedError if userscripts are not supported on the current
         platform.
+        NotFoundError if the command could not be found.
 
     Args:
         tab: The WebKitTab/WebEngineTab to get the source from.
@@ -371,10 +423,9 @@ def run_async(tab, cmd, *args, win_id, env, verbose=False):
     # ~/.local/share/qutebrowser/userscripts (or $XDG_DATA_DIR)
     if not os.path.isabs(cmd_path):
         log.misc.debug("{} is no absolute path".format(cmd_path))
-        cmd_path = os.path.join(standarddir.data(), "userscripts", cmd)
-        if not os.path.exists(cmd_path):
-            cmd_path = os.path.join(standarddir.system_data(),
-                                    "userscripts", cmd)
+        cmd_path = _lookup_path(cmd)
+    elif not os.path.exists(cmd_path):
+        raise NotFoundError(cmd_path)
     log.misc.debug("Userscript to run: {}".format(cmd_path))
 
     runner.finished.connect(commandrunner.deleteLater)
diff --git a/tests/end2end/features/spawn.feature b/tests/end2end/features/spawn.feature
index 5cdeac029..dc12f4078 100644
--- a/tests/end2end/features/spawn.feature
+++ b/tests/end2end/features/spawn.feature
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@ Feature: :spawn
 
     Scenario: Starting a userscript which doesn't exist
         When I run :spawn -u this_does_not_exist
-        Then the error "Error while spawning userscript: The process failed to start." should be shown
+        Then the error "Userscript 'this_does_not_exist' not found in userscript directories *" should be shown
+
+    Scenario: Starting a userscript with absoloute path which doesn't exist
+        When I run :spawn -u /this_does_not_exist
+        Then the error "Userscript '/this_does_not_exist' not found" should be shown
 
     # https://github.com/The-Compiler/qutebrowser/issues/1614
     @posix