diff --git a/glymur/_uuid_io.py b/glymur/_uuid_io.py
index daa1994..f64baa6 100644
--- a/glymur/_uuid_io.py
+++ b/glymur/_uuid_io.py
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ def tiff_header(read_buffer):
         # big endian
         endian = '>'
     else:
-        msg = "Bad byte order indication: {0}".format(read_buffer[6:8])
+        msg = "The byte order indication in the TIFF header ({0}) is invalid.  "
+        msg += "It should be either {1} or {2}."
+        msg = msg.format(read_buffer[6:8], bytes([73, 73]), bytes([77, 77]))
         raise IOError(msg)
 
     _, offset = struct.unpack(endian + 'HI', read_buffer[8:14])
diff --git a/glymur/test/test_jp2box_uuid.py b/glymur/test/test_jp2box_uuid.py
index b6e9762..f24aafe 100644
--- a/glymur/test/test_jp2box_uuid.py
+++ b/glymur/test/test_jp2box_uuid.py
@@ -167,6 +167,10 @@ class TestUUIDExif(unittest.TestCase):
                 warnings.simplefilter('always')
                 j = glymur.Jp2k(tfile.name)
                 self.assertTrue(issubclass(w[0].category, UserWarning))
+                msg = 'The byte order indication in the TIFF header '
+                msg += "(b'JI') is invalid.  "
+                msg += "It should be either b'II' or b'MM'."
+                self.assertTrue(msg in str(w[0].message))
 
             self.assertEqual(j.box[-1].box_id, 'uuid')