lib/PublicInbox/LeiTag.pm | 3 ++-

diff --git a/lib/PublicInbox/LeiTag.pm b/lib/PublicInbox/LeiTag.pm
index 06313139775446ca592ffbeeab380f16b57650b6..c7a21c87dfa77eef8489b012efa87f7a6dd6a232 100644
--- a/lib/PublicInbox/LeiTag.pm
+++ b/lib/PublicInbox/LeiTag.pm
@@ -121,7 +121,8 @@ }
 
 sub note_missing {
 	my ($self) = @_;
-	$self->{lei}->child_error(1 << 8) if $self->{missing};
+	my $n = $self->{missing} or return;
+	$self->{lei}->child_error(1 << 8, "$n missed messages");
 }
 
 sub ipc_atfork_child {