diff --git a/crates/vite_task/src/session/cache/mod.rs b/crates/vite_task/src/session/cache/mod.rs
index 885dc97d6..690d50d43 100644
--- a/crates/vite_task/src/session/cache/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/vite_task/src/session/cache/mod.rs
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ pub fn split_path(path: &str) -> (Option<&str>, &str) {
 
 impl ExecutionCache {
     #[tracing::instrument(level = "debug", skip_all)]
-    pub fn load_from_path(path: &AbsolutePath) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
+    pub fn load_from_path(path: &AbsolutePath, program_name: &str) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
         tracing::info!("Creating task cache directory at {:?}", path);
         std::fs::create_dir_all(path)?;
 
@@ -211,7 +211,11 @@ impl ExecutionCache {
                 }
                 11 => break, // current version
                 12.. => {
-                    return Err(anyhow::anyhow!("Unrecognized database version: {user_version}"));
+                    return Err(anyhow::anyhow!(
+                        "Unrecognized database version: {user_version}. \
+                         The cache may have been created by a newer version of Vite Task. \
+                         Run `{program_name} cache clean` to remove it."
+                    ));
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/crates/vite_task/src/session/mod.rs b/crates/vite_task/src/session/mod.rs
index a6968c90e..eb9ca6411 100644
--- a/crates/vite_task/src/session/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/vite_task/src/session/mod.rs
@@ -554,7 +554,9 @@ impl<'a> Session<'a> {
     ///
     /// Returns an error if the cache database cannot be loaded or created.
     pub fn cache(&self) -> anyhow::Result<&ExecutionCache> {
-        self.cache.get_or_try_init(|| ExecutionCache::load_from_path(&self.cache_path))
+        self.cache.get_or_try_init(|| {
+            ExecutionCache::load_from_path(&self.cache_path, &self.program_name)
+        })
     }
 
     pub fn workspace_path(&self) -> Arc<AbsolutePath> {