diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 398f8ac..36db39d 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 # tidyselect (development version)
 
+* `eval_select(allow_empty = FALSE)` gains a new argument to yield a better error
+  message in case of empty selection (@olivroy, #327)
+  
+* `eval_select(allow_empty = FALSE)` now throws a classed error message (@olivroy, #347).
+
 # tidyselect 1.2.1
 
 * Performance improvements (#337, #338, #339, #341)
diff --git a/R/eval-relocate.R b/R/eval-relocate.R
index 45d46b6..b0b1679 100644
--- a/R/eval-relocate.R
+++ b/R/eval-relocate.R
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ eval_relocate <- function(expr,
     allow_empty = allow_empty,
     allow_predicates = allow_predicates,
     type = "relocate",
+    error_arg = NULL, # TODO need to know which to use. can `before_arg` or `after_arg` be passed here?
     error_call = error_call
   )
 
@@ -122,7 +123,8 @@ eval_relocate <- function(expr,
         env = env,
         error_call = error_call,
         allow_predicates = allow_predicates,
-        allow_rename = FALSE
+        allow_rename = FALSE,
+        error_arg = before_arg
       ),
       arg = before_arg,
       error_call = error_call
@@ -143,7 +145,8 @@ eval_relocate <- function(expr,
         env = env,
         error_call = error_call,
         allow_predicates = allow_predicates,
-        allow_rename = FALSE
+        allow_rename = FALSE,
+        error_arg = after_arg
       ),
       arg = after_arg,
       error_call = error_call
diff --git a/R/eval-select.R b/R/eval-select.R
index 2b9b424..7ee2cc4 100644
--- a/R/eval-select.R
+++ b/R/eval-select.R
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@
 #'   use predicates (i.e. in `where()`). If `FALSE`, will error if `expr` uses a
 #'   predicate. Will automatically be set to `FALSE` if `data` does not
 #'   support predicates (as determined by [tidyselect_data_has_predicates()]).
-#' @param error_arg Argument name to include in error message.
+#' @param error_arg Argument name to include in error message if `allow_empty = FALSE`.
+#'   Will give a better error message if the selection ends up empty.
 #' @inheritParams rlang::args_dots_empty
 #'
 #' @return A named vector of numeric locations, one for each of the
@@ -104,6 +105,11 @@
 #' # Note that the trick above works because `expr({{ arg }})` is the
 #' # same as `enquo(arg)`.
 #'
+#' # give a better error message if you don't want empty selection
+#' select_not_empty <- function(x, cols) {
+#'   eval_select(expr = enquo(cols), data = x, allow_empty = FALSE, error_arg = "cols")
+#' }
+#' try(select_not_empty(mtcars, cols = starts_with("vs2")))
 #'
 #' # The evaluators return a named vector of locations. Here are
 #' # examples of using these location vectors to implement `select()`
diff --git a/R/eval-walk.R b/R/eval-walk.R
index caf5dc3..7d8a3f3 100644
--- a/R/eval-walk.R
+++ b/R/eval-walk.R
@@ -131,7 +131,19 @@ ensure_named <- function(pos,
 
 check_empty <- function(x, allow_empty = TRUE, error_arg = NULL, call = caller_env()) {
   if (!allow_empty && length(x) == 0) {
-    cli::cli_abort("Must select at least one item.", call = call)
+    if (is.null(error_arg)) {
+      cli::cli_abort(
+        "Must select at least one item.",
+        call = call,
+        class = "tidyselect:::error_disallowed_empty"
+      )
+    } else {
+      cli::cli_abort(
+        "{.or {.arg {error_arg}}} must select at least one column.",
+        call = call,
+        class = "tidyselect:::error_disallowed_empty"
+        )
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/R/utils.R b/R/utils.R
index 2a66b61..3663c37 100644
--- a/R/utils.R
+++ b/R/utils.R
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ select_loc <- function(x,
                        allow_rename = TRUE,
                        allow_empty = TRUE,
                        allow_predicates = TRUE,
+                       error_arg = NULL,
                        error_call = current_env()) {
   check_dots_empty()
 
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ select_loc <- function(x,
     allow_rename = allow_rename,
     allow_empty = allow_empty,
     allow_predicates = allow_predicates,
+    error_arg = error_arg,
     error_call = error_call
   )
 }
diff --git a/man/eval_select.Rd b/man/eval_select.Rd
index 11fc8bc..bced545 100644
--- a/man/eval_select.Rd
+++ b/man/eval_select.Rd
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ is useful to implement purely selective behaviour.}
 in an empty selection. If \code{FALSE}, will error if \code{expr} yields an empty
 selection.}
 
-\item{error_arg}{Argument name to include in error message.}
+\item{error_arg}{Argument name to include in error message if \code{allow_empty = FALSE}.
+Will give a better error message if the selection ends up empty.}
 }
 \value{
 A named vector of numeric locations, one for each of the
@@ -143,6 +144,11 @@ my_function <- function(.x, .expr, ...) {
 # Note that the trick above works because `expr({{ arg }})` is the
 # same as `enquo(arg)`.
 
+# give a better error message if you don't want empty selection
+select_not_empty <- function(x, cols) {
+  eval_select(expr = enquo(cols), data = x, allow_empty = FALSE, error_arg = "cols")
+}
+try(select_not_empty(mtcars, cols = starts_with("vs2")))
 
 # The evaluators return a named vector of locations. Here are
 # examples of using these location vectors to implement `select()`
diff --git a/man/faq-selection-context.Rd b/man/faq-selection-context.Rd
index d418979..860fbf8 100644
--- a/man/faq-selection-context.Rd
+++ b/man/faq-selection-context.Rd
@@ -13,23 +13,20 @@ Using a selection helper anywhere else results in an error:
 \if{html}{\out{<div class="sourceCode r">}}\preformatted{starts_with("foo")
 #> Error:
 #> ! `starts_with()` must be used within a *selecting* function.
-#> i See
-#>   <https://tidyselect.r-lib.org/reference/faq-selection-context.html>
-#>   for details.
+#> i See <https://tidyselect.r-lib.org/reference/faq-selection-context.html> for
+#>   details.
 
 mtcars[contains("foo")]
 #> Error:
 #> ! `contains()` must be used within a *selecting* function.
-#> i See
-#>   <https://tidyselect.r-lib.org/reference/faq-selection-context.html>
-#>   for details.
+#> i See <https://tidyselect.r-lib.org/reference/faq-selection-context.html> for
+#>   details.
 
 subset(mtcars, select = matches("foo"))
 #> Error:
 #> ! `matches()` must be used within a *selecting* function.
-#> i See
-#>   <https://tidyselect.r-lib.org/reference/faq-selection-context.html>
-#>   for details.
+#> i See <https://tidyselect.r-lib.org/reference/faq-selection-context.html> for
+#>   details.
 }\if{html}{\out{</div>}}
 
 If you see this error, you may have used a selection helper in the wrong
@@ -38,7 +35,7 @@ argument name). Alternatively, you may be deliberately trying to reduce
 duplication in your code by extracting out a selection into a variable:
 
 \if{html}{\out{<div class="sourceCode r">}}\preformatted{my_vars <- c(name, species, ends_with("color"))
-#> Error in eval(expr, envir, enclos): object 'name' not found
+#> Error in eval(expr, envir, enclos): objet 'name' introuvable
 }\if{html}{\out{</div>}}
 
 To make this work you’ll need to do two things:
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/eval-relocate.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/eval-relocate.md
index 977018e..d2d9ad1 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/eval-relocate.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/eval-relocate.md
@@ -84,19 +84,19 @@
     Code
       (expect_error(relocate_loc(x, allow_empty = FALSE)))
     Output
-      <error/rlang_error>
+      <error/tidyselect:::error_disallowed_empty>
       Error in `relocate_loc()`:
       ! Must select at least one item.
     Code
       (expect_error(relocate_loc(mtcars, integer(), allow_empty = FALSE)))
     Output
-      <error/rlang_error>
+      <error/tidyselect:::error_disallowed_empty>
       Error in `relocate_loc()`:
       ! Must select at least one item.
     Code
       (expect_error(relocate_loc(mtcars, starts_with("z"), allow_empty = FALSE)))
     Output
-      <error/rlang_error>
+      <error/tidyselect:::error_disallowed_empty>
       Error in `relocate_loc()`:
       ! Must select at least one item.
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/eval-select.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/eval-select.md
index 3d1fdf7..13264cf 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/eval-select.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/eval-select.md
@@ -66,6 +66,24 @@
       Error in `select_loc()`:
       ! Must select at least one item.
 
+# can forbid empty selections with informative error
+
+    Code
+      select_loc(mtcars, allow_empty = FALSE, error_arg = "cols")
+    Condition
+      Error in `select_loc()`:
+      ! `cols` must select at least one column.
+    Code
+      select_loc(mtcars, integer(), allow_empty = FALSE, error_arg = "x")
+    Condition
+      Error in `select_loc()`:
+      ! `x` must select at least one column.
+    Code
+      select_loc(mtcars, starts_with("z"), allow_empty = FALSE, error_arg = "y")
+    Condition
+      Error in `select_loc()`:
+      ! `y` must select at least one column.
+
 # eval_select() errors mention correct calls
 
     Code
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-eval-select.R b/tests/testthat/test-eval-select.R
index 9218ce3..9a3721e 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-eval-select.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-eval-select.R
@@ -105,6 +105,14 @@ test_that("can forbid empty selections", {
   })
 })
 
+test_that("can forbid empty selections with informative error", {
+  expect_snapshot(error = TRUE, {
+    select_loc(mtcars, allow_empty = FALSE,  error_arg = "cols")
+    select_loc(mtcars, integer(), allow_empty = FALSE, error_arg = "x")
+    select_loc(mtcars, starts_with("z"), allow_empty = FALSE, error_arg = "y")
+  })
+})
+
 test_that("eval_select() errors mention correct calls", {
   f <- function() stop("foo")
   expect_snapshot((expect_error(select_loc(mtcars, f()))))