diff --git a/compiler/semobjconstr.nim b/compiler/semobjconstr.nim
index 6d11d321ec..64672c59fe 100644
--- a/compiler/semobjconstr.nim
+++ b/compiler/semobjconstr.nim
@@ -392,8 +392,12 @@ proc semObjConstr(c: PContext, n: PNode, flags: TExprFlags): PNode =
       # multiple times as long as they don't have closures.
       result.typ.flags.incl tfHasOwned
   if t.kind != tyObject:
-    return localErrorNode(c, result,
-      "object constructor needs an object type".dup(addDeclaredLoc(c.config, t)))
+    return localErrorNode(c, result, if t.kind != tyGenericBody:
+      "object constructor needs an object type".dup(addDeclaredLoc(c.config, t))
+      else: "cannot instantiate: '" &
+        typeToString(t, preferDesc) &
+        "'; the object's generic parameters cannot be inferred and must be explicitly given"
+      )
 
   # Check if the object is fully initialized by recursively testing each
   # field (if this is a case object, initialized fields in two different
diff --git a/tests/errmsgs/t19882_2.nim b/tests/errmsgs/t19882_2.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7f3055a5da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/errmsgs/t19882_2.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+discard """
+  errormsg: "cannot instantiate: 'A[T]'; the object's generic parameters cannot be inferred and must be explicitly given"
+"""
+type A[T] = object
+var a = A()
\ No newline at end of file