diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/clarify_error_message.yml b/changelogs/fragments/clarify_error_message.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bebcc0873a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/clarify_error_message.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+    - Fix an atomic_move error that is 'true', but  misleading. Now we show all 3 files involved and clarify what happened.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py
index 65adce93194..5f8f1d9a79e 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/basic.py
@@ -2605,7 +2605,8 @@ class AnsibleModule(object):
                                 if unsafe_writes and e.errno == errno.EBUSY:
                                     self._unsafe_writes(b_tmp_dest_name, b_dest)
                                 else:
-                                    self.fail_json(msg='Unable to rename file: %s to %s: %s' % (src, dest, to_native(e)),
+                                    self.fail_json(msg='Unable to make %s into to %s, failed final rename from %s: %s' %
+                                                       (src, dest, b_tmp_dest_name, to_native(e)),
                                                    exception=traceback.format_exc())
                         except (shutil.Error, OSError, IOError) as e:
                             self.fail_json(msg='Failed to replace file: %s to %s: %s' % (src, dest, to_native(e)),