diff --git a/mu/mu-cmd-server.cc b/mu/mu-cmd-server.cc
index fa64e9a5..a86c87d5 100644
--- a/mu/mu-cmd-server.cc
+++ b/mu/mu-cmd-server.cc
@@ -213,6 +213,10 @@ struct Context {
                 GError *gerr{};
                 store = mu_store_new_writable (dbpath, NULL);
                 if (!store) {
+                        const auto mu_init = format("mu init %s%s",
+                                                    opts->muhome ? "--muhome=" : "",
+                                                    opts->muhome ? opts->muhome : "");
+
                         if (gerr) {
                                 if ((MuError)gerr->code == MU_ERROR_XAPIAN_CANNOT_GET_WRITELOCK)
                                         print_error(MU_ERROR_XAPIAN_CANNOT_GET_WRITELOCK,
@@ -221,14 +225,17 @@ struct Context {
                                 else
                                         print_error((MuError)gerr->code,
                                                     "cannot open database @ %s:%s; "
-                                                    "please try 'mu init", dbpath,
-                                                    gerr->message ? gerr->message : "something went wrong");
+                                                    "please try '%s", dbpath,
+                                                    gerr->message ? gerr->message : "something went wrong",
+                                                    mu_init.c_str());
                         } else
                                 print_error(MU_ERROR,
-                                            "cannot open database @ %s; pleasy try 'mu init'", dbpath);
+                                            "cannot open database @ %s; please try '%s'",
+                                            dbpath, mu_init.c_str());
 
                         throw Mu::Error (Error::Code::Store, &gerr/*consumed*/,
-                                         "failed to open database @ %s; please try 'mu init'", dbpath);
+                                         "failed to open database @ %s; please try '%s'",
+                                         dbpath, mu_init.c_str());
                 }
 
                 query = mu_query_new (store, &gerr);
diff --git a/mu4e/mu4e-proc.el b/mu4e/mu4e-proc.el
index cdc780b4..5bbc26e8 100644
--- a/mu4e/mu4e-proc.el
+++ b/mu4e/mu4e-proc.el
@@ -252,7 +252,8 @@ Start the process if needed."
   (unless (file-executable-p mu4e-mu-binary)
     (mu4e-error (format "`mu4e-mu-binary' (%S) not found" mu4e-mu-binary)))
   (let* ((process-connection-type nil) ;; use a pipe
-          (args '("server")))
+          (args (when mu4e-mu-home `(,(format"--muhome=%s" mu4e-mu-home))))
+          (args (cons "server" args)))
     (setq mu4e~proc-buf "")
     (setq mu4e~proc-process (apply 'start-process
             mu4e~proc-name mu4e~proc-name