diff --git a/junit6/src/test/java/com/vaadin/browserless/RouteDiscoveryFailureMessageTest.java b/junit6/src/test/java/com/vaadin/browserless/RouteDiscoveryFailureMessageTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37b9c71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/junit6/src/test/java/com/vaadin/browserless/RouteDiscoveryFailureMessageTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2000-2026 Vaadin Ltd.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not
+ * use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of
+ * the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+ * WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+ * License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under
+ * the License.
+ */
+package com.vaadin.browserless;
+
+import java.util.ServiceConfigurationError;
+import java.util.Set;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+class RouteDiscoveryFailureMessageTest {
+
+    @Test
+    void packagedScan_messageNamesPackagesAndCause() {
+        ServiceConfigurationError cause = new ServiceConfigurationError(
+                "com.example.MyProvider not a subtype");
+
+        String msg = BaseBrowserlessTest.routeDiscoveryFailureMessage(
+                Set.of("com.example.views"), cause);
+
+        Assertions.assertTrue(msg.contains("com.example.views"),
+                "message should name the scanned package, was:\n" + msg);
+        Assertions.assertTrue(msg.contains("ServiceConfigurationError"),
+                "message should name the underlying error type, was:\n" + msg);
+        Assertions.assertTrue(
+                msg.contains("com.example.MyProvider not a subtype"),
+                "message should include the original cause message, was:\n"
+                        + msg);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void wholeClasspathScan_messageDescribesFullScan() {
+        String msg = BaseBrowserlessTest.routeDiscoveryFailureMessage(
+                Set.of(""), new ServiceConfigurationError("boom"));
+
+        Assertions.assertTrue(msg.contains("the whole classpath"),
+                "empty package set should be described as a full classpath "
+                        + "scan, was:\n" + msg);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void message_pointsAtDiscoverRoutesOverrideAndViewPackages() {
+        String msg = BaseBrowserlessTest.routeDiscoveryFailureMessage(
+                Set.of("com.example"), new ServiceConfigurationError("boom"));
+
+        Assertions.assertTrue(msg.contains("@ViewPackages"),
+                "message should suggest @ViewPackages, was:\n" + msg);
+        Assertions.assertTrue(msg.contains("protected Routes discoverRoutes()"),
+                "message should show a discoverRoutes() override snippet, "
+                        + "was:\n" + msg);
+        Assertions.assertTrue(
+                msg.contains("new Routes()") && msg.contains("getRoutes().add"),
+                "message should show how to populate Routes, was:\n" + msg);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/shared/src/main/java/com/vaadin/browserless/BaseBrowserlessTest.java b/shared/src/main/java/com/vaadin/browserless/BaseBrowserlessTest.java
index 9133ddc..e236968 100644
--- a/shared/src/main/java/com/vaadin/browserless/BaseBrowserlessTest.java
+++ b/shared/src/main/java/com/vaadin/browserless/BaseBrowserlessTest.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.ServiceConfigurationError;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
@@ -158,10 +159,43 @@ protected static synchronized Routes discoverRoutes(
                 ? Set.of("")
                 : packageNames;
 
-        return packageNames.stream()
-                .map(pkg -> routesCache.computeIfAbsent(pkg,
-                        p -> new Routes().autoDiscoverViews(p)))
-                .reduce(new Routes(), Routes::merge);
+        try {
+            return packageNames.stream()
+                    .map(pkg -> routesCache.computeIfAbsent(pkg,
+                            p -> new Routes().autoDiscoverViews(p)))
+                    .reduce(new Routes(), Routes::merge);
+        } catch (ServiceConfigurationError e) {
+            throw new BrowserlessTestSetupException(
+                    routeDiscoveryFailureMessage(packageNames, e), e);
+        }
+    }
+
+    static String routeDiscoveryFailureMessage(Set<String> packages,
+            Throwable cause) {
+        String scope = packages.equals(Set.of("")) ? "the whole classpath"
+                : "package(s) " + packages;
+        return "Failed to auto-discover Vaadin routes by scanning " + scope
+                + ": " + cause.getClass().getSimpleName() + ": "
+                + cause.getMessage()
+                + "\n\nThis usually means a class loaded during the scan "
+                + "triggers java.util.ServiceLoader (e.g. via Vaadin's Lookup, "
+                + "an InstantiatorFactory, or another SPI) and one of the "
+                + "registered providers cannot be loaded on the test classpath."
+                + "\n\nWorkarounds:"
+                + "\n  1. Restrict the scan to your view package(s) by adding "
+                + "@ViewPackages(MyView.class) (or @ViewPackages(packages = \"com.example.views\")) "
+                + "to your test class."
+                + "\n  2. Override discoverRoutes() in your test class (or "
+                + "test base class) and build the Routes explicitly, skipping "
+                + "the classpath scan entirely:" + "\n" + "\n      @Override"
+                + "\n      protected Routes discoverRoutes() {"
+                + "\n          Routes routes = new Routes();"
+                + "\n          routes.getRoutes().add(MyView.class);"
+                + "\n          // routes.getLayouts().add(MyLayout.class);"
+                + "\n          // routes.getErrorRoutes().add(MyErrorView.class);"
+                + "\n          return routes;" + "\n      }"
+                + "\n\nSee the original ServiceConfigurationError chained as "
+                + "the cause for the SPI/provider that failed to load.";
     }
 
     /**