diff --git a/src/commands/database/create.mjs b/src/commands/database/create.mjs
index e90a72e5..1a2d5762 100644
--- a/src/commands/database/create.mjs
+++ b/src/commands/database/create.mjs
@@ -46,8 +46,21 @@ async function createDatabase(argv) {
   } catch (e) {
     if (e instanceof FaunaError) {
       throwForError(e, {
-        onConstraintFailure: () =>
-          `Constraint failure: The database '${argv.name}' already exists or one of the provided options is invalid.`,
+        onConstraintFailure: (err) => {
+          const cf = err.constraint_failures;
+          if (cf && cf.length > 0) {
+            const nameIsInvalidIdentifier = cf.some(
+              (failure) =>
+                failure?.paths?.length === 1 &&
+                failure?.paths?.[0]?.[0] === "name" &&
+                failure?.message === "Invalid identifier.",
+            );
+            if (nameIsInvalidIdentifier) {
+              return `Constraint failure: The database name '${argv.name}' is invalid. Database names must begin with letters and include only letters, numbers, and underscores.`;
+            }
+          }
+          return `Constraint failure: The database '${argv.name}' already exists or one of the provided options is invalid.`;
+        },
       });
     }
     throw e;
diff --git a/test/database/create.mjs b/test/database/create.mjs
index bba25aca..f16dd411 100644
--- a/test/database/create.mjs
+++ b/test/database/create.mjs
@@ -52,6 +52,22 @@ describe("database create", () => {
       expectedMessage:
         "Constraint failure: The database 'testdb' already exists or one of the provided options is invalid.",
     },
+    {
+      error: new ServiceError({
+        error: {
+          code: "constraint_failure",
+          message: "whatever",
+          constraint_failures: [
+            {
+              paths: [["name"]],
+              message: "Invalid identifier.",
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+      }),
+      expectedMessage:
+        "Constraint failure: The database name 'testdb' is invalid. Database names must begin with letters and include only letters, numbers, and underscores.",
+    },
     {
       error: new ServiceError({
         error: { code: "unauthorized", message: "whatever" },