diff --git a/server/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/indexing/RealtimeTuningConfig.java b/server/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/indexing/RealtimeTuningConfig.java
index c9cdf6358ae..179f3c7fc3f 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/indexing/RealtimeTuningConfig.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/io/druid/segment/indexing/RealtimeTuningConfig.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonCreator;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonProperty;
 import com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
 import com.google.common.io.Files;
+import io.druid.java.util.common.ISE;
 import io.druid.segment.IndexSpec;
 import io.druid.segment.realtime.appenderator.AppenderatorConfig;
 import io.druid.segment.realtime.plumber.IntervalStartVersioningPolicy;
@@ -55,7 +56,15 @@ public class RealtimeTuningConfig implements TuningConfig, AppenderatorConfig
 
   private static File createNewBasePersistDirectory()
   {
-    return Files.createTempDir();
+    try {
+      return Files.createTempDir();
+    }
+    catch (IllegalStateException e) {
+      String messageTemplate = "Failed to create temporary directory in [%s]! " +
+              "Make sure the `java.io.tmpdir` property is set to an existing and writable directory " +
+              "with enough free space.";
+      throw new ISE(e, messageTemplate, System.getProperty("java.io.tmpdir"));
+    }
   }
 
   // Might make sense for this to be a builder
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/io/druid/segment/indexing/RealtimeTuningConfigTest.java b/server/src/test/java/io/druid/segment/indexing/RealtimeTuningConfigTest.java
index 12878424309..5f1820b1b6d 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/io/druid/segment/indexing/RealtimeTuningConfigTest.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/io/druid/segment/indexing/RealtimeTuningConfigTest.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import org.junit.Assert;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import java.io.File;
+import java.util.UUID;
 
 public class RealtimeTuningConfigTest
 {
@@ -39,6 +40,24 @@ public class RealtimeTuningConfigTest
     Assert.assertNotEquals(tuningConfig1.getBasePersistDirectory(), tuningConfig2.getBasePersistDirectory());
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testErrorMessageIsMeaningfulWhenUnableToCreateTemporaryDirectory()
+  {
+    String propertyName = "java.io.tmpdir";
+    String originalValue = System.getProperty(propertyName);
+    try {
+      String nonExistedDirectory = "/tmp/" + UUID.randomUUID();
+      System.setProperty(propertyName, nonExistedDirectory);
+      RealtimeTuningConfig.makeDefaultTuningConfig(null);
+    }
+    catch (IllegalStateException e) {
+      Assert.assertTrue(e.getMessage().startsWith("Failed to create temporary directory in"));
+    }
+    finally {
+      System.setProperty(propertyName, originalValue);
+    }
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testSpecificBasePersistDirectory()
   {