diff --git a/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/DefaultIndexingChain.java b/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/DefaultIndexingChain.java
index 55cdbf31e8d..e941911ef2b 100644
--- a/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/DefaultIndexingChain.java
+++ b/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/index/DefaultIndexingChain.java
@@ -723,8 +723,10 @@ final class DefaultIndexingChain extends DocConsumer {
           if (invertState.position < invertState.lastPosition) {
             if (posIncr == 0) {
               throw new IllegalArgumentException("first position increment must be > 0 (got 0) for field '" + field.name() + "'");
+            } else if (posIncr < 0) {
+              throw new IllegalArgumentException("position increment must be >= 0 (got " + posIncr + ") for field '" + field.name() + "'");
             } else {
-              throw new IllegalArgumentException("position increments (and gaps) must be >= 0 (got " + posIncr + ") for field '" + field.name() + "'");
+              throw new IllegalArgumentException("position overflowed Integer.MAX_VALUE (got posIncr=" + posIncr + " lastPosition=" + invertState.lastPosition + " position=" + invertState.position + ") for field '" + field.name() + "'");
             }
           } else if (invertState.position > IndexWriter.MAX_POSITION) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("position " + invertState.position + " is too large for field '" + field.name() + "': max allowed position is " + IndexWriter.MAX_POSITION);