diff --git a/controller/appcontroller.go b/controller/appcontroller.go
index 8b2c16b056..5471f58c35 100644
--- a/controller/appcontroller.go
+++ b/controller/appcontroller.go
@@ -1476,7 +1476,7 @@ func (ctrl *ApplicationController) processRequestedAppOperation(app *appv1.Appli
 			} else {
 				state.Phase = synccommon.OperationRunning
 				state.RetryCount++
-				state.Message = fmt.Sprintf("%s. Retrying attempt #%d at %s.", state.Message, state.RetryCount, retryAt.Format(time.Kitchen))
+				state.Message = fmt.Sprintf("%s due to application controller sync timeout. Retrying attempt #%d at %s.", state.Message, state.RetryCount, retryAt.Format(time.Kitchen))
 			}
 		} else if state.RetryCount > 0 {
 			state.Message = fmt.Sprintf("%s (retried %d times).", state.Message, state.RetryCount)
diff --git a/controller/appcontroller_test.go b/controller/appcontroller_test.go
index fcbeb5e636..9efe356245 100644
--- a/controller/appcontroller_test.go
+++ b/controller/appcontroller_test.go
@@ -2062,7 +2062,7 @@ func TestProcessRequestedAppOperation_FailedHasRetries(t *testing.T) {
 	phase, _, _ := unstructured.NestedString(receivedPatch, "status", "operationState", "phase")
 	assert.Equal(t, string(synccommon.OperationRunning), phase)
 	message, _, _ := unstructured.NestedString(receivedPatch, "status", "operationState", "message")
-	assert.Contains(t, message, "Retrying attempt #1")
+	assert.Contains(t, message, "due to application controller sync timeout. Retrying attempt #1")
 	retryCount, _, _ := unstructured.NestedFloat64(receivedPatch, "status", "operationState", "retryCount")
 	assert.InEpsilon(t, float64(1), retryCount, 0.0001)
 }