diff --git a/changes/21402-improve-windows-mdm-enabled-error-message b/changes/21402-improve-windows-mdm-enabled-error-message
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..36dc6082f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/21402-improve-windows-mdm-enabled-error-message
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Improve gitops error message about enabling windows MDM
diff --git a/server/service/appconfig.go b/server/service/appconfig.go
index 236564eff0..f384dec0d5 100644
--- a/server/service/appconfig.go
+++ b/server/service/appconfig.go
@@ -836,7 +836,7 @@ func (svc *Service) validateMDM(
 			len(mdm.WindowsSettings.CustomSettings.Value) > 0 &&
 			!fleet.MDMProfileSpecsMatch(mdm.WindowsSettings.CustomSettings.Value, oldMdm.WindowsSettings.CustomSettings.Value) {
 			invalid.Append("windows_settings.custom_settings",
-				`Couldn’t edit windows_settings.custom_settings. Windows MDM isn’t turned on. Visit https://fleetdm.com/docs/using-fleet to learn how to turn on MDM.`)
+				`Couldn’t edit windows_settings.custom_settings. Windows MDM isn’t turned on. This can be enabled by setting "controls.windows_enabled_and_configured: true" in the default configuration. Visit https://fleetdm.com/guides/windows-mdm-setup and https://fleetdm.com/docs/configuration/yaml-files#controls to learn more about enabling MDM.`)
 		}
 	}
 	checkCustomSettings("windows", mdm.WindowsSettings.CustomSettings.Value)