diff --git a/run_tests.sh b/run_tests.sh
index 6e9e17d852b..ae6e365bbf5 100755
--- a/run_tests.sh
+++ b/run_tests.sh
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ fi
 
 if [ $just_pep8 -eq 1 ]; then
     run_pep8
-    bash ./tools/conf/check_uptodate.sh
+    ${wrapper}   bash ./tools/conf/check_uptodate.sh
     exit
 fi
 
@@ -245,6 +245,6 @@ run_tests
 if [ -z "$testrargs" ]; then
   if [ $no_pep8 -eq 0 ]; then
     run_pep8
-    bash ./tools/conf/check_uptodate.sh
+    ${wrapper} bash ./tools/conf/check_uptodate.sh
   fi
 fi
diff --git a/tools/conf/check_uptodate.sh b/tools/conf/check_uptodate.sh
index df9bc74c5b2..bfe199b456b 100755
--- a/tools/conf/check_uptodate.sh
+++ b/tools/conf/check_uptodate.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ CFGFILE=cinder.conf.sample
 tools/conf/generate_sample.sh -o $TEMPDIR
 if ! diff $TEMPDIR/$CFGFILE etc/cinder/$CFGFILE
 then
-    echo "E: cinder.conf.sample is not up to date, please run tools/conf/generate_sample.sh"
+    echo "E: cinder.conf.sample is not up to date, please run tools/conf/generate_sample.sh in venv"
+    echo "E: e.g. \$ source .venv/bin/activate; tools/conf/generate_sample.sh"
     rm -rf $TEMPDIR
     exit 42
 fi