diff --git a/picard/script/__init__.py b/picard/script/__init__.py
index f056c5af0..8d9ec9ccf 100644
--- a/picard/script/__init__.py
+++ b/picard/script/__init__.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #
 # Copyright (C) 2006-2009, 2012 Lukáš Lalinský
 # Copyright (C) 2007 Javier Kohen
-# Copyright (C) 2008-2011, 2014-2015, 2018-2021, 2023 Philipp Wolfer
+# Copyright (C) 2008-2011, 2014-2015, 2018-2021, 2023-2024 Philipp Wolfer
 # Copyright (C) 2009 Carlin Mangar
 # Copyright (C) 2009 Nikolai Prokoschenko
 # Copyright (C) 2011-2012 Michael Wiencek
@@ -70,18 +70,26 @@ class ScriptFunctionDocError(Exception):
     pass
 
 
+class ScriptFunctionDocUnknownFunctionError(ScriptFunctionDocError):
+    pass
+
+
+class ScriptFunctionDocNoDocumentationError(ScriptFunctionDocError):
+    pass
+
+
 def script_function_documentation(name, fmt, functions=None, postprocessor=None):
     if functions is None:
         functions = dict(script_functions.ext_point_script_functions)
     if name not in functions:
-        raise ScriptFunctionDocError("no such function: %s (known functions: %r)" % (name, [name for name in functions]))
+        raise ScriptFunctionDocUnknownFunctionError("no such function: %s (known functions: %r)" % (name, [name for name in functions]))
 
     if fmt == 'html':
         return functions[name].htmldoc(postprocessor)
     elif fmt == 'markdown':
         return functions[name].markdowndoc(postprocessor)
     else:
-        raise ScriptFunctionDocError("no such documentation format: %s (known formats: html, markdown)" % fmt)
+        raise ScriptFunctionDocNoDocumentationError("no such documentation format: %s (known formats: html, markdown)" % fmt)
 
 
 def script_function_names(functions=None):
diff --git a/picard/ui/widgets/scripttextedit.py b/picard/ui/widgets/scripttextedit.py
index d0f4853cd..be89faa04 100644
--- a/picard/ui/widgets/scripttextedit.py
+++ b/picard/ui/widgets/scripttextedit.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 #
 # Copyright (C) 2006-2007, 2009 Lukáš Lalinský
 # Copyright (C) 2014 m42i
-# Copyright (C) 2020-2023 Philipp Wolfer
+# Copyright (C) 2020-2024 Philipp Wolfer
 # Copyright (C) 2020-2024 Laurent Monin
 # Copyright (C) 2021-2022 Bob Swift
 #
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ from picard.const.sys import IS_MACOS
 from picard.i18n import gettext as _
 from picard.script import (
     ScriptFunctionDocError,
+    ScriptFunctionDocUnknownFunctionError,
     script_function_documentation,
     script_function_names,
 )
@@ -279,6 +280,12 @@ class FunctionScriptToken(DocumentedScriptToken):
         function = self._read_allowed_chars(position + 1)
         try:
             return script_function_documentation(function, 'html')
+        except ScriptFunctionDocUnknownFunctionError:
+            return _(
+                '<em>Function <code>$%s</code> does not exist.<br>'
+                '<br>'
+                'Are you missing a plugin?'
+                '</em>') % function
         except ScriptFunctionDocError:
             return None