diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/ProviderRepository.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/ProviderRepository.php
index 080479c9c28f..903908f3dac0 100755
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/ProviderRepository.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/ProviderRepository.php
@@ -186,8 +186,8 @@ protected function freshManifest(array $providers)
      */
     public function writeManifest($manifest)
     {
-        if (! is_writable(dirname($this->manifestPath))) {
-            throw new Exception('The bootstrap/cache directory must be present and writable.');
+        if (! is_writable($dirname = dirname($this->manifestPath))) {
+            throw new Exception("The {$dirname} directory must be present and writable.");
         }
 
         $this->files->replace(
diff --git a/tests/Foundation/FoundationProviderRepositoryTest.php b/tests/Foundation/FoundationProviderRepositoryTest.php
index 7c701cdb3db2..9832a9678b0c 100755
--- a/tests/Foundation/FoundationProviderRepositoryTest.php
+++ b/tests/Foundation/FoundationProviderRepositoryTest.php
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace Illuminate\Tests\Foundation;
 
+use Exception;
 use Mockery as m;
 use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
 use Illuminate\Filesystem\Filesystem;
@@ -87,4 +88,15 @@ public function testWriteManifestStoresToProperLocation()
 
         $this->assertEquals(['foo', 'when' => []], $result);
     }
+
+    public function testWriteManifestThrowsExceptionIfManifestDirDoesntExist()
+    {
+        $this->expectException(Exception::class);
+        $this->expectExceptionMessageRegExp('/^The (.*) directory must be present and writable.$/');
+
+        $repo = new ProviderRepository(m::mock(ApplicationContract::class), $files = m::mock(Filesystem::class), __DIR__.'/cache/services.php');
+        $files->shouldReceive('replace')->never();
+
+        $repo->writeManifest(['foo']);
+    }
 }