diff --git a/mercurial/cmdutil.py b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
--- a/mercurial/cmdutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
@@ -1851,7 +1851,10 @@
             continue
         copylist.append((tfn(pat, dest, srcs), srcs))
     if not copylist:
-        raise error.InputError(_(b'no files to copy'))
+        hint = None
+        if rename:
+            hint = _(b'maybe you meant to use --after --at-rev=.')
+        raise error.InputError(_(b'no files to copy'), hint=hint)
 
     errors = 0
     for targetpath, srcs in copylist:
diff --git a/tests/test-copy.t b/tests/test-copy.t
--- a/tests/test-copy.t
+++ b/tests/test-copy.t
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@
   $ hg mv foo bar
   foo: not copying - file is not managed
   abort: no files to copy
+  (maybe you meant to use --after --at-rev=.)
   [10]
   $ hg st -A
   ? foo
@@ -124,14 +125,17 @@
   $ hg mv ../foo ../bar
   ../foo: not copying - file is not managed
   abort: no files to copy
+  (maybe you meant to use --after --at-rev=.)
   [10]
   $ hg mv ../foo ../bar --config ui.relative-paths=yes
   ../foo: not copying - file is not managed
   abort: no files to copy
+  (maybe you meant to use --after --at-rev=.)
   [10]
   $ hg mv ../foo ../bar --config ui.relative-paths=no
   foo: not copying - file is not managed
   abort: no files to copy
+  (maybe you meant to use --after --at-rev=.)
   [10]
   $ cd ..
   $ rmdir dir
diff --git a/tests/test-remotefilelog-prefetch.t b/tests/test-remotefilelog-prefetch.t
--- a/tests/test-remotefilelog-prefetch.t
+++ b/tests/test-remotefilelog-prefetch.t
@@ -237,6 +237,7 @@
   $ hg mv z2 z3
   z2: not copying - file is not managed
   abort: no files to copy
+  (maybe you meant to use --after --at-rev=.)
   [10]
   $ find $CACHEDIR -type f | sort
 .. The following output line about files fetches is globed because it is