diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index fef04c1c5..8476a409a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-## Known Issues in 1.25.0
+## Known Issues in 1.25.1
 
 * For Mono-based development (e.g. Unity) that requires full .NET framework, you need to set `"omnisharp.useModernNet": false`.
 * After selecting a solution filter (*.slnf) from the project selector, the solution's name will be displayed in the status bar instead of the filter's.
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@
 * Renaming symbol fails within a file that had recently been renamed without saving changes.
   * As a workaround, make an edit within the file before using Rename Symbol.
 
-## 1.25.0
+## 1.25.1
+* Provide actionable error messages for .NET SDK issues ([#5223](https://github.com/OmniSharp/omnisharp-vscode/issues/5223), PR: [#5225](https://github.com/OmniSharp/omnisharp-vscode/pull/5225))
+
+## 1.25.0 (May 24th, 2022)
 * Make SDK build of OmniSharp the default ([#5120](https://github.com/OmniSharp/omnisharp-vscode/issues/5120), PR: [#5176](https://github.com/OmniSharp/omnisharp-vscode/pull/5176))
 * Add auto complete name to class, interface, enum, struct etc. snippets (PR: [#5198](https://github.com/OmniSharp/omnisharp-vscode/pull/5198))
 * Add a fallback for ps in remoteProcessPickerScript ([#4096](https://github.com/OmniSharp/omnisharp-vscode/issues/4096), PR: [#5207](https://github.com/OmniSharp/omnisharp-vscode/pull/5207))
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0189f68d7..411234428 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ If you still need Unity or .NET Framework support, you can set `omnisharp.useMod
 
 See issue [#5120](https://github.com/OmniSharp/omnisharp-vscode/issues/5120) for more details.
 
+## What's new in 1.25.1
+* Provide actionable error messages for .NET SDK issues ([#5223](https://github.com/OmniSharp/omnisharp-vscode/issues/5223), PR: [#5225](https://github.com/OmniSharp/omnisharp-vscode/pull/5225))
+
 ## What's new in 1.25.0
 * Make SDK build of OmniSharp the default ([#5120](https://github.com/OmniSharp/omnisharp-vscode/issues/5120), PR: [#5176](https://github.com/OmniSharp/omnisharp-vscode/pull/5176))
 * Add auto complete name to class, interface, enum, struct etc. snippets (PR: [#5198](https://github.com/OmniSharp/omnisharp-vscode/pull/5198))
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 7ab57a760..9ab0bbeed 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "csharp",
-  "version": "1.25.0",
+  "version": "1.25.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 2,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
@@ -16798,4 +16798,4 @@
       }
     }
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b87e539b9..144c31b1f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "csharp",
   "publisher": "ms-dotnettools",
-  "version": "1.25.0",
+  "version": "1.25.1",
   "description": "C# for Visual Studio Code (powered by OmniSharp).",
   "displayName": "C#",
   "author": "Microsoft Corporation",
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index 0e3d9d5ec..b161aed58 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,15 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext): Promise<CSharp
     util.setExtensionPath(extension.extensionPath);
 
     const eventStream = new EventStream();
+
+    let platformInfo: PlatformInformation;
+    try {
+        platformInfo = await PlatformInformation.GetCurrent();
+    }
+    catch (error) {
+        eventStream.post(new ActivationFailure());
+    }
+
     const optionStream = createOptionStream(vscode);
     let optionProvider = new OptionProvider(optionStream);
 
@@ -79,7 +88,7 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext): Promise<CSharp
     eventStream.subscribe(csharpLogObserver.post);
 
     let omnisharpChannel = vscode.window.createOutputChannel('OmniSharp Log');
-    let omnisharpLogObserver = new OmnisharpLoggerObserver(omnisharpChannel);
+    let omnisharpLogObserver = new OmnisharpLoggerObserver(omnisharpChannel, platformInfo);
     let omnisharpChannelObserver = new OmnisharpChannelObserver(omnisharpChannel, vscode);
     eventStream.subscribe(omnisharpLogObserver.post);
     eventStream.subscribe(omnisharpChannelObserver.post);
@@ -117,14 +126,6 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext): Promise<CSharp
         eventStream.subscribe(omnisharpDebugModeLoggerObserver.post);
     }
 
-    let platformInfo: PlatformInformation;
-    try {
-        platformInfo = await PlatformInformation.GetCurrent();
-    }
-    catch (error) {
-        eventStream.post(new ActivationFailure());
-    }
-
     if (!isSupportedPlatform(platformInfo)) {
         const platform: string = platformInfo.platform ? platformInfo.platform : "this platform";
         const architecture: string = platformInfo.architecture ? platformInfo.architecture : " and <unknown processor architecture>";
diff --git a/src/observers/OmnisharpLoggerObserver.ts b/src/observers/OmnisharpLoggerObserver.ts
index 274a79c84..664f8c1ca 100644
--- a/src/observers/OmnisharpLoggerObserver.ts
+++ b/src/observers/OmnisharpLoggerObserver.ts
@@ -7,8 +7,15 @@ import { BaseLoggerObserver } from "./BaseLoggerObserver";
 import { BaseEvent, OmnisharpInitialisation, OmnisharpLaunch, OmnisharpFailure, OmnisharpServerMessage, OmnisharpServerOnServerError, OmnisharpServerOnError, OmnisharpServerMsBuildProjectDiagnostics, OmnisharpServerOnStdErr, OmnisharpEventPacketReceived } from "../omnisharp/loggingEvents";
 import * as os from 'os';
 import { EventType } from "../omnisharp/EventType";
+import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+import { PlatformInformation } from "../platform";
+import { Logger } from "../logger";
 
 export class OmnisharpLoggerObserver extends BaseLoggerObserver {
+    constructor(channel: vscode.OutputChannel | Logger, private platformInformation: PlatformInformation) {
+        super(channel);
+    }
+
     public post = (event: BaseEvent) => {
         switch (event.type) {
             case EventType.OmnisharpInitialisation:
@@ -34,7 +41,7 @@ export class OmnisharpLoggerObserver extends BaseLoggerObserver {
                 this.handleOmnisharpServerMsBuildProjectDiagnostics(<OmnisharpServerMsBuildProjectDiagnostics>event);
                 break;
             case EventType.OmnisharpServerOnStdErr:
-                this.logger.append((<OmnisharpServerOnStdErr>event).message);
+                this.handleOmnisharpServerOnStdErr(<OmnisharpServerOnStdErr>event);
                 break;
             case EventType.OmnisharpEventPacketReceived:
                 this.handleOmnisharpEventPacketReceived(<OmnisharpEventPacketReceived>event);
@@ -43,9 +50,27 @@ export class OmnisharpLoggerObserver extends BaseLoggerObserver {
     }
 
     private handleOmnisharpServerOnServerError(event: OmnisharpServerOnServerError) {
+        if (event.err.cmd === "dotnet --version") {
+            this.logger.appendLine('[ERROR] A .NET 6 SDK was not found. Please install the latest SDK from https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/6.0.');
+            return;
+        }
+        else if (event.err.message?.startsWith("Found dotnet version")) {
+            this.logger.appendLine(`[ERROR] ${event.err} Please install the latest SDK from https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/6.0.`);
+            return;
+        }
+
         this.logger.appendLine('[ERROR] ' + event.err);
     }
 
+    private handleOmnisharpServerOnStdErr(event: OmnisharpServerOnStdErr) {
+        if (event.message.startsWith("System.BadImageFormatException: Could not load file or assembly")) {
+            this.logger.appendLine(`[ERROR] A .NET 6 SDK for ${this.platformInformation.architecture} was not found. Please install the latest ${this.platformInformation.architecture} SDK from https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/6.0.`);
+            return;
+        }
+
+        this.logger.appendLine('[STDERR] ' + event.message);
+    }
+
     private handleOmnisharpInitialisation(event: OmnisharpInitialisation) {
         this.logger.appendLine(`Starting OmniSharp server at ${event.timeStamp.toLocaleString()}`);
         this.logger.increaseIndent();
diff --git a/test/unitTests/logging/OmnisharpLoggerObserver.test.ts b/test/unitTests/logging/OmnisharpLoggerObserver.test.ts
index 2d799bd3c..3ec769cd3 100644
--- a/test/unitTests/logging/OmnisharpLoggerObserver.test.ts
+++ b/test/unitTests/logging/OmnisharpLoggerObserver.test.ts
@@ -6,14 +6,20 @@ import { should, expect } from 'chai';
 import { getNullChannel } from '../testAssets/Fakes';
 import { OmnisharpLoggerObserver } from '../../../src/observers/OmnisharpLoggerObserver';
 import { OmnisharpServerMsBuildProjectDiagnostics, EventWithMessage, OmnisharpServerOnStdErr, OmnisharpServerMessage, OmnisharpServerOnServerError, OmnisharpInitialisation, OmnisharpLaunch, OmnisharpServerOnError, OmnisharpFailure, OmnisharpEventPacketReceived } from '../../../src/omnisharp/loggingEvents';
+import { OutputChannel } from 'vscode';
+import { PlatformInformation } from '../../../src/platform';
 
 suite("OmnisharpLoggerObserver", () => {
     suiteSetup(() => should());
 
     let logOutput = "";
-    let observer = new OmnisharpLoggerObserver({
+    let channel = <OutputChannel>{
         ...getNullChannel(),
-        append: (text: string) => { logOutput += text; },
+        append: (text: string) => { logOutput += text; }
+    };
+    let observer = new OmnisharpLoggerObserver(channel, <PlatformInformation>{
+        architecture: "x128",
+        platform: "TestOS"
     });
 
     setup(() => {