diff --git a/src/axolotl/core/trainers/base.py b/src/axolotl/core/trainers/base.py
index 8d5e41d34..cab8a0634 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/core/trainers/base.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/core/trainers/base.py
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ except ImportError:
     def update_ring_flash_attn_params(*args, **kwargs):
         raise ImportError(
             "ring_flash_attn is not installed. "
-            "Please install it with `pip install ring-flash-attn>=0.1.4`"
+            "Please install it with `pip install axolotl[ring-flash-attn] "
+            "or `pip install ring-flash-attn>=0.1.4`."
         )
 
 
diff --git a/src/axolotl/monkeypatch/attention/ring_attn.py b/src/axolotl/monkeypatch/attention/ring_attn.py
index eb146609e..fe333ad32 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/monkeypatch/attention/ring_attn.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/monkeypatch/attention/ring_attn.py
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ def register_ring_attn(sequence_parallel_degree: int):
     )
 
     world_size = dist.get_world_size()
+    assert sequence_parallel_degree <= world_size, (
+        f"sequence_parallel_degree ({sequence_parallel_degree}) "
+        f"must be less than or equal to world_size ({world_size})"
+    )
     assert world_size % sequence_parallel_degree == 0, (
         f"sequence_parallel_degree ({sequence_parallel_degree}) "
         f"must evenly divide world_size ({world_size})"