diff --git a/passes/cmds/select.cc b/passes/cmds/select.cc
index bb7b78cfe..d609c8d0f 100644
--- a/passes/cmds/select.cc
+++ b/passes/cmds/select.cc
@@ -944,12 +944,14 @@ static void select_stmt(RTLIL::Design *design, std::string arg, bool disable_emp
 	}
 }
 
-static std::string describe_selection_for_assert(RTLIL::Design *design, RTLIL::Selection *sel)
+static std::string describe_selection_for_assert(RTLIL::Design *design, RTLIL::Selection *sel, bool whole_modules = false)
 {
 	std::string desc = "Selection contains:\n";
 	for (auto mod : design->modules())
 	{
 		if (sel->selected_module(mod->name)) {
+			if (whole_modules && sel->selected_whole_module(mod->name))
+					desc += stringf("%s\n", id2cstr(mod->name));
 			for (auto wire : mod->wires())
 				if (sel->selected_member(mod->name, wire->name))
 					desc += stringf("%s/%s\n", id2cstr(mod->name), id2cstr(wire->name));
@@ -1051,17 +1053,17 @@ struct SelectPass : public Pass {
 		log("\n");
 		log("    -unset <name>\n");
 		log("        do not modify the current selection. instead remove a previously saved\n");
-		log("        selection under the given name (see @<name> below).");
+		log("        selection under the given name (see @<name> below).\n");
 		log("\n");
 		log("    -assert-none\n");
 		log("        do not modify the current selection. instead assert that the given\n");
-		log("        selection is empty. i.e. produce an error if any object matching the\n");
-		log("        selection is found.\n");
+		log("        selection is empty. i.e. produce an error if any object or module\n");
+		log("        matching the selection is found.\n");
 		log("\n");
 		log("    -assert-any\n");
 		log("        do not modify the current selection. instead assert that the given\n");
-		log("        selection is non-empty. i.e. produce an error if no object matching\n");
-		log("        the selection is found.\n");
+		log("        selection is non-empty. i.e. produce an error if no object or module\n");
+		log("        matching the selection is found.\n");
 		log("\n");
 		log("    -assert-count N\n");
 		log("        do not modify the current selection. instead assert that the given\n");
@@ -1488,7 +1490,7 @@ struct SelectPass : public Pass {
 			{
 				RTLIL::Selection *sel = &work_stack.back();
 				sel->optimize(design);
-				std::string desc = describe_selection_for_assert(design, sel);
+				std::string desc = describe_selection_for_assert(design, sel, true);
 				log_error("Assertion failed: selection is not empty:%s\n%s", sel_str.c_str(), desc.c_str());
 			}
 			return;
@@ -1503,7 +1505,7 @@ struct SelectPass : public Pass {
 			{
 				RTLIL::Selection *sel = &work_stack.back();
 				sel->optimize(design);
-				std::string desc = describe_selection_for_assert(design, sel);
+				std::string desc = describe_selection_for_assert(design, sel, true);
 				log_error("Assertion failed: selection is empty:%s\n%s", sel_str.c_str(), desc.c_str());
 			}
 			return;