diff --git a/.changeset/calm-hotels-kiss.md b/.changeset/calm-hotels-kiss.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4b565fd9e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/calm-hotels-kiss.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"astro": patch
+---
+
+improves `client:only` error message
diff --git a/packages/astro/src/runtime/server/render/component.ts b/packages/astro/src/runtime/server/render/component.ts
index b74fac9a64..70224ce9d4 100644
--- a/packages/astro/src/runtime/server/render/component.ts
+++ b/packages/astro/src/runtime/server/render/component.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import { formatList, internalSpreadAttributes, renderElement, voidElementNames }
 
 const needsHeadRenderingSymbol = Symbol.for('astro.needsHeadRendering');
 const rendererAliases = new Map([['solid', 'solid-js']]);
+const clientOnlyValues = new Set(['solid-js', 'react', 'preact', 'vue', 'svelte', 'lit']);
 
 function guessRenderers(componentUrl?: string): string[] {
 	const extname = componentUrl?.split('.').pop();
@@ -80,7 +81,7 @@ async function renderFrameworkComponent(
 	_props: Record<string | number, any>,
 	slots: any = {}
 ): Promise<RenderInstance> {
-	if (!Component && !_props['client:only']) {
+	if (!Component && "client:only" in _props === false) {
 		throw new Error(
 			`Unable to render ${displayName} because it is ${Component}!\nDid you forget to import the component or is it possible there is a typo?`
 		);
@@ -164,13 +165,14 @@ async function renderFrameworkComponent(
 	} else {
 		// Attempt: use explicitly passed renderer name
 		if (metadata.hydrateArgs) {
-			const passedName = metadata.hydrateArgs;
-			const rendererName = rendererAliases.has(passedName)
-				? rendererAliases.get(passedName)
-				: passedName;
-			renderer = renderers.find(
-				({ name }) => name === `@astrojs/${rendererName}` || name === rendererName
-			);
+			const rendererName = rendererAliases.has(metadata.hydrateArgs)
+				? rendererAliases.get(metadata.hydrateArgs)
+				: metadata.hydrateArgs;
+			if (clientOnlyValues.has(rendererName)) {
+				renderer = renderers.find(
+					({ name }) => name === `@astrojs/${rendererName}` || name === rendererName
+				);
+			}
 		}
 		// Attempt: user only has a single renderer, default to that
 		if (!renderer && validRenderers.length === 1) {
@@ -189,13 +191,34 @@ async function renderFrameworkComponent(
 	// If no one claimed the renderer
 	if (!renderer) {
 		if (metadata.hydrate === 'only') {
-			throw new AstroError({
-				...AstroErrorData.NoClientOnlyHint,
-				message: AstroErrorData.NoClientOnlyHint.message(metadata.displayName),
-				hint: AstroErrorData.NoClientOnlyHint.hint(
-					probableRendererNames.map((r) => r.replace('@astrojs/', '')).join('|')
-				),
-			});
+			const rendererName = rendererAliases.has(metadata.hydrateArgs)
+				? rendererAliases.get(metadata.hydrateArgs)
+				: metadata.hydrateArgs;
+			if (clientOnlyValues.has(rendererName)) {
+				// throw an error if provide correct client:only directive but not find the renderer
+				const plural = validRenderers.length > 1;
+				throw new AstroError({
+					...AstroErrorData.NoMatchingRenderer,
+					message: AstroErrorData.NoMatchingRenderer.message(
+						metadata.displayName,
+						metadata?.componentUrl?.split('.').pop(),
+						plural,
+						validRenderers.length
+					),
+					hint: AstroErrorData.NoMatchingRenderer.hint(
+						formatList(probableRendererNames.map((r) => '`' + r + '`'))
+					),
+				});
+			} else {
+				// throw an error if an invalid hydration directive was provided
+				throw new AstroError({
+					...AstroErrorData.NoClientOnlyHint,
+					message: AstroErrorData.NoClientOnlyHint.message(metadata.displayName),
+					hint: AstroErrorData.NoClientOnlyHint.hint(
+						probableRendererNames.map((r) => r.replace('@astrojs/', '')).join('|')
+					),
+				});
+			}
 		} else if (typeof Component !== 'string') {
 			const matchingRenderers = validRenderers.filter((r) =>
 				probableRendererNames.includes(r.name)
@@ -241,6 +264,15 @@ If you're still stuck, please open an issue on GitHub or join us at https://astr
 		}
 	} else {
 		if (metadata.hydrate === 'only') {
+			const rendererName = rendererAliases.has(metadata.hydrateArgs)
+			? rendererAliases.get(metadata.hydrateArgs)
+			: metadata.hydrateArgs;
+			if (!clientOnlyValues.has(rendererName)) {
+				// warning if provide incorrect client:only directive but find the renderer by guess
+				console.warn(
+					`The client:only directive for ${metadata.displayName} is not recognized. The renderer ${renderer.name} will be used. If you intended to use a different renderer, please provide a valid client:only directive.`
+				);
+			}
 			html = await renderSlotToString(result, slots?.fallback);
 		} else {
 			const componentRenderStartTime = performance.now();