diff --git a/src/server/browserType.ts b/src/server/browserType.ts
index 29443d556ac23..9929120c65a1a 100644
--- a/src/server/browserType.ts
+++ b/src/server/browserType.ts
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ export abstract class BrowserTypeBase implements BrowserType {
     assert(!(options as any).port, 'Cannot specify a port without launching as a server.');
     options = validateLaunchOptions(options);
     const loggers = new Loggers(options.logger);
-    const browser = await runAbortableTask(progress => this._innerLaunch(progress, options, loggers, undefined), loggers.browser, TimeoutSettings.timeout(options), `browserType.launch`);
+    const browser = await runAbortableTask(progress => this._innerLaunch(progress, options, loggers, undefined), loggers.browser, TimeoutSettings.timeout(options), `browserType.launch`).catch(e => { throw this._rewriteStartupError(e); });
     return browser;
   }
 
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ export abstract class BrowserTypeBase implements BrowserType {
     options = validateLaunchOptions(options);
     const persistent = validateBrowserContextOptions(options);
     const loggers = new Loggers(options.logger);
-    const browser = await runAbortableTask(progress => this._innerLaunch(progress, options, loggers, persistent, userDataDir), loggers.browser, TimeoutSettings.timeout(options), 'browserType.launchPersistentContext');
+    const browser = await runAbortableTask(progress => this._innerLaunch(progress, options, loggers, persistent, userDataDir), loggers.browser, TimeoutSettings.timeout(options), 'browserType.launchPersistentContext').catch(e => { throw this._rewriteStartupError(e); });
     return browser._defaultContext!;
   }
 
@@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ export abstract class BrowserTypeBase implements BrowserType {
   abstract _startWebSocketServer(transport: ConnectionTransport, logger: Logger, port: number): WebSocketServer;
   abstract _amendEnvironment(env: Env, userDataDir: string, executable: string, browserArguments: string[]): Env;
   abstract _amendArguments(browserArguments: string[]): string[];
+  abstract _rewriteStartupError(error: Error): Error;
   abstract _attemptToGracefullyCloseBrowser(transport: ConnectionTransport): void;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/server/chromium.ts b/src/server/chromium.ts
index 2f0a66eac58c9..f9dde856fd79a 100644
--- a/src/server/chromium.ts
+++ b/src/server/chromium.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import { CRBrowser } from '../chromium/crBrowser';
 import * as ws from 'ws';
 import { Env } from './processLauncher';
 import { kBrowserCloseMessageId } from '../chromium/crConnection';
+import { rewriteErrorMessage } from '../utils/stackTrace';
 import { BrowserTypeBase } from './browserType';
 import { ConnectionTransport, ProtocolRequest, ProtocolResponse } from '../transport';
 import { Logger } from '../logger';
@@ -63,6 +64,22 @@ export class Chromium extends BrowserTypeBase {
     return CRBrowser.connect(transport, options, devtools);
   }
 
+  _rewriteStartupError(error: Error): Error {
+    // These error messages are taken from Chromium source code as of July, 2020:
+    // https://github.com/chromium/chromium/blob/70565f67e79f79e17663ad1337dc6e63ee207ce9/content/browser/zygote_host/zygote_host_impl_linux.cc
+    if (!error.message.includes('crbug.com/357670') && !error.message.includes('No usable sandbox!') && !error.message.includes('crbug.com/638180'))
+      return error;
+    return rewriteErrorMessage(error, [
+      `Chromium sandboxing failed!`,
+      `================================`,
+      `To workaround sandboxing issues, do either of the following:`,
+      `  - (preferred): Configure environment to support sandboxing: https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/blob/master/docs/troubleshooting.md`,
+      `  - (alternative): Launch Chromium without sandbox using 'chromiumSandbox: false' option`,
+      `================================`,
+      ``,
+    ].join('\n'));
+  }
+
   _amendEnvironment(env: Env, userDataDir: string, executable: string, browserArguments: string[]): Env {
     return env;
   }
@@ -71,6 +88,7 @@ export class Chromium extends BrowserTypeBase {
     // We currently only support Linux.
     if (os.platform() !== 'linux')
       return browserArguments;
+
     // If there's already --no-sandbox passed in, do nothing.
     if (browserArguments.indexOf('--no-sandbox') !== -1)
       return browserArguments;
diff --git a/src/server/firefox.ts b/src/server/firefox.ts
index a57ef3106ceac..17de3552419b7 100644
--- a/src/server/firefox.ts
+++ b/src/server/firefox.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ export class Firefox extends BrowserTypeBase {
     return FFBrowser.connect(transport, options);
   }
 
+  _rewriteStartupError(error: Error): Error {
+    return error;
+  }
+
   _amendEnvironment(env: Env, userDataDir: string, executable: string, browserArguments: string[]): Env {
     return os.platform() === 'linux' ? {
       ...env,
diff --git a/src/server/webkit.ts b/src/server/webkit.ts
index c537517f0ed47..abf7df800ec9c 100644
--- a/src/server/webkit.ts
+++ b/src/server/webkit.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ export class WebKit extends BrowserTypeBase {
     return browserArguments;
   }
 
+  _rewriteStartupError(error: Error): Error {
+    return error;
+  }
+
   _attemptToGracefullyCloseBrowser(transport: ConnectionTransport): void {
     transport.send({method: 'Playwright.close', params: {}, id: kBrowserCloseMessageId});
   }