diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 00ee98e6a..aaf49792c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# UNRELEASED
+- Improved the state validation error messages to distinguish a missing `state` parameter from a mismatched one. The end session message now notes that a provider's `end_session_endpoint` may point at a legacy or SAML single-logout endpoint, which does not echo `state`. Addresses issue #956.
+
 # 3.0.0
 - BREAKING: Updates made to support Xcode 27. ([#972](https://github.com/openid/AppAuth-iOS/pull/972), [#973](https://github.com/openid/AppAuth-iOS/pull/973))
 -- Raised minimum deployment targets to iOS 15.0, macOS 12.0, tvOS 15.0 and watchOS 9.0 (minimum for Xcode 27).
diff --git a/Sources/AppAuthCore/OIDAuthorizationService.m b/Sources/AppAuthCore/OIDAuthorizationService.m
index 3ce33e059..f7a9e2422 100644
--- a/Sources/AppAuthCore/OIDAuthorizationService.m
+++ b/Sources/AppAuthCore/OIDAuthorizationService.m
@@ -170,12 +170,22 @@ - (BOOL)resumeExternalUserAgentFlowWithURL:(NSURL *)URL error:(NSError *_Nullabl
     // verifies that the state in the response matches the state in the request, or both are nil
     if (!OIDIsEqualIncludingNil(_request.state, response.state)) {
       NSMutableDictionary *userInfo = [query.dictionaryValue mutableCopy];
-      userInfo[NSLocalizedDescriptionKey] =
-        [NSString stringWithFormat:@"State mismatch, expecting %@ but got %@ in authorization "
-                                   "response %@",
-                                   _request.state,
-                                   response.state,
-                                   response];
+      if (response.state == nil) {
+        userInfo[NSLocalizedDescriptionKey] =
+          [NSString stringWithFormat:@"The authorization response is missing the state parameter, "
+                                      "expecting %@. RFC 6749 section 4.1.2 and OpenID Connect "
+                                      "Core section 3.1.2.5 require the authorization server to "
+                                      "echo the exact state value from the request. Response: %@",
+                                      _request.state,
+                                      response];
+      } else {
+        userInfo[NSLocalizedDescriptionKey] =
+          [NSString stringWithFormat:@"State mismatch, expecting %@ but got %@ in authorization "
+                                     "response %@",
+                                     _request.state,
+                                     response.state,
+                                     response];
+      }
       response = nil;
       responseError = [NSError errorWithDomain:OIDOAuthAuthorizationErrorDomain
                                           code:OIDErrorCodeOAuthAuthorizationClientError
@@ -307,12 +317,25 @@ - (BOOL)resumeExternalUserAgentFlowWithURL:(NSURL *)URL error:(NSError *_Nullabl
   // verifies that the state in the response matches the state in the request, or both are nil
   if (!OIDIsEqualIncludingNil(_request.state, response.state)) {
     NSMutableDictionary *userInfo = [query.dictionaryValue mutableCopy];
-    userInfo[NSLocalizedDescriptionKey] =
-    [NSString stringWithFormat:@"State mismatch, expecting %@ but got %@ in authorization "
-     "response %@",
-     _request.state,
-     response.state,
-     response];
+    if (!response.state) {
+      userInfo[NSLocalizedDescriptionKey] =
+          [NSString stringWithFormat:@"The end session response is missing the state parameter, "
+                                      "expecting %@. This may mean end_session_endpoint is not "
+                                      "an OpenID Connect RP-Initiated Logout endpoint; some "
+                                      "providers advertise a legacy or SAML single-logout "
+                                      "endpoint under that key, and those do not echo state. "
+                                      "Check end_session_endpoint in the provider's discovery "
+                                      "document. Response: %@",
+                                      _request.state,
+                                      response];
+    } else {
+      userInfo[NSLocalizedDescriptionKey] =
+          [NSString stringWithFormat:@"State in the end session response does not match the "
+                                      "request, expecting %@ but got %@. Response: %@",
+                                      _request.state,
+                                      response.state,
+                                      response];
+    }
     response = nil;
     responseError = [NSError errorWithDomain:OIDOAuthAuthorizationErrorDomain
                                         code:OIDErrorCodeOAuthAuthorizationClientError