diff --git a/src/qt/addresstablemodel.h b/src/qt/addresstablemodel.h
--- a/src/qt/addresstablemodel.h
+++ b/src/qt/addresstablemodel.h
@@ -83,11 +83,18 @@
     QString addRow(const QString &type, const QString &label,
                    const QString &address, const OutputType address_type);
 
-    /* Look up label for address in address book, if not found return empty
+    /**
+     * Look up label for address in address book, if not found return empty
      * string.
      */
     QString labelForAddress(const QString &address) const;
 
+    /**
+     * Look up purpose for address in address book, if not found return empty
+     * string.
+     */
+    QString purposeForAddress(const QString &address) const;
+
     /* Look up row index of an address in the model.
        Return -1 if not found.
      */
@@ -103,6 +110,10 @@
     QStringList columns;
     EditStatus editStatus;
 
+    /** Look up address book data given an address string. */
+    bool getAddressData(const QString &address, std::string *name,
+                        std::string *purpose) const;
+
     /** Notify listeners that data changed. */
     void emitDataChanged(int index);
 
diff --git a/src/qt/addresstablemodel.cpp b/src/qt/addresstablemodel.cpp
--- a/src/qt/addresstablemodel.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/addresstablemodel.cpp
@@ -385,20 +385,31 @@
     return true;
 }
 
-/* Look up label for address in address book, if not found return empty string.
- */
 QString AddressTableModel::labelForAddress(const QString &address) const {
-    CTxDestination destination =
-        DecodeDestination(address.toStdString(), walletModel->getChainParams());
     std::string name;
-    if (walletModel->wallet().getAddress(destination, &name,
-                                         /* is_mine= */ nullptr,
-                                         /* purpose= */ nullptr)) {
+    if (getAddressData(address, &name, /* purpose= */ nullptr)) {
         return QString::fromStdString(name);
     }
     return QString();
 }
 
+QString AddressTableModel::purposeForAddress(const QString &address) const {
+    std::string purpose;
+    if (getAddressData(address, /* name= */ nullptr, &purpose)) {
+        return QString::fromStdString(purpose);
+    }
+    return QString();
+}
+
+bool AddressTableModel::getAddressData(const QString &address,
+                                       std::string *name,
+                                       std::string *purpose) const {
+    CTxDestination destination =
+        DecodeDestination(address.toStdString(), walletModel->getChainParams());
+    return walletModel->wallet().getAddress(destination, name,
+                                            /* is_mine= */ nullptr, purpose);
+}
+
 int AddressTableModel::lookupAddress(const QString &address) const {
     QModelIndexList lst = match(index(0, Address, QModelIndex()), Qt::EditRole,
                                 address, 1, Qt::MatchExactly);
diff --git a/src/qt/editaddressdialog.h b/src/qt/editaddressdialog.h
--- a/src/qt/editaddressdialog.h
+++ b/src/qt/editaddressdialog.h
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@
 private:
     bool saveCurrentRow();
 
+    /**
+     * Return a descriptive string when adding an already-existing address
+     * fails.
+     */
+    QString getDuplicateAddressWarning() const;
+
     Ui::EditAddressDialog *ui;
     QDataWidgetMapper *mapper;
     Mode mode;
diff --git a/src/qt/editaddressdialog.cpp b/src/qt/editaddressdialog.cpp
--- a/src/qt/editaddressdialog.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/editaddressdialog.cpp
@@ -104,9 +104,7 @@
                 break;
             case AddressTableModel::DUPLICATE_ADDRESS:
                 QMessageBox::warning(this, windowTitle(),
-                                     tr("The entered address \"%1\" is already "
-                                        "in the address book.")
-                                         .arg(ui->addressEdit->text()),
+                                     getDuplicateAddressWarning(),
                                      QMessageBox::Ok, QMessageBox::Ok);
                 break;
             case AddressTableModel::WALLET_UNLOCK_FAILURE:
@@ -125,6 +123,25 @@
     QDialog::accept();
 }
 
+QString EditAddressDialog::getDuplicateAddressWarning() const {
+    QString dup_address = ui->addressEdit->text();
+    QString existing_label = model->labelForAddress(dup_address);
+    QString existing_purpose = model->purposeForAddress(dup_address);
+
+    if (existing_purpose == "receive" &&
+        (mode == NewSendingAddress || mode == EditSendingAddress)) {
+        return tr("Address \"%1\" already exists as a receiving address with "
+                  "label "
+                  "\"%2\" and so cannot be added as a sending address.")
+            .arg(dup_address)
+            .arg(existing_label);
+    }
+    return tr("The entered address \"%1\" is already in the address book with "
+              "label \"%2\".")
+        .arg(dup_address)
+        .arg(existing_label);
+}
+
 QString EditAddressDialog::getAddress() const {
     return address;
 }