diff --git a/onnxruntime/core/framework/session_state.cc b/onnxruntime/core/framework/session_state.cc
index c97c5c128e258..5c33a621cf514 100644
--- a/onnxruntime/core/framework/session_state.cc
+++ b/onnxruntime/core/framework/session_state.cc
@@ -1257,10 +1257,41 @@ using NodePlacementSet = std::unordered_set<std::string>;
 
 static Status VerifyEachNodeIsAssignedToAnEpImpl(const Graph& graph, bool is_verbose,
                                                  NodePlacementMap& node_placements,
-                                                 NodePlacementSet& node_placement_provider_set) {
+                                                 NodePlacementSet& node_placement_provider_set,
+                                                 const ExecutionProviders& providers) {
   for (const auto& node : graph.Nodes()) {
     const auto& node_provider = node.GetExecutionProviderType();
     if (node_provider.empty()) {
+      // Provide a more descriptive error for EPContext nodes that were not assigned to an EP.
+      if (node.OpType() == "EPContext") {
+        // Get information about who generated the EPContext node from the 'source' attribute.
+        // Commonly, 'source' will be the name of the EP that generated the node, but that is not required.
+        // An EP may choose to use a different source identifier.
+        std::string source = "(unknown)";
+        const auto& attrs = node.GetAttributes();
+        auto it = attrs.find("source");
+
+        if (it != attrs.end() && it->second.has_s()) {
+          source = it->second.s();
+        }
+
+        const auto& ep_ids = providers.GetIds();
+        std::ostringstream session_ep_names;
+
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < ep_ids.size(); ++i) {
+          if (i > 0) {
+            session_ep_names << ", ";
+          }
+          session_ep_names << ep_ids[i];
+        }
+
+        return ORT_MAKE_STATUS(ONNXRUNTIME, NOT_IMPLEMENTED,
+                               "EPContext node generated by '", source, "' is not ",
+                               "compatible with any execution provider added to the session. ",
+                               "EPContext node name: '", node.Name(), "'. Available session execution providers: [",
+                               session_ep_names.str(), "].");
+      }
+
       return ORT_MAKE_STATUS(ONNXRUNTIME, NOT_IMPLEMENTED,
                              "Could not find an implementation for ",
                              node.OpType(), "(", node.SinceVersion(), ") node with name '", node.Name(), "'");
@@ -1280,7 +1311,7 @@ static Status VerifyEachNodeIsAssignedToAnEpImpl(const Graph& graph, bool is_ver
       const auto subgraphs = node.GetSubgraphs();
       for (const auto& subgraph : subgraphs) {
         ORT_RETURN_IF_ERROR(VerifyEachNodeIsAssignedToAnEpImpl(*subgraph, is_verbose, node_placements,
-                                                               node_placement_provider_set));
+                                                               node_placement_provider_set, providers));
       }
     }
   }
@@ -1299,7 +1330,8 @@ static Status VerifyEachNodeIsAssignedToAnEp(const Graph& graph, const logging::
   const bool is_verbose_mode = false;
 #endif  // !defined(ORT_MINIMAL_BUILD)
 
-  ORT_RETURN_IF_ERROR(VerifyEachNodeIsAssignedToAnEpImpl(graph, is_verbose_mode, node_placements, node_placement_provider_set));
+  ORT_RETURN_IF_ERROR(VerifyEachNodeIsAssignedToAnEpImpl(graph, is_verbose_mode, node_placements,
+                                                         node_placement_provider_set, providers));
 
 #if !defined(ORT_MINIMAL_BUILD)
   // print placement info
diff --git a/onnxruntime/test/autoep/test_execution.cc b/onnxruntime/test/autoep/test_execution.cc
index 00bd5fdea9fce..f7566bc1034a2 100644
--- a/onnxruntime/test/autoep/test_execution.cc
+++ b/onnxruntime/test/autoep/test_execution.cc
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // Licensed under the MIT License.
 
 #include <filesystem>
+#include <string_view>
 #include <vector>
 // #include <absl/base/config.h>
 #include <gsl/gsl>
@@ -400,6 +401,58 @@ TEST(OrtEpLibrary, PluginEp_GenEpContextModel) {
   }
 }
 
+// Test loading a compiled model without registering the required EP with the session.
+// We expect to get an explicit error that says that an EPContext node generated by "example_ep"
+// was not assigned to the appropriate EP.
+TEST(OrtEpLibrary, PluginEp_ErrorWhenLoadEPContextModel_WithoutRequiredEp) {
+  RegisteredEpDeviceUniquePtr example_ep;
+  ASSERT_NO_FATAL_FAILURE(Utils::RegisterAndGetExampleEp(*ort_env, Utils::example_ep_info, example_ep));
+  Ort::ConstEpDevice plugin_ep_device(example_ep.get());
+
+  // Create a compiled model for the example EP.
+  const ORTCHAR_T* compiled_model_file = ORT_TSTR("plugin_ep_compiled_test_errorwhenloadwithoutep.onnx");
+  {
+    const ORTCHAR_T* input_model_file = ORT_TSTR("testdata/mul_1.onnx");
+    std::filesystem::remove(compiled_model_file);
+
+    Ort::SessionOptions session_options;
+    std::unordered_map<std::string, std::string> ep_options;
+
+    session_options.AppendExecutionProvider_V2(*ort_env, {plugin_ep_device}, ep_options);
+
+    Ort::ModelCompilationOptions compile_options(*ort_env, session_options);
+    compile_options.SetFlags(OrtCompileApiFlags_ERROR_IF_NO_NODES_COMPILED);
+    compile_options.SetInputModelPath(input_model_file);
+    compile_options.SetOutputModelPath(compiled_model_file);
+
+    ASSERT_CXX_ORTSTATUS_OK(Ort::CompileModel(*ort_env, compile_options));
+    ASSERT_TRUE(std::filesystem::exists(compiled_model_file));
+  }
+
+  // Create a session without the plugin EP and expect an error.
+  {
+    Ort::SessionOptions session_options;
+
+    try {
+      Ort::Session session(*ort_env, compiled_model_file, session_options);
+      FAIL() << "Expected error when loading compiled model without the necessary EP";
+    } catch (const Ort::Exception& e) {
+      std::string error_msg = e.what();
+      std::string_view expected_msg_prefix =
+          "EPContext node generated by 'example_ep' is not compatible with any execution provider "
+          "added to the session.";
+      std::string_view expected_session_eps = "[CPUExecutionProvider]";
+
+      EXPECT_TRUE(error_msg.find(expected_msg_prefix) != std::string::npos &&
+                  error_msg.find(expected_session_eps) != std::string::npos)
+          << "Error should mention EPContext node's required EP and the available EPs:\n"
+          << error_msg;
+    }
+  }
+
+  std::filesystem::remove(compiled_model_file);
+}
+
 // Generate an EPContext model with a plugin EP that uses a virtual GPU.
 TEST(OrtEpLibrary, PluginEp_VirtGpu_GenEpContextModel) {
   RegisteredEpDeviceUniquePtr example_ep;