diff --git a/command/views/view.go b/command/views/view.go
index c7ee1c720..eb8a3bd79 100644
--- a/command/views/view.go
+++ b/command/views/view.go
@@ -17,6 +17,13 @@ type View struct {
 
 	compactWarnings bool
 
+	// When this is true it's a hint that Terraform is being run indirectly
+	// via a wrapper script or other automation and so we may wish to replace
+	// direct examples of commands to run with more conceptual directions.
+	// However, we only do this on a best-effort basis, typically prioritizing
+	// the messages that users are most likely to see.
+	runningInAutomation bool
+
 	// This unfortunate wart is required to enable rendering of diagnostics which
 	// have associated source code in the configuration. This function pointer
 	// will be dereferenced as late as possible when rendering diagnostics in
@@ -38,6 +45,18 @@ func NewView(streams *terminal.Streams) *View {
 	}
 }
 
+// SetRunningInAutomation modifies the view's "running in automation" flag,
+// which causes some slight adjustments to certain messages that would normally
+// suggest specific Terraform commands to run, to make more conceptual gestures
+// instead for situations where the user isn't running Terraform directly.
+//
+// For convenient use during initialization (in conjunction with NewView),
+// SetRunningInAutomation returns the reciever after modifying it.
+func (v *View) SetRunningInAutomation(new bool) *View {
+	v.runningInAutomation = new
+	return v
+}
+
 // Configure applies the global view configuration flags.
 func (v *View) Configure(view *arguments.View) {
 	v.colorize.Disable = view.NoColor
diff --git a/commands.go b/commands.go
index e0f6f5797..dcb8d1c1a 100644
--- a/commands.go
+++ b/commands.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func initCommands(
 	meta := command.Meta{
 		OriginalWorkingDir: originalWorkingDir,
 		Streams:            streams,
-		View:               views.NewView(streams),
+		View:               views.NewView(streams).SetRunningInAutomation(inAutomation),
 
 		Color:            true,
 		GlobalPluginDirs: globalPluginDirs(),