diff --git a/refclock_pps.c b/refclock_pps.c
index 6f0565e..f72e80f 100644
--- a/refclock_pps.c
+++ b/refclock_pps.c
@@ -59,24 +59,24 @@ static int pps_initialise(RCL_Instance instance) {
 
   fd = open(path, O_RDWR);
   if (fd < 0) {
-    LOG_FATAL("open() failed on %s", path);
+    LOG_FATAL("Could not open %s : %s", path, strerror(errno));
     return 0;
   }
 
   UTI_FdSetCloexec(fd);
 
   if (time_pps_create(fd, &handle) < 0) {
-    LOG_FATAL("time_pps_create() failed on %s", path);
+    LOG_FATAL("time_pps_create() failed on %s : %s", path, strerror(errno));
     return 0;
   }
 
   if (time_pps_getcap(handle, &mode) < 0) {
-    LOG_FATAL("time_pps_getcap() failed on %s", path);
+    LOG_FATAL("time_pps_getcap() failed on %s : %s", path, strerror(errno));
     return 0;
   }
 
   if (time_pps_getparams(handle, &params) < 0) {
-    LOG_FATAL("time_pps_getparams() failed on %s", path);
+    LOG_FATAL("time_pps_getparams() failed on %s : %s", path, strerror(errno));
     return 0;
   }
 
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ static int pps_initialise(RCL_Instance instance) {
   }
 
   if (time_pps_setparams(handle, &params) < 0) {
-    LOG_FATAL("time_pps_setparams() failed on %s", path);
+    LOG_FATAL("time_pps_setparams() failed on %s : %s", path, strerror(errno));
     return 0;
   }
 
diff --git a/refclock_shm.c b/refclock_shm.c
index 7cced1d..e8f6256 100644
--- a/refclock_shm.c
+++ b/refclock_shm.c
@@ -69,13 +69,13 @@ static int shm_initialise(RCL_Instance instance) {
 
   id = shmget(SHMKEY + param, sizeof (struct shmTime), IPC_CREAT | perm);
   if (id == -1) {
-    LOG_FATAL("shmget() failed");
+    LOG_FATAL("shmget() failed : %s", strerror(errno));
     return 0;
   }
    
   shm = (struct shmTime *)shmat(id, 0, 0);
   if ((long)shm == -1) {
-    LOG_FATAL("shmat() failed");
+    LOG_FATAL("shmat() failed : %s", strerror(errno));
     return 0;
   }
 
diff --git a/refclock_sock.c b/refclock_sock.c
index 4e8f2b2..176310c 100644
--- a/refclock_sock.c
+++ b/refclock_sock.c
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ static int sock_initialise(RCL_Instance instance)
  
   s.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
   if (snprintf(s.sun_path, sizeof (s.sun_path), "%s", path) >= sizeof (s.sun_path)) {
-    LOG_FATAL("path %s is too long", path);
+    LOG_FATAL("Path %s too long", path);
     return 0;
   }
 
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ static int sock_initialise(RCL_Instance instance)
 
   unlink(path);
   if (bind(sockfd, (struct sockaddr *)&s, sizeof (s)) < 0) {
-    LOG_FATAL("bind() failed");
+    LOG_FATAL("bind(%s) failed : %s", path, strerror(errno));
     return 0;
   }