diff --git a/src/fw_printenv.c b/src/fw_printenv.c
index 6a7a987..e934323 100644
--- a/src/fw_printenv.c
+++ b/src/fw_printenv.c
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv) {
 	 */
 	ret = libuboot_read_config_ext(&ctx, cfgfname);
 	if (ret) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Cannot initialize environment\n");
+		fprintf(stderr, "Cannot initialize environment: %d\n", ret);
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/uboot_env.c b/src/uboot_env.c
index ae85c7e..9c55e85 100644
--- a/src/uboot_env.c
+++ b/src/uboot_env.c
@@ -1698,17 +1698,21 @@ int libuboot_read_config_ext(struct uboot_ctx **ctxlist, const char *config)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	fp = fopen(config, "r");
-	if (!fp)
+	if (!fp) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Cannot open config %s\n", config);
 		return -EBADF;
+	}
 
 	if (!*ctxlist) {
 		ret = parse_yaml_config(ctxlist, fp);
 		if (!ret) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "Error parsing yaml: %d\n", ret);
 			fclose(fp);
 			return 0;
 		}
 		ret = libuboot_initialize(ctxlist, NULL);
 		if (ret) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "libuboot_initialize: %d\n", ret);
 			fclose(fp);
 			return ret;
 		}
@@ -1753,6 +1757,7 @@ int libuboot_read_config_ext(struct uboot_ctx **ctxlist, const char *config)
 			if (normalize_device_path(tmp, dev) < 0) {
 				free(tmp);
 				retval = -EINVAL;
+				fprintf(stderr, "normalize_device_path error\n");
 				break;
 			}
 			free(tmp);
@@ -1760,6 +1765,7 @@ int libuboot_read_config_ext(struct uboot_ctx **ctxlist, const char *config)
 
 		if (check_env_device(dev) < 0) {
 			retval = -EINVAL;
+			fprintf(stderr, "check_env_device error\n");
 			break;
 		}
 
@@ -1768,13 +1774,17 @@ int libuboot_read_config_ext(struct uboot_ctx **ctxlist, const char *config)
 
 		if (ndev >= 2) {
 			ctx->redundant = true;
-			if (!check_compatible_devices(ctx))
+			if (!check_compatible_devices(ctx)) {
 				retval = -EINVAL;
+				fprintf(stderr, "check_compatible_devices error\n");
+				}
 			break;
 		}
 	}
-	if (ndev == 0)
+	if (ndev == 0) {
 		retval = -EINVAL;
+		fprintf(stderr, "ndev == 0\n");
+	}
 
 	fclose(fp);
 	free(line);