diff --git a/libselinux/utils/compute_av.c b/libselinux/utils/compute_av.c
index ef08338f..cca407d6 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/compute_av.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/compute_av.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <selinux/selinux.h>
 
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	ret = security_compute_av(argv[1], argv[2], tclass, 1, &avd);
 	if (ret < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s:  security_compute_av failed\n", argv[0]);
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s:  security_compute_av failed:  %s\n", argv[0], strerror(errno));
 		exit(3);
 	}
 
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/compute_create.c b/libselinux/utils/compute_create.c
index 63029c19..c6481f4b 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/compute_create.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/compute_create.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <selinux/selinux.h>
 
@@ -35,8 +36,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	ret = security_compute_create(argv[1], argv[2], tclass, &buf);
 	if (ret < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s:  security_compute_create failed\n",
-			argv[0]);
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s:  security_compute_create failed:  %s\n",
+			argv[0], strerror(errno));
 		exit(3);
 	}
 
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/compute_member.c b/libselinux/utils/compute_member.c
index 1ef47c25..9fe790ee 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/compute_member.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/compute_member.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <selinux/selinux.h>
 
@@ -35,8 +36,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	ret = security_compute_member(argv[1], argv[2], tclass, &buf);
 	if (ret < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s:  security_compute_member failed\n",
-			argv[0]);
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s:  security_compute_member failed:  %s\n",
+			argv[0], strerror(errno));
 		exit(3);
 	}
 
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/compute_relabel.c b/libselinux/utils/compute_relabel.c
index f6a957da..bdd39d0f 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/compute_relabel.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/compute_relabel.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <selinux/selinux.h>
 
@@ -35,8 +36,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	ret = security_compute_relabel(argv[1], argv[2], tclass, &buf);
 	if (ret < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s:  security_compute_relabel failed\n",
-			argv[0]);
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s:  security_compute_relabel failed:  %s\n",
+			argv[0], strerror(errno));
 		exit(3);
 	}
 
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/getconlist.c b/libselinux/utils/getconlist.c
index 0bb28469..92f6a793 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/getconlist.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/getconlist.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* If a context wasn't passed, use the current context. */
 	if (((argc - optind) < 2)) {
 		if (getcon(&cur_context) < 0) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't get current context.\n");
+			fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't get current context:  %s\n", strerror(errno));
 			free(level);
 			return 2;
 		}
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/getdefaultcon.c b/libselinux/utils/getdefaultcon.c
index 590e98d9..93102e5e 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/getdefaultcon.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/getdefaultcon.c
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* If a context wasn't passed, use the current context. */
 	if (((argc - optind) < 2)) {
 		if (getcon(&cur_context) < 0) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't get current context.\n");
+			fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't get current context:  %s\n", strerror(errno));
 			return 2;
 		}
 	} else
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/getenforce.c b/libselinux/utils/getenforce.c
index e5d19c54..aeeb79a8 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/getenforce.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/getenforce.c
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <selinux/selinux.h>
 
 int main(int argc __attribute__ ((unused)),
@@ -16,7 +18,7 @@ int main(int argc __attribute__ ((unused)),
 	if (rc == 1) {
 		rc = security_getenforce();
 		if (rc < 0) {
-			fputs("getenforce:  getenforce() failed", stderr);
+			fprintf(stderr, "getenforce:  security_getenforce() failed:  %s\n", strerror(errno));
 			return 2;
 		}
 
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/getfilecon.c b/libselinux/utils/getfilecon.c
index 6266ae16..b823a1a1 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/getfilecon.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/getfilecon.c
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <selinux/selinux.h>
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
@@ -16,8 +18,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
 		rc = getfilecon(argv[i], &buf);
 		if (rc < 0) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "%s:  getfilecon(%s) failed\n", argv[0],
-				argv[i]);
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s:  getfilecon(%s) failed:  %s\n", argv[0],
+				argv[i], strerror(errno));
 			exit(2);
 		}
 		printf("%s\t%s\n", argv[i], buf);
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/getpidcon.c b/libselinux/utils/getpidcon.c
index ea6c274e..1a88fa6d 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/getpidcon.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/getpidcon.c
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <selinux/selinux.h>
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
@@ -21,7 +23,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	rc = getpidcon(pid, &buf);
 	if (rc < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s:  getpidcon() failed\n", argv[0]);
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s:  getpidcon() failed:  %s\n", argv[0], strerror(errno));
 		exit(3);
 	}
 
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/policyvers.c b/libselinux/utils/policyvers.c
index dd56f2c7..5230bcaf 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/policyvers.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/policyvers.c
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <selinux/selinux.h>
 
 int main(int argc __attribute__ ((unused)), char **argv)
@@ -9,7 +11,7 @@ int main(int argc __attribute__ ((unused)), char **argv)
 
 	rc = security_policyvers();
 	if (rc < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s:  policyvers() failed\n", argv[0]);
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s:  security_policyvers() failed:  %s\n", argv[0], strerror(errno));
 		exit(2);
 	}
 
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/selabel_digest.c b/libselinux/utils/selabel_digest.c
index 49408a0b..6a8313a2 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/selabel_digest.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/selabel_digest.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ static int run_check_digest(char *cmd, char *selabel_digest)
 
 	fp = popen(cmd, "r");
 	if (!fp) {
-		printf("Failed to run command line\n");
+		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to run command '%s':  %s\n", cmd, strerror(errno));
 		return -1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/selabel_get_digests_all_partial_matches.c b/libselinux/utils/selabel_get_digests_all_partial_matches.c
index e28833d2..c4e0f836 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/selabel_get_digests_all_partial_matches.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/selabel_get_digests_all_partial_matches.c
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	hnd = selabel_open(SELABEL_CTX_FILE, selabel_option, 2);
 	if (!hnd) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: selabel_open - Could not obtain "
-							     "handle.\n");
+							     "handle:  %s\n",
+							     strerror(errno));
 		return -1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/selabel_lookup.c b/libselinux/utils/selabel_lookup.c
index 1aef64de..112ffda1 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/selabel_lookup.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/selabel_lookup.c
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	hnd = selabel_open(backend, selabel_option, 2);
 	if (!hnd) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: selabel_open - Could not obtain "
-							     "handle.\n");
+							     "handle:  %s\n",
+							     strerror(errno));
 		return -1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/selabel_lookup_best_match.c b/libselinux/utils/selabel_lookup_best_match.c
index 2cddc6cd..a4af0679 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/selabel_lookup_best_match.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/selabel_lookup_best_match.c
@@ -117,7 +117,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	hnd = selabel_open(SELABEL_CTX_FILE, options, 2);
 	if (!hnd) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: selabel_open - Could not obtain "
-							     "handle.\n");
+							     "handle:  %s\n",
+							     strerror(errno));
 		rc = -1;
 		goto out;
 	}
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/selabel_partial_match.c b/libselinux/utils/selabel_partial_match.c
index c5932cb1..7bbd5777 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/selabel_partial_match.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/selabel_partial_match.c
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	hnd = selabel_open(SELABEL_CTX_FILE, selabel_option, 2);
 	if (!hnd) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: selabel_open - Could not obtain "
-							     "handle.\n");
+							     "handle:  %s\n",
+							     strerror(errno));
 		return -1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/setenforce.c b/libselinux/utils/setenforce.c
index 60a20a4b..67c13dca 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/setenforce.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/setenforce.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <strings.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <selinux/selinux.h>
 
 static __attribute__ ((__noreturn__)) void usage(const char *progname)
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			usage(argv[0]);
 	}
 	if (rc < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s:  setenforce() failed\n", argv[0]);
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s:  security_setenforce() failed:  %s\n", argv[0], strerror(errno));
 		return 2;
 	}
 	return 0;
diff --git a/libselinux/utils/setfilecon.c b/libselinux/utils/setfilecon.c
index 79af55de..a3fbc3ed 100644
--- a/libselinux/utils/setfilecon.c
+++ b/libselinux/utils/setfilecon.c
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <selinux/selinux.h>
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
@@ -15,8 +17,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	for (i = 2; i < argc; i++) {
 		rc = setfilecon(argv[i], argv[1]);
 		if (rc < 0) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "%s:  setfilecon(%s,%s) failed\n",
-				argv[0], argv[i], argv[1]);
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s:  setfilecon(%s,%s) failed:  %s\n",
+				argv[0], argv[i], argv[1], strerror(errno));
 			exit(2);
 		}
 	}
