diff --git a/base/file_utils.cc b/base/file_utils.cc
index e6095f7..af7ce2a 100644
--- a/base/file_utils.cc
+++ b/base/file_utils.cc
@@ -71,8 +71,11 @@ void
 file_utils::check_file_exists(string const &file, bool must_be_regular_file) {
 	struct stat info;
 	int r = ::stat(file.c_str(), &info);
-	if (r)
-		throw runtime_error("Couldn't stat file");
+	if (r) {
+		ostringstream msg;
+		msg << file << ": " << base::error_string(errno);
+		throw runtime_error(msg.str());
+	}
 
 	if (must_be_regular_file && !S_ISREG(info.st_mode))
 		throw runtime_error("Not a regular file");
@@ -116,8 +119,11 @@ file_utils::get_file_length(string const &file) {
 	uint64_t nr_bytes;
 
 	int r = ::stat(file.c_str(), &info);
-	if (r)
-		throw runtime_error("Couldn't stat path");
+	if (r) {
+		ostringstream msg;
+		msg << file << ": " << base::error_string(errno);
+		throw runtime_error(msg.str());
+	}
 
 	if (S_ISREG(info.st_mode))
 		// It's okay to cast st_size to a uint64_t value.
@@ -136,9 +142,11 @@ file_utils::get_file_length(string const &file) {
 			throw runtime_error("ioctl BLKGETSIZE64 failed");
 		}
 		::close(fd);
-	} else
-		// FIXME: needs a better message
-		throw runtime_error("bad path");
+	} else {
+		ostringstream msg;
+		msg << file << ": " << "Not a block device or regular file";
+		throw runtime_error(msg.str());
+	}
 
 	return nr_bytes;
 }
diff --git a/functional-tests/cache-functional-tests.scm b/functional-tests/cache-functional-tests.scm
index 13dcaee..b8e2f41 100644
--- a/functional-tests/cache-functional-tests.scm
+++ b/functional-tests/cache-functional-tests.scm
@@ -82,9 +82,12 @@
   (define-scenario (cache-restore missing-input-file)
     "the input file can't be found"
     (with-empty-metadata (md)
-      (run-fail-rcv (_ stderr) (cache-restore "-i no-such-file -o" md)
-        (assert-superblock-all-zeroes md)
-        (assert-starts-with "Couldn't stat file" stderr))))
+      (let ((bad-path "no-such-file"))
+        (run-fail-rcv (_ stderr) (cache-restore "-i" bad-path "-o" md)
+          (assert-superblock-all-zeroes md)
+          (assert-starts-with
+            (string-append bad-path ": No such file or directory")
+            stderr)))))
 
   (define-scenario (cache-restore garbage-input-file)
     "the input file is just zeroes"
@@ -264,9 +267,12 @@
   (define-scenario (cache-repair missing-input-file)
     "the input file can't be found"
     (with-empty-metadata (md)
-      (run-fail-rcv (_ stderr) (cache-repair "-i no-such-file -o" md)
-        (assert-superblock-all-zeroes md)
-        (assert-starts-with "Couldn't stat path" stderr))))
+      (let ((bad-path "no-such-file"))
+        (run-fail-rcv (_ stderr) (cache-repair "-i no-such-file -o" md)
+          (assert-superblock-all-zeroes md)
+          (assert-starts-with
+            (string-append bad-path ": No such file or directory")
+            stderr)))))
 
   (define-scenario (cache-repair garbage-input-file)
     "the input file is just zeroes"
diff --git a/functional-tests/era-functional-tests.scm b/functional-tests/era-functional-tests.scm
index 890f0ff..a81b41b 100644
--- a/functional-tests/era-functional-tests.scm
+++ b/functional-tests/era-functional-tests.scm
@@ -152,9 +152,12 @@
   (define-scenario (era-restore missing-input-file)
     "the input file can't be found"
     (with-empty-metadata (md)
-      (run-fail-rcv (_ stderr) (era-restore "-i no-such-file -o" md)
-        (assert-superblock-all-zeroes md)
-        (assert-starts-with "Couldn't stat file" stderr))))
+      (let ((bad-path "no-such-file"))
+        (run-fail-rcv (_ stderr) (era-restore "-i no-such-file -o" md)
+          (assert-superblock-all-zeroes md)
+          (assert-starts-with
+            (string-append bad-path ": No such file or directory")
+            stderr)))))
 
   (define-scenario (era-restore garbage-input-file)
     "the input file is just zeroes"
@@ -197,7 +200,9 @@
       (with-empty-metadata (md)
         (run-fail-rcv (stdout stderr) (era-restore "--quiet" "-i" bad-xml "-o" md)
           (assert-eof stdout)
-          (assert-starts-with "Couldn't stat file" stderr)))))
+          (assert-starts-with
+            (string-append bad-xml ": No such file or directory")
+            stderr)))))
 
   (define-scenario (era-restore q-fail)
     "No output with --q(failing)"
@@ -205,7 +210,9 @@
       (with-empty-metadata (md)
         (run-fail-rcv (stdout stderr) (era-restore "-q" "-i" bad-xml "-o" md)
           (assert-eof stdout)
-          (assert-starts-with "Couldn't stat file" stderr)))))
+          (assert-starts-with
+            (string-append bad-xml ": No such file or directory")
+            stderr)))))
 
   ;;;-----------------------------------------------------------
   ;;; era_dump scenarios
diff --git a/tests/cache_check.rs b/tests/cache_check.rs
index 8cf716c..f9ec093 100644
--- a/tests/cache_check.rs
+++ b/tests/cache_check.rs
@@ -40,16 +40,16 @@ fn accepts_help() -> Result<()> {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn missing_metadata() -> Result<()> {
+fn missing_input_arg() -> Result<()> {
     let stderr = run_fail(cache_check!())?;
     assert!(stderr.contains(msg::MISSING_INPUT_ARG));
     Ok(())
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn no_such_metadata() -> Result<()> {
+fn input_file_not_found() -> Result<()> {
     let stderr = run_fail(cache_check!("/arbitrary/filename"))?;
-    assert!(stderr.contains("No such file or directory"));
+    assert!(stderr.contains(msg::FILE_NOT_FOUND));
     Ok(())
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/common/mod.rs b/tests/common/mod.rs
index f47347f..9dd69f6 100644
--- a/tests/common/mod.rs
+++ b/tests/common/mod.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ use test_dir::TestDir;
 
 #[cfg(not(feature = "rust_tests"))]
 pub mod msg {
-    pub const FILE_NOT_FOUND: &str = "Couldn't stat file";
+    pub const FILE_NOT_FOUND: &str = "No such file or directory";
     pub const MISSING_INPUT_ARG: &str = "No input file provided";
     pub const MISSING_OUTPUT_ARG: &str = "No output file provided";
 }
diff --git a/tests/thin_repair.rs b/tests/thin_repair.rs
index e0b6529..3dcc506 100644
--- a/tests/thin_repair.rs
+++ b/tests/thin_repair.rs
@@ -48,13 +48,13 @@ fn dont_repair_xml() -> Result<()> {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn missing_input_file() -> Result<()> {
+fn input_file_not_found() -> Result<()> {
     let mut td = TestDir::new()?;
     let md = mk_zeroed_md(&mut td)?;
     let stderr = run_fail(thin_repair!("-i", "no-such-file", "-o", &md))?;
     assert!(superblock_all_zeroes(&md)?);
     // TODO: replace with msg::FILE_NOT_FOUND once the rust version is ready
-    assert!(stderr.contains("Couldn't stat file"));
+    assert!(stderr.contains("No such file or directory"));
     Ok(())
 }
 
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ fn garbage_input_file() -> Result<()> {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn missing_output_file() -> Result<()> {
+fn missing_output_arg() -> Result<()> {
     let mut td = TestDir::new()?;
     let md = mk_valid_md(&mut td)?;
     let stderr = run_fail(thin_repair!("-i", &md))?;
diff --git a/tests/thin_restore.rs b/tests/thin_restore.rs
index b5aa434..0fc23bf 100644
--- a/tests/thin_restore.rs
+++ b/tests/thin_restore.rs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ fn accepts_help() -> Result<()> {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn no_input_file() -> Result<()> {
+fn missing_input_arg() -> Result<()> {
     let mut td = TestDir::new()?;
     let md = mk_zeroed_md(&mut td)?;
     let stderr = run_fail(thin_restore!("-o", &md))?;
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ fn no_input_file() -> Result<()> {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn missing_input_file() -> Result<()> {
+fn input_file_not_found() -> Result<()> {
     let mut td = TestDir::new()?;
     let md = mk_zeroed_md(&mut td)?;
     let stderr = run_fail(thin_restore!("-i", "no-such-file", "-o", &md))?;
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ fn garbage_input_file() -> Result<()> {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn no_output_file() -> Result<()> {
+fn missing_output_arg() -> Result<()> {
     let mut td = TestDir::new()?;
     let xml = mk_valid_xml(&mut td)?;
     let stderr = run_fail(thin_restore!("-i", &xml))?;