diff --git a/i3bar/src/child.c b/i3bar/src/child.c
index 0209e4cb..48541185 100644
--- a/i3bar/src/child.c
+++ b/i3bar/src/child.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ void stdin_io_cb(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_io *watcher, int revents) {
                 buffer[rec-1] = '\0';
                 break;
             }
-            ELOG("read() failed!\n");
+            ELOG("read() failed!: %s\n", strerror(errno));
             exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
         }
         if (n == 0) {
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ void start_child(char *command) {
         child_pid = fork();
         switch (child_pid) {
             case -1:
-                ELOG("Couldn't fork()\n");
+                ELOG("Couldn't fork(): %s\n", strerror(errno));
                 exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
             case 0:
                 /* Child-process. Reroute stdout and start shell */
diff --git a/i3bar/src/ipc.c b/i3bar/src/ipc.c
index 08cc2fd7..ce9f52cd 100644
--- a/i3bar/src/ipc.c
+++ b/i3bar/src/ipc.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <sys/un.h>
 #include <i3/ipc.h>
@@ -140,7 +141,7 @@ void got_data(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_io *watcher, int events) {
     uint32_t header_len = strlen(I3_IPC_MAGIC) + sizeof(uint32_t)*2;
     char *header = malloc(header_len);
     if (header == NULL) {
-        ELOG("Could not allocate memory!\n");
+        ELOG("Could not allocate memory: %s\n", strerror(errno));
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
 
@@ -150,7 +151,7 @@ void got_data(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_io *watcher, int events) {
     while (rec < header_len) {
         int n = read(fd, header + rec, header_len - rec);
         if (n == -1) {
-            ELOG("read() failed!\n");
+            ELOG("read() failed: %s\n", strerror(errno));
             exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
         }
         if (n == 0) {
@@ -193,7 +194,7 @@ void got_data(struct ev_loop *loop, ev_io *watcher, int events) {
     while (rec < size) {
         int n = read(fd, buffer + rec, size - rec);
         if (n == -1) {
-            ELOG("read() failed!\n");
+            ELOG("read() failed: %s\n", strerror(errno));
             exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
         }
         if (n == 0) {
@@ -234,7 +235,7 @@ int i3_send_msg(uint32_t type, const char *payload) {
      * but we leave it for now */
     char *buffer = malloc(to_write);
     if (buffer == NULL) {
-        ELOG("Could not allocate memory\n");
+        ELOG("Could not allocate memory: %s\n", strerror(errno));
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
 
@@ -254,7 +255,7 @@ int i3_send_msg(uint32_t type, const char *payload) {
     while (to_write > 0) {
         int n = write(i3_connection.fd, buffer + written, to_write);
         if (n == -1) {
-            ELOG("write() failed!\n");
+            ELOG("write() failed: %s\n", strerror(errno));
             exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
         }
 
@@ -276,7 +277,7 @@ int init_connection(const char *socket_path) {
     sock_path = socket_path;
     int sockfd = socket(AF_LOCAL, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
     if (sockfd == -1) {
-        ELOG("Could not create Socket!\n");
+        ELOG("Could not create Socket: %s\n", strerror(errno));
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
 
@@ -285,7 +286,7 @@ int init_connection(const char *socket_path) {
     addr.sun_family = AF_LOCAL;
     strcpy(addr.sun_path, sock_path);
     if (connect(sockfd, (const struct sockaddr*) &addr, sizeof(struct sockaddr_un)) < 0) {
-        ELOG("Could not connect to i3!\n");
+        ELOG("Could not connect to i3: %s\n", strerror(errno));
         reconnect();
         return 0;
     }
diff --git a/i3bar/src/main.c b/i3bar/src/main.c
index 7f27bdac..c2cf53e2 100644
--- a/i3bar/src/main.c
+++ b/i3bar/src/main.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ char *expand_path(char *path) {
     }
     char *result = strdup(globbuf.gl_pathc > 0 ? globbuf.gl_pathv[0] : path);
     if (result == NULL) {
-        ELOG("malloc() failed\n");
+        ELOG("malloc() failed: %s\n", strerror(errno));
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
     globfree(&globbuf);
diff --git a/i3bar/src/workspaces.c b/i3bar/src/workspaces.c
index 9f8acc1b..1e47bb81 100644
--- a/i3bar/src/workspaces.c
+++ b/i3bar/src/workspaces.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <yajl/yajl_parse.h>
 
 #include "common.h"
@@ -184,7 +185,7 @@ static int workspaces_map_key_cb(void *params_, const unsigned char *keyVal, uns
 
     params->cur_key = malloc(sizeof(unsigned char) * (keyLen + 1));
     if (params->cur_key == NULL) {
-        ELOG("Could not allocate memory!\n");
+        ELOG("Could not allocate memory: %s\n", strerror(errno));
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
     strncpy(params->cur_key, (const char*) keyVal, keyLen);
diff --git a/i3bar/src/xcb.c b/i3bar/src/xcb.c
index 5361f411..6f023b4f 100644
--- a/i3bar/src/xcb.c
+++ b/i3bar/src/xcb.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <i3/ipc.h>
 #include <ev.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 
 #include <X11/Xlib.h>
 #include <X11/XKBlib.h>
@@ -493,7 +494,7 @@ void init_xcb(char *fontname) {
         }
 
         if (fcntl(ConnectionNumber(xkb_dpy), F_SETFD, FD_CLOEXEC) == -1) {
-            ELOG("Could not set FD_CLOEXEC on xkbdpy\n");
+            ELOG("Could not set FD_CLOEXEC on xkbdpy: %s\n", strerror(errno));
             exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
         }