diff --git a/lustre/liblustre/rw.c b/lustre/liblustre/rw.c
index 47279477fed4937ce1bf38b9e7066fedbff03cd1..16146f9549ed28a63871a664b0d2ce55e378f637 100644
--- a/lustre/liblustre/rw.c
+++ b/lustre/liblustre/rw.c
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ ssize_t llu_file_prwv(const struct iovec *iovec, int iovlen,
 
         err = oig_wait(iogroup->lig_oig);
         if (err) {
-                CERROR("sync error %d, data corruption possible\n", err);
+                CERROR("%s error: %s\n", is_read ? "read" : "write", strerror(-err));
                 GOTO(err_unlock, err);
         }