diff --git a/lustre/liblustre/rw.c b/lustre/liblustre/rw.c
index 6e03a075da4ad9220506642f2605a249da4debe9..3475670caab09cfd94ddafcf46281fcf03eff3f6 100644
--- a/lustre/liblustre/rw.c
+++ b/lustre/liblustre/rw.c
@@ -774,7 +774,7 @@ 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);
         }