diff --git a/lib/hx509/cert.c b/lib/hx509/cert.c
index 7ad87b75f..045d5468f 100644
--- a/lib/hx509/cert.c
+++ b/lib/hx509/cert.c
@@ -69,7 +69,23 @@ typedef struct hx509_name_constraints {
 #define GeneralSubtrees_SET(g,var) \
 	(g)->len = (var)->len, (g)->val = (var)->val;
 
+/*
+ *
+ */
 
+void
+_hx509_abort(const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+    va_list ap;
+    va_start(ap, fmt);
+    vprintf(fmt, ap);
+    va_end(ap);
+    abort();
+}
+
+/*
+ *
+ */
 
 Certificate *
 _hx509_get_cert(hx509_cert cert)
@@ -145,7 +161,7 @@ hx509_cert_free(hx509_cert cert)
     int i;
 
     if (cert->ref <= 0)
-	abort();
+	_hx509_abort("refcount <= 0");
     if (--cert->ref > 0)
 	return;
     free_Certificate(cert->data);
@@ -166,10 +182,10 @@ hx509_cert
 hx509_cert_ref(hx509_cert cert)
 {
     if (cert->ref <= 0)
-	abort();
+	_hx509_abort("refcount <= 0");
     cert->ref++;
     if (cert->ref == 0)
-	abort();
+	_hx509_abort("refcount == 0");
     return cert;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/hx509/cms.c b/lib/hx509/cms.c
index e27eea621..41bcd8bc3 100644
--- a/lib/hx509/cms.c
+++ b/lib/hx509/cms.c
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ hx509_cms_create_signed_1(const heim_oid *eContentType,
 	if (ret)
 	    goto out;
 	if (size != buf.length)
-	    abort();
+	    _hx509_abort("internal ASN.1 encoder error");
 
 	ret = add_one_attribute(&signer_info->signedAttrs->val,
 				&signer_info->signedAttrs->len,
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@ hx509_cms_create_signed_1(const heim_oid *eContentType,
 	if (ret)
 	    goto out;
 	if (size != buf.length)
-	    abort();
+	    _hx509_abort("internal ASN.1 encoder error");
 
 	ret = add_one_attribute(&signer_info->signedAttrs->val,
 				&signer_info->signedAttrs->len,
@@ -822,8 +822,7 @@ hx509_cms_create_signed_1(const heim_oid *eContentType,
 	if (ret)
 	    goto out;
 	if (size != os.length)
-	    abort();
-
+	    _hx509_abort("internal ASN.1 encoder error");
 			   
 	ret = _hx509_create_signature(_hx509_cert_private_key(cert),
 				      hx509_signature_rsa_with_sha1(),
@@ -874,7 +873,7 @@ hx509_cms_create_signed_1(const heim_oid *eContentType,
     if (ret)
 	goto out;
     if (signed_data->length != size)
-	abort();
+	_hx509_abort("internal ASN.1 encoder error");
 
  out:
     free_SignedData(&sd);
diff --git a/lib/hx509/crypto.c b/lib/hx509/crypto.c
index 8be620fe4..f1cba088f 100644
--- a/lib/hx509/crypto.c
+++ b/lib/hx509/crypto.c
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ rsa_verify_signature(const struct signature_alg *sig_alg,
 	goto out;
     }
     if (ret > tosize)
-	abort();
+	_hx509_abort("internal rsa decryption failure: ret > tosize");
     ret = decode_DigestInfo(to, ret, &di, &size);
     free(to);
     if (ret) {
@@ -714,7 +714,7 @@ _hx509_public_encrypt(const heim_octet_string *cleartext,
 	return EINVAL;
     }
     if (ret > tosize)
-	abort();
+	_hx509_abort("internal rsa decryption failure: ret > tosize");
 
     ciphertext->length = ret;
     ciphertext->data = to;
@@ -1043,7 +1043,7 @@ hx509_crypto_get_params(hx509_crypto crypto,
     if (ret)
 	return ret;
     if (param->length != size)
-	abort();
+	_hx509_abort("internal ASN.1 encoder error");
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/hx509/hxtool.c b/lib/hx509/hxtool.c
index b33bd5bee..db3c3c13c 100644
--- a/lib/hx509/hxtool.c
+++ b/lib/hx509/hxtool.c
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ cms_create_sd(struct cms_create_sd_options *opt, int argc, char **argv)
 	if (ret)
 	    errx(1, "encode ContentInfo");
 	if (o.length != size)
-	    abort();
+	    _hx509_abort("internal ASN.1 encoder error");
 
 	free_ContentInfo(&ci);
 
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ cms_create_enveloped(struct cms_envelope_options *opt, int argc, char **argv)
 	if (ret)
 	    errx(1, "encode ContentInfo");
 	if (o.length != size)
-	    abort();
+	    _hx509_abort("internal ASN.1 encoder error");
 
 	free_ContentInfo(&ci);
 
diff --git a/lib/hx509/ks_p12.c b/lib/hx509/ks_p12.c
index 2d737222c..81cd364f6 100644
--- a/lib/hx509/ks_p12.c
+++ b/lib/hx509/ks_p12.c
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ ShroudedKeyBag_parser(struct collector *c, const void *data, size_t length,
 	void *d;
 	d = realloc(c->val.data, (c->val.len + 1) * sizeof(c->val.data[0]));
 	if (d == NULL) {
-	    abort();
+	    _hx509_abort("allocation failure"); /* XXX */
 	}
 	c->val.data = d;
 	c->val.data[c->val.len] = key;
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ p12_init(hx509_certs certs, void **data, int flags,
 	struct ks_pkcs12 *p12;
 	p12 = malloc(sizeof(*p12));
 	if (p12 == NULL) {
-	    abort();
+	    _hx509_abort("allocation failure"); /* XXX */
 	}
 	memset(p12, 0, sizeof(*p12));
 	p12->certs = c.certs;
diff --git a/lib/hx509/print.c b/lib/hx509/print.c
index 7506cf478..ae47a9d3e 100644
--- a/lib/hx509/print.c
+++ b/lib/hx509/print.c
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ check_Null(hx509_validate_ctx ctx, enum critical_flag cf, const Extension *e)
 			   "\tCritical set on MUST NOT\n");
 	break;
     default:
-	abort();
+	_hx509_abort("internal check_Null state error");
     }
     return 0;
 }