diff --git a/lib/krb5/keytab.c b/lib/krb5/keytab.c
index 23ef5582f..7d191b6df 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/keytab.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/keytab.c
@@ -337,8 +337,9 @@ krb5_kt_get_entry(krb5_context context,
 
     ret = krb5_kt_start_seq_get (context, id, &cursor);
     if (ret) {
-	krb5_clear_error_string(context);
-	return KRB5_KT_NOTFOUND; /* XXX i.e. file not found */
+	/* This is needed for krb5_verify_init_creds, but keep error
+	 * string from previous error for the human. */
+	return KRB5_KT_NOTFOUND;
     }
 
     entry->vno = 0;
diff --git a/lib/krb5/keytab_file.c b/lib/krb5/keytab_file.c
index db2bc4786..c32e63b1b 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/keytab_file.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/keytab_file.c
@@ -334,8 +334,8 @@ fkt_start_seq_get_int(krb5_context context,
     c->fd = open (d->filename, flags);
     if (c->fd < 0) {
 	ret = errno;
-	krb5_set_error_string(context, "%s: %s", d->filename,
-			      strerror(ret));
+	krb5_set_error_string(context, "keytab %s open failed: %s", 
+			      d->filename, strerror(ret));
 	return ret;
     }
     ret = _krb5_xlock(context, c->fd, exclusive, d->filename);
diff --git a/lib/krb5/keytab_keyfile.c b/lib/krb5/keytab_keyfile.c
index 52da728f3..d2e37b216 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/keytab_keyfile.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/keytab_keyfile.c
@@ -197,8 +197,8 @@ akf_start_seq_get(krb5_context context,
     c->fd = open (d->filename, O_RDONLY|O_BINARY, 0600);
     if (c->fd < 0) {
 	ret = errno;
-	krb5_set_error_string(context, "open(%s): %s", d->filename,
-			      strerror(ret));
+	krb5_set_error_string(context, "keytab afs keyfil open %s failed: %s",
+			      d->filename, strerror(ret));
 	return ret;
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/krb5/keytab_krb4.c b/lib/krb5/keytab_krb4.c
index 29ff284f0..7cd2d64db 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/keytab_krb4.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/keytab_krb4.c
@@ -134,14 +134,15 @@ krb4_kt_start_seq_get_int (krb5_context context,
     if (c->fd < 0) {
 	ret = errno;
 	free (ed);
-	krb5_set_error_string(context, "open(%s): %s", d->filename,
-			      strerror(ret));
+	krb5_set_error_string(context, "keytab krb5 open %s failed: %s", 
+			      d->filename, strerror(ret));
 	return ret;
     }
     c->sp = krb5_storage_from_fd(c->fd);
     if(c->sp == NULL) {
 	close(c->fd);
 	free(ed);
+	krb5_set_error_string(context, "malloc: out of memory");
 	return ENOMEM;
     }
     krb5_storage_set_eof_code(c->sp, KRB5_KT_END);
@@ -369,8 +370,11 @@ krb4_kt_remove_entry(krb5_context context,
 	if(fd < 0) {
 	    memset(data.data, 0, data.length);
 	    krb5_data_free(&data);
-	    if(errno == EACCES || errno == EROFS) 
+	    if(errno == EACCES || errno == EROFS) {
+		krb5_set_error_string(context, "failed to open %s for writing",
+				      d->filename);
 		return KRB5_KT_NOWRITE;
+	    }
 	    return errno;
 	}
 
@@ -378,14 +382,16 @@ krb4_kt_remove_entry(krb5_context context,
 	    memset(data.data, 0, data.length);
 	    krb5_data_free(&data);
 	    close(fd);
-	    krb5_set_error_string(context, "failed writing to \"%s\"", d->filename);
+	    krb5_set_error_string(context, "failed writing to file %s", 
+				  d->filename);
 	    return errno;
 	}
 	memset(data.data, 0, data.length);
 	if(fstat(fd, &st) < 0) {
 	    krb5_data_free(&data);
 	    close(fd);
-	    krb5_set_error_string(context, "failed getting size of \"%s\"", d->filename);
+	    krb5_set_error_string(context, "failed getting size of file %s", 
+				  d->filename);
 	    return errno;
 	}
 	st.st_size -= data.length;
@@ -396,7 +402,8 @@ krb4_kt_remove_entry(krb5_context context,
 	    if(n <= 0) {
 		krb5_data_free(&data);
 		close(fd);
-		krb5_set_error_string(context, "failed writing to \"%s\"", d->filename);
+		krb5_set_error_string(context, "failed writing to file %s",
+				      d->filename);
 		return errno;
 		
 	    }
@@ -405,17 +412,20 @@ krb4_kt_remove_entry(krb5_context context,
 	if(ftruncate(fd, data.length) < 0) {
 	    krb5_data_free(&data);
 	    close(fd);
-	    krb5_set_error_string(context, "failed truncating \"%s\"", d->filename);
+	    krb5_set_error_string(context, "failed truncating file %s",
+				  d->filename);
 	    return errno;
 	}
 	krb5_data_free(&data);
 	if(close(fd) < 0) {
-	    krb5_set_error_string(context, "error closing \"%s\"", d->filename);
+	    krb5_set_error_string(context, "error closing %s",
+				  d->filename);
 	    return errno;
 	}
 	return 0;
     } else {
 	krb5_storage_free(sp);
+	krb5_set_error_string(context, "Keytab entry not found");
 	return KRB5_KT_NOTFOUND;
     }
 }