diff --git a/src/files.c b/src/files.c
index b4185cbd..513a08b0 100644
--- a/src/files.c
+++ b/src/files.c
@@ -951,7 +951,7 @@ bool execute_command(const char *command)
 	/* Create a pipe to read the command's output from, and, if needed,
 	 * a pipe to feed the command's input through. */
 	if (pipe(from_fd) == -1 || (should_pipe && pipe(to_fd) == -1)) {
-		statusline(ALERT, _("Could not create pipe"));
+		statusline(ALERT, _("Could not create pipe: %s"), strerror(errno));
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/text.c b/src/text.c
index daad157c..9fcc03dd 100644
--- a/src/text.c
+++ b/src/text.c
@@ -2340,7 +2340,7 @@ void do_int_speller(const char *tempfile_name)
 
 	/* Create all three pipes up front. */
 	if (pipe(spell_fd) == -1 || pipe(sort_fd) == -1 || pipe(uniq_fd) == -1) {
-		statusline(ALERT, _("Could not create pipe"));
+		statusline(ALERT, _("Could not create pipe: %s"), strerror(errno));
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -2607,7 +2607,7 @@ void do_linter(void)
 
 	/* Create a pipe up front. */
 	if (pipe(lint_fd) == -1) {
-		statusline(ALERT, _("Could not create pipe"));
+		statusline(ALERT, _("Could not create pipe: %s"), strerror(errno));
 		return;
 	}