diff --git a/src/nm-logging.c b/src/nm-logging.c
index 60ccb5cb2f..159d83fcf9 100644
--- a/src/nm-logging.c
+++ b/src/nm-logging.c
@@ -149,8 +149,14 @@ static char *_domains_to_string (gboolean include_level_override);
 static void
 _ensure_initialized (void)
 {
-	if (G_UNLIKELY (!global.logging_set_up))
+	if (G_UNLIKELY (!global.logging_set_up)) {
+		int errsv = errno;
+
 		nm_logging_setup ("INFO", LOGD_DEFAULT_STRING, NULL, NULL);
+
+		/* must ensure that errno is not modified. */
+		errno = errsv;
+	}
 }
 
 static gboolean
@@ -419,6 +425,7 @@ nm_logging_enabled (NMLogLevel level, NMLogDomain domain)
 	if ((guint) level >= G_N_ELEMENTS (global.logging))
 		g_return_val_if_reached (FALSE);
 
+	/* This function is guaranteed not to modify errno. */
 	_ensure_initialized ();
 
 	return !!(global.logging[level] & domain);
diff --git a/src/nm-logging.h b/src/nm-logging.h
index e04e6da201..b9ffdfc007 100644
--- a/src/nm-logging.h
+++ b/src/nm-logging.h
@@ -189,15 +189,23 @@ void     nm_logging_syslog_openlog (const char *logging_backend);
 #define _LOGW_ENABLED(...)  _NMLOG_ENABLED (LOGL_WARN , ##__VA_ARGS__)
 #define _LOGE_ENABLED(...)  _NMLOG_ENABLED (LOGL_ERR  , ##__VA_ARGS__)
 
+#define _LOGT_err(errsv, ...) _NMLOG_err (errsv, LOGL_TRACE, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _LOGD_err(errsv, ...) _NMLOG_err (errsv, LOGL_DEBUG, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _LOGI_err(errsv, ...) _NMLOG_err (errsv, LOGL_INFO , __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _LOGW_err(errsv, ...) _NMLOG_err (errsv, LOGL_WARN , __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _LOGE_err(errsv, ...) _NMLOG_err (errsv, LOGL_ERR  , __VA_ARGS__)
+
 /* _LOGT() and _LOGt() both log with level TRACE, but the latter is disabled by default,
  * unless building with --with-more-logging. */
 #ifdef NM_MORE_LOGGING
-#define _LOGt_ENABLED(...)  _NMLOG_ENABLED (LOGL_TRACE, ##__VA_ARGS__)
-#define _LOGt(...)          _NMLOG (LOGL_TRACE, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _LOGt_ENABLED(...)    _NMLOG_ENABLED (LOGL_TRACE, ##__VA_ARGS__)
+#define _LOGt(...)            _NMLOG (LOGL_TRACE, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _LOGt_err(errsv, ...) _NMLOG_err (errsv, LOGL_TRACE, __VA_ARGS__)
 #else
 /* still call the logging macros to get compile time checks, but they will be optimized out. */
-#define _LOGt_ENABLED(...)  ( FALSE && (_NMLOG_ENABLED (LOGL_TRACE, ##__VA_ARGS__)) )
-#define _LOGt(...)          G_STMT_START { if (FALSE) { _NMLOG (LOGL_TRACE, __VA_ARGS__); } } G_STMT_END
+#define _LOGt_ENABLED(...)    ( FALSE && (_NMLOG_ENABLED (LOGL_TRACE, ##__VA_ARGS__)) )
+#define _LOGt(...)            G_STMT_START { if (FALSE) { _NMLOG (LOGL_TRACE, __VA_ARGS__); } } G_STMT_END
+#define _LOGt_err(errsv, ...) G_STMT_START { if (FALSE) { _NMLOG_err (errsv, LOGL_TRACE, __VA_ARGS__); } } G_STMT_END
 #endif
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
@@ -223,13 +231,21 @@ void     nm_logging_syslog_openlog (const char *logging_backend);
 #define _LOG2W_ENABLED(...)  _NMLOG2_ENABLED (LOGL_WARN , ##__VA_ARGS__)
 #define _LOG2E_ENABLED(...)  _NMLOG2_ENABLED (LOGL_ERR  , ##__VA_ARGS__)
 
+#define _LOG2T_err(errsv, ...) _NMLOG2_err (errsv, LOGL_TRACE, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _LOG2D_err(errsv, ...) _NMLOG2_err (errsv, LOGL_DEBUG, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _LOG2I_err(errsv, ...) _NMLOG2_err (errsv, LOGL_INFO , __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _LOG2W_err(errsv, ...) _NMLOG2_err (errsv, LOGL_WARN , __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _LOG2E_err(errsv, ...) _NMLOG2_err (errsv, LOGL_ERR  , __VA_ARGS__)
+
 #ifdef NM_MORE_LOGGING
-#define _LOG2t_ENABLED(...)  _NMLOG2_ENABLED (LOGL_TRACE, ##__VA_ARGS__)
-#define _LOG2t(...)          _NMLOG2 (LOGL_TRACE, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _LOG2t_ENABLED(...)    _NMLOG2_ENABLED (LOGL_TRACE, ##__VA_ARGS__)
+#define _LOG2t(...)            _NMLOG2 (LOGL_TRACE, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _LOG2t_err(errsv, ...) _NMLOG2_err (errsv, LOGL_TRACE, __VA_ARGS__)
 #else
 /* still call the logging macros to get compile time checks, but they will be optimized out. */
-#define _LOG2t_ENABLED(...)  ( FALSE && (_NMLOG2_ENABLED (LOGL_TRACE, ##__VA_ARGS__)) )
-#define _LOG2t(...)          G_STMT_START { if (FALSE) { _NMLOG2 (LOGL_TRACE, __VA_ARGS__); } } G_STMT_END
+#define _LOG2t_ENABLED(...)    ( FALSE && (_NMLOG2_ENABLED (LOGL_TRACE, ##__VA_ARGS__)) )
+#define _LOG2t(...)            G_STMT_START { if (FALSE) { _NMLOG2 (LOGL_TRACE, __VA_ARGS__); } } G_STMT_END
+#define _LOG2t_err(errsv, ...) G_STMT_START { if (FALSE) { _NMLOG2_err (errsv, LOGL_TRACE, __VA_ARGS__); } } G_STMT_END
 #endif
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
index 3597e60b62..7d0ca9c10e 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
@@ -118,8 +118,26 @@
 #define _NMLOG_PREFIX_NAME                "platform-linux"
 #define _NMLOG_DOMAIN                     LOGD_PLATFORM
 #define _NMLOG2_DOMAIN                    LOGD_PLATFORM
-#define _NMLOG(level, ...)                _LOG(level, _NMLOG_DOMAIN,  platform, __VA_ARGS__)
-#define _NMLOG2(level, ...)               _LOG(level, _NMLOG2_DOMAIN, NULL,     __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _NMLOG(level, ...)                _LOG     (       level, _NMLOG_DOMAIN,  platform, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _NMLOG_err(errsv, level, ...)     _LOG_err (errsv, level, _NMLOG_DOMAIN,  platform, __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _NMLOG2(level, ...)               _LOG     (       level, _NMLOG2_DOMAIN, NULL,     __VA_ARGS__)
+#define _NMLOG2_err(errsv, level, ...)    _LOG_err (errsv, level, _NMLOG2_DOMAIN, NULL,     __VA_ARGS__)
+
+
+#define _LOG_print(__level, __domain, __errsv, self, ...) \
+    G_STMT_START { \
+        char __prefix[32]; \
+        const char *__p_prefix = _NMLOG_PREFIX_NAME; \
+        const void *const __self = (self); \
+        \
+        if (__self && __self != nm_platform_try_get ()) { \
+            g_snprintf (__prefix, sizeof (__prefix), "%s[%p]", _NMLOG_PREFIX_NAME, __self); \
+            __p_prefix = __prefix; \
+        } \
+        _nm_log (__level, __domain, __errsv, \
+                 "%s: " _NM_UTILS_MACRO_FIRST (__VA_ARGS__), \
+                 __p_prefix _NM_UTILS_MACRO_REST (__VA_ARGS__)); \
+    } G_STMT_END
 
 #define _LOG(level, domain, self, ...) \
     G_STMT_START { \
@@ -127,20 +145,30 @@
         const NMLogDomain __domain = (domain); \
         \
         if (nm_logging_enabled (__level, __domain)) { \
-            char __prefix[32]; \
-            const char *__p_prefix = _NMLOG_PREFIX_NAME; \
-            const void *const __self = (self); \
-            \
-            if (__self && __self != nm_platform_try_get ()) { \
-                g_snprintf (__prefix, sizeof (__prefix), "%s[%p]", _NMLOG_PREFIX_NAME, __self); \
-                __p_prefix = __prefix; \
-            } \
-            _nm_log (__level, __domain, 0, \
-                     "%s: " _NM_UTILS_MACRO_FIRST (__VA_ARGS__), \
-                     __p_prefix _NM_UTILS_MACRO_REST (__VA_ARGS__)); \
+            _LOG_print (__level, __domain, 0, self, __VA_ARGS__); \
         } \
     } G_STMT_END
 
+#define _LOG_err(errsv, level, domain, self, ...) \
+    G_STMT_START { \
+        const NMLogLevel __level = (level); \
+        const NMLogDomain __domain = (domain); \
+        \
+        if (nm_logging_enabled (__level, __domain)) { \
+            int __errsv = (errsv); \
+            \
+            /* The %m format specifier (GNU extension) would alread allow you to specify the error
+             * message conveniently (and nm_log would get that right too). But we don't want to depend
+             * on that, so instead append the message at the end.
+             * Currently users are expected not to use %m in the format string. */ \
+            _LOG_print (__level, __domain, __errsv, self, \
+                        _NM_UTILS_MACRO_FIRST (__VA_ARGS__) ": %s (%d)" \
+                        _NM_UTILS_MACRO_REST (__VA_ARGS__), \
+                        g_strerror (__errsv), __errsv); \
+        } \
+    } G_STMT_END
+
+
 #define LOG_FMT_IP_TUNNEL "adding %s '%s' parent %u local %s remote %s"
 
 /******************************************************************