diff --git a/src/libei-proto.c b/src/libei-proto.c
index 8bfeba3..517605a 100644
--- a/src/libei-proto.c
+++ b/src/libei-proto.c
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ ei_proto_parse_message(struct brei_message *bmsg, size_t *consumed)
 }
 
 static inline void
-log_wire_message(struct ei *ei, const ClientMessage *msg)
+log_wire_message(struct ei *ei, const ClientMessage *msg, int error)
 {
 	const char *message = NULL;
 
@@ -152,7 +152,8 @@ log_wire_message(struct ei *ei, const ClientMessage *msg)
 			assert(!"Unimplemented message type");
 			break;
 	}
-	log_debug(ei, "sending wire message %s\n", message);
+	log_debug(ei, "sending wire message %s (%s)\n", message,
+		  strerror(-error));
 
 #undef MSG_STRING_CASE
 }
@@ -160,8 +161,6 @@ log_wire_message(struct ei *ei, const ClientMessage *msg)
 static int
 ei_proto_send_msg(struct ei *ei, const ClientMessage *msg)
 {
-	log_wire_message(ei, msg);
-
 	size_t msglen = client_message__get_packed_size(msg);
 	Frame frame = FRAME__INIT;
 	frame.length = msglen;
@@ -170,14 +169,17 @@ ei_proto_send_msg(struct ei *ei, const ClientMessage *msg)
 	uint8_t buf[framelen + msglen];
 	frame__pack(&frame, buf);
 	client_message__pack(msg, buf + framelen);
-	return min(0, xsend(source_get_fd(ei->source), buf, sizeof(buf)));
+
+	int rc = min(0, xsend(source_get_fd(ei->source), buf, sizeof(buf)));
+
+	log_wire_message(ei, msg, rc);
+
+	return rc;
 }
 
 static int
 ei_proto_send_msg_with_fds(struct ei *ei, const ClientMessage *msg, int *fds)
 {
-	log_wire_message(ei, msg);
-
 	size_t msglen = client_message__get_packed_size(msg);
 	Frame frame = FRAME__INIT;
 	frame.length = msglen;
@@ -187,7 +189,10 @@ ei_proto_send_msg_with_fds(struct ei *ei, const ClientMessage *msg, int *fds)
 	frame__pack(&frame, buf);
 	client_message__pack(msg, buf + framelen);
 
-	return min(0, xsend_with_fd(source_get_fd(ei->source), buf, sizeof(buf), fds));
+	int rc = min(0, xsend_with_fd(source_get_fd(ei->source), buf, sizeof(buf), fds));
+	log_wire_message(ei, msg, rc);
+
+	return rc;
 }
 
 int