diff --git a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_device_memory.c b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_device_memory.c
index 4fdd9e2e496..0791b7eb0f0 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_device_memory.c
+++ b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_device_memory.c
@@ -358,7 +358,8 @@ nvk_GetMemoryFdKHR(VkDevice device,
    case VK_EXTERNAL_MEMORY_HANDLE_TYPE_OPAQUE_FD_BIT:
    case VK_EXTERNAL_MEMORY_HANDLE_TYPE_DMA_BUF_BIT_EXT:
       if (nouveau_ws_bo_dma_buf(memory->bo, pFD))
-         return vk_error(dev, VK_ERROR_TOO_MANY_OBJECTS);
+         return vk_errorf(dev, VK_ERROR_TOO_MANY_OBJECTS,
+                          "Failed to export dma-buf: %m");
       return VK_SUCCESS;
    default:
       assert(!"unsupported handle type");