diff --git a/usr.sbin/rpc.tlsclntd/rpc.tlsclntd.c b/usr.sbin/rpc.tlsclntd/rpc.tlsclntd.c
index caa3b5266e48..b473d642c257 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/rpc.tlsclntd/rpc.tlsclntd.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/rpc.tlsclntd/rpc.tlsclntd.c
@@ -680,8 +680,8 @@ rpctls_connect(SSL_CTX *ctx, int s, char *certname, u_int certlen, X509 **certp)
 	ret = SSL_connect(ssl);
 	if (ret != 1) {
 		rpctls_verbose_out("rpctls_connect: "
-		    "SSL_connect failed %d\n",
-		    ret);
+		    "SSL_connect failed %d: %s\n",
+		    ret, ERR_error_string(ERR_get_error(), NULL));
 		SSL_free(ssl);
 		return (NULL);
 	}