diff --git a/sys/dev/efidev/efirtc.c b/sys/dev/efidev/efirtc.c
index b9e06bcc362e..e5a2ec262bf5 100644
--- a/sys/dev/efidev/efirtc.c
+++ b/sys/dev/efidev/efirtc.c
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ efirtc_probe(device_t dev)
 	 */
 	if ((error = efi_get_time(&tm)) != 0) {
 		if (bootverbose)
-			device_printf(dev, "cannot read EFI realtime clock\n");
+			device_printf(dev, "cannot read EFI realtime clock, "
+			    "error %d\n", error);
 		return (error);
 	}
 	device_set_desc(dev, "EFI Realtime Clock");
diff --git a/sys/kern/subr_rtc.c b/sys/kern/subr_rtc.c
index 82c276f210a2..1c3a9804694c 100644
--- a/sys/kern/subr_rtc.c
+++ b/sys/kern/subr_rtc.c
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ settime_task_func(void *arg, int pending)
 {
 	struct timespec ts;
 	struct rtc_instance *rtc;
+	int error;
 
 	rtc = arg;
 	if (!(rtc->flags & CLOCKF_SETTIME_NO_TS)) {
@@ -150,7 +151,9 @@ settime_task_func(void *arg, int pending)
 		ts.tv_sec  = 0;
 		ts.tv_nsec = 0;
 	}
-	CLOCK_SETTIME(rtc->clockdev, &ts);
+	error = CLOCK_SETTIME(rtc->clockdev, &ts);
+	if (error != 0 && bootverbose)
+		device_printf(rtc->clockdev, "CLOCK_SETTIME error %d\n", error);
 }
 
 static void