diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 57d9c65e0..03a51cb8f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -434,6 +434,7 @@ TEST_PROGRAMS_NEED_X += test-string-pool
 TEST_PROGRAMS_NEED_X += test-svn-fe
 TEST_PROGRAMS_NEED_X += test-treap
 TEST_PROGRAMS_NEED_X += test-index-version
+TEST_PROGRAMS_NEED_X += test-mktemp
 
 TEST_PROGRAMS = $(patsubst %,%$X,$(TEST_PROGRAMS_NEED_X))
 
diff --git a/t/t0070-fundamental.sh b/t/t0070-fundamental.sh
index 680d7d686..9bee8bfd2 100755
--- a/t/t0070-fundamental.sh
+++ b/t/t0070-fundamental.sh
@@ -12,4 +12,17 @@ test_expect_success 'character classes (isspace, isalpha etc.)' '
 	test-ctype
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'mktemp to nonexistent directory prints filename' '
+	test_must_fail test-mktemp doesnotexist/testXXXXXX 2>err &&
+	grep "doesnotexist/test" err
+'
+
+test_expect_success POSIXPERM 'mktemp to unwritable directory prints filename' '
+	mkdir cannotwrite &&
+	chmod -w cannotwrite &&
+	test_when_finished "chmod +w cannotwrite" &&
+	test_must_fail test-mktemp cannotwrite/testXXXXXX 2>err &&
+	grep "cannotwrite/test" err
+'
+
 test_done
diff --git a/test-mktemp.c b/test-mktemp.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c8c54213a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-mktemp.c
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+/*
+ * test-mktemp.c: code to exercise the creation of temporary files
+ */
+#include "git-compat-util.h"
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	if (argc != 2)
+		usage("Expected 1 parameter defining the temporary file template");
+
+	xmkstemp(xstrdup(argv[1]));
+
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/wrapper.c b/wrapper.c
index 8d7dd31c4..55b074ec4 100644
--- a/wrapper.c
+++ b/wrapper.c
@@ -198,10 +198,22 @@ FILE *xfdopen(int fd, const char *mode)
 int xmkstemp(char *template)
 {
 	int fd;
+	char origtemplate[PATH_MAX];
+	strlcpy(origtemplate, template, sizeof(origtemplate));
 
 	fd = mkstemp(template);
-	if (fd < 0)
-		die_errno("Unable to create temporary file");
+	if (fd < 0) {
+		int saved_errno = errno;
+		const char *nonrelative_template;
+
+		if (!template[0])
+			template = origtemplate;
+
+		nonrelative_template = make_nonrelative_path(template);
+		errno = saved_errno;
+		die_errno("Unable to create temporary file '%s'",
+			nonrelative_template);
+	}
 	return fd;
 }
 
@@ -321,10 +333,22 @@ int gitmkstemps(char *pattern, int suffix_len)
 int xmkstemp_mode(char *template, int mode)
 {
 	int fd;
+	char origtemplate[PATH_MAX];
+	strlcpy(origtemplate, template, sizeof(origtemplate));
 
 	fd = git_mkstemp_mode(template, mode);
-	if (fd < 0)
-		die_errno("Unable to create temporary file");
+	if (fd < 0) {
+		int saved_errno = errno;
+		const char *nonrelative_template;
+
+		if (!template[0])
+			template = origtemplate;
+
+		nonrelative_template = make_nonrelative_path(template);
+		errno = saved_errno;
+		die_errno("Unable to create temporary file '%s'",
+			nonrelative_template);
+	}
 	return fd;
 }