diff --git a/arch/um/os-Linux/helper.c b/arch/um/os-Linux/helper.c
index 32e88baf18dd4..b459745f52e24 100644
--- a/arch/um/os-Linux/helper.c
+++ b/arch/um/os-Linux/helper.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <sched.h>
@@ -99,6 +100,10 @@ int run_helper(void (*pre_exec)(void *), void *pre_data, char **argv)
 		CATCH_EINTR(waitpid(pid, NULL, __WALL));
 	}
 
+	if (ret < 0)
+		printk(UM_KERN_ERR "run_helper : failed to exec %s on host: %s\n",
+		       argv[0], strerror(-ret));
+
 out_free2:
 	kfree(data.buf);
 out_close: