diff --git a/src/vlib/threads.c b/src/vlib/threads.c
index 4b70642..7e6ac25 100644
--- a/src/vlib/threads.c
+++ b/src/vlib/threads.c
@@ -222,7 +222,12 @@
       cpu_set_t cpuset;
       CPU_ZERO (&cpuset);
       CPU_SET (tm->main_lcore, &cpuset);
-      pthread_setaffinity_np (pthread_self (), sizeof (cpu_set_t), &cpuset);
+      if (pthread_setaffinity_np (pthread_self (), sizeof (cpu_set_t),
+				  &cpuset))
+	{
+	  return clib_error_return (0, "could not pin main thread to cpu %u",
+				    tm->main_lcore);
+	}
     }
 
   /* Set up thread 0 */
@@ -304,7 +309,8 @@
 	      if (c == ~0)
 		return clib_error_return (0,
 					  "no available cpus to be used for"
-					  " the '%s' thread", tr->name);
+					  " the '%s' thread #%u",
+					  tr->name, tr->count);
 
 	      avail_cpu = clib_bitmap_set (avail_cpu, 0, avail_c0);
 	      avail_cpu = clib_bitmap_set (avail_cpu, c, 0);
@@ -801,25 +807,26 @@
 	{
 	  for (j = 0; j < tr->count; j++)
 	    {
+
 	      w = vlib_worker_threads + worker_thread_index++;
 	      err = vlib_launch_thread_int (vlib_worker_thread_bootstrap_fn,
 					    w, 0);
 	      if (err)
-		clib_error_report (err);
+		clib_unix_error ("%U, thread %s init on cpu %d failed",
+				 format_clib_error, err, tr->name, 0);
 	    }
 	}
       else
 	{
 	  uword c;
-          /* *INDENT-OFF* */
           clib_bitmap_foreach (c, tr->coremask)  {
             w = vlib_worker_threads + worker_thread_index++;
 	    err = vlib_launch_thread_int (vlib_worker_thread_bootstrap_fn,
 					  w, c);
 	    if (err)
-	      clib_error_report (err);
-          }
-          /* *INDENT-ON* */
+	      clib_unix_error ("%U, thread %s init on cpu %d failed",
+			       format_clib_error, err, tr->name, c);
+	    }
 	}
     }
   vlib_worker_thread_barrier_sync (vm);