diff --git a/src/engine/cwd.cpp b/src/engine/cwd.cpp
index ee0d563c6..29dbf3f55 100644
--- a/src/engine/cwd.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/cwd.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 #include "jam.h"
 #include "mem.h"
+#include "output.h"
 #include "pathsys.h"
 
 #include <assert.h>
@@ -72,7 +73,7 @@ void cwd_init( void )
 
     if ( !cwd_ )
     {
-        perror( "can not get current working directory" );
+        errno_puts( "can not get current working directory" );
         exit( EXITBAD );
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/engine/execunix.cpp b/src/engine/execunix.cpp
index 207677998..f1ca14fd8 100644
--- a/src/engine/execunix.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/execunix.cpp
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ void exec_cmd
     /* Create pipes for collecting child output. */
     if ( pipe( out ) < 0 || ( globs.pipe_action && pipe( err ) < 0 ) )
     {
-        perror( "pipe" );
+        errno_puts( "pipe" );
         exit( EXITBAD );
     }
 
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ void exec_cmd
 
     if ( ( cmdtab[ slot ].pid = vfork() ) == -1 )
     {
-        perror( "vfork" );
+        errno_puts( "vfork" );
         exit( EXITBAD );
     }
 
@@ -294,11 +294,11 @@ void exec_cmd
             setrlimit( RLIMIT_CPU, &r_limit );
         }
         if (0 != setpgid( pid, pid )) {
-            perror("setpgid(child)");
+            errno_puts("setpgid(child)");
             /* exit( EXITBAD ); */
         }
         execvp( argv[ 0 ], (char * *)argv );
-        perror( "execvp" );
+        errno_puts( "execvp" );
         _exit( 127 );
     }
 
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ void exec_cmd
     cmdtab[ slot ].stream[ OUT ] = fdopen( cmdtab[ slot ].fd[ OUT ], "rb" );
     if ( !cmdtab[ slot ].stream[ OUT ] )
     {
-        perror( "fdopen" );
+        errno_puts( "fdopen" );
         exit( EXITBAD );
     }
 
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ void exec_cmd
         cmdtab[ slot ].stream[ ERR ] = fdopen( cmdtab[ slot ].fd[ ERR ], "rb" );
         if ( !cmdtab[ slot ].stream[ ERR ] )
         {
-            perror( "fdopen" );
+            errno_puts( "fdopen" );
             exit( EXITBAD );
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/engine/execvms.cpp b/src/engine/execvms.cpp
index 8b281fe52..7a70b365f 100644
--- a/src/engine/execvms.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/execvms.cpp
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ void exec_cmd
 
             if ( !cwd )
             {
-                perror( "can not get current working directory" );
+                errno_puts( "can not get current working directory" );
                 exit( EXITBAD );
             }
 
diff --git a/src/engine/output.cpp b/src/engine/output.cpp
index e015f577b..196082c78 100644
--- a/src/engine/output.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/output.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+
+#include <string>
+#include <memory>
 
 
 #define bjam_out (stdout)
@@ -137,6 +141,35 @@ void out_action
 }
 
 
+void errno_puts(char const * const s)
+{
+    const auto e = errno;
+    err_printf("[errno %d] %s (%s)\n", e, s, strerror(e));
+}
+
+
+void errno_printf(char const * const f, ...)
+{
+    const auto e = errno;
+    std::string s = "[errno "+std::to_string(e)+"] ";
+    {
+        va_list args;
+        va_start( args, f );
+        int l = vsnprintf( nullptr, 0, f, args );
+        va_end( args );
+        va_start( args, f );
+        std::unique_ptr<char[]> r(new char[l+1]);
+        vsnprintf( r.get(), l+1, f, args );
+        va_end( args );
+        s += r.get();
+    }
+    s += " (";
+    s += strerror(e);
+    s += ")";
+    err_puts(s.c_str());
+}
+
+
 OBJECT * outf_int( int const value )
 {
     char buffer[ 50 ];
diff --git a/src/engine/output.h b/src/engine/output.h
index c33758967..b81a8d5c4 100644
--- a/src/engine/output.h
+++ b/src/engine/output.h
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ void err_data(char const * const s);
 void out_printf(char const * const f, ...);
 void err_printf(char const * const f, ...);
 
+// Output current errno value & description along with given string.
+void errno_puts(char const * const s);
+void errno_printf(char const * const f, ...);
+
 OBJECT * outf_int( int const value );
 OBJECT * outf_double( double const value );
 OBJECT * outf_time( timestamp const * const value );
diff --git a/src/engine/scan.cpp b/src/engine/scan.cpp
index 83a01b260..67948a095 100644
--- a/src/engine/scan.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/scan.cpp
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ int yyline()
         {
             FILE * f = stdin;
             if ( strcmp( object_str( i->fname ), "-" ) && !( f = fopen( object_str( i->fname ), "r" ) ) )
-                perror( object_str( i->fname ) );
+                errno_puts( object_str( i->fname ) );
             i->file = f;
         }