diff --git a/pkg/mount/mount.go b/pkg/mount/mount.go
index 1a17cffe6..b336e51f4 100644
--- a/pkg/mount/mount.go
+++ b/pkg/mount/mount.go
@@ -2,11 +2,47 @@ package mount
 
 import (
 	"sort"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/containers/storage/pkg/fileutils"
 )
 
+// mountError holds an error from a mount or unmount operation
+type mountError struct {
+	op             string
+	source, target string
+	flags          uintptr
+	data           string
+	err            error
+}
+
+// Error returns a string representation of mountError
+func (e *mountError) Error() string {
+	out := e.op + " "
+
+	if e.source != "" {
+		out += e.source + ":" + e.target
+	} else {
+		out += e.target
+	}
+
+	if e.flags != uintptr(0) {
+		out += ", flags: 0x" + strconv.FormatUint(uint64(e.flags), 16)
+	}
+	if e.data != "" {
+		out += ", data: " + e.data
+	}
+
+	out += ": " + e.err.Error()
+	return out
+}
+
+// Cause returns the underlying cause of the error
+func (e *mountError) Cause() error {
+	return e.err
+}
+
 // GetMounts retrieves a list of mounts for the current running process.
 func GetMounts() ([]*Info, error) {
 	return parseMountTable()
diff --git a/pkg/mount/mounter_linux.go b/pkg/mount/mounter_linux.go
index efdfc7dc0..594cd0881 100644
--- a/pkg/mount/mounter_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/mount/mounter_linux.go
@@ -35,20 +35,39 @@ func mount(device, target, mType string, flags uintptr, data string) error {
 		// Initial call applying all non-propagation flags for mount
 		// or remount with changed data
 		if err := unix.Mount(device, target, mType, oflags, data); err != nil {
-			return err
+			return &mountError{
+				op:     "mount",
+				source: device,
+				target: target,
+				flags:  oflags,
+				data:   data,
+				err:    err,
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	if flags&ptypes != 0 {
 		// Change the propagation type.
 		if err := unix.Mount("", target, "", flags&pflags, ""); err != nil {
-			return err
+			return &mountError{
+				op:     "remount",
+				target: target,
+				flags:  flags & pflags,
+				err:    err,
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	if oflags&broflags == broflags {
 		// Remount the bind to apply read only.
-		return unix.Mount("", target, "", oflags|unix.MS_REMOUNT, "")
+		if err := unix.Mount("", target, "", oflags|unix.MS_REMOUNT, ""); err != nil {
+			return &mountError{
+				op:     "remount-ro",
+				target: target,
+				flags:  oflags | unix.MS_REMOUNT,
+				err:    err,
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/pkg/mount/unmount_unix.go b/pkg/mount/unmount_unix.go
index 6cc3c5747..1d1afeee2 100644
--- a/pkg/mount/unmount_unix.go
+++ b/pkg/mount/unmount_unix.go
@@ -6,12 +6,17 @@ import "golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 
 func unmount(target string, flags int) error {
 	err := unix.Unmount(target, flags)
-	if err == unix.EINVAL {
+	if err == nil || err == unix.EINVAL {
 		// Ignore "not mounted" error here. Note the same error
 		// can be returned if flags are invalid, so this code
 		// assumes that the flags value is always correct.
-		err = nil
+		return nil
 	}
 
-	return err
+	return &mountError{
+		op:     "umount",
+		target: target,
+		flags:  uintptr(flags),
+		err:    err,
+	}
 }