if (err)
                return err;
 
-       if (!key.p.key)
+       if (!key.p.key) {
+               GENL_SET_ERR_MSG(info, "no key");
                return -EINVAL;
+       }
 
        if (info->attrs[NL80211_ATTR_MAC])
                mac_addr = nla_data(info->attrs[NL80211_ATTR_MAC]);
 
        /* for now */
        if (key.type != NL80211_KEYTYPE_PAIRWISE &&
-           key.type != NL80211_KEYTYPE_GROUP)
+           key.type != NL80211_KEYTYPE_GROUP) {
+               GENL_SET_ERR_MSG(info, "key type not pairwise or group");
                return -EINVAL;
+       }
 
        if (key.type == NL80211_KEYTYPE_GROUP &&
            info->attrs[NL80211_ATTR_VLAN_ID])
 
        if (cfg80211_validate_key_settings(rdev, &key.p, key.idx,
                                           key.type == NL80211_KEYTYPE_PAIRWISE,
-                                          mac_addr))
+                                          mac_addr)) {
+               GENL_SET_ERR_MSG(info, "key setting validation failed");
                return -EINVAL;
+       }
 
        wdev_lock(dev->ieee80211_ptr);
        err = nl80211_key_allowed(dev->ieee80211_ptr);
-       if (!err)
+       if (err)
+               GENL_SET_ERR_MSG(info, "key not allowed");
+       if (!err) {
                err = rdev_add_key(rdev, dev, key.idx,
                                   key.type == NL80211_KEYTYPE_PAIRWISE,
                                    mac_addr, &key.p);
+               if (err)
+                       GENL_SET_ERR_MSG(info, "key addition failed");
+       }
        wdev_unlock(dev->ieee80211_ptr);
 
        return err;