diff --git a/hw/mips/mips_fulong2e.c b/hw/mips/mips_fulong2e.c
index 3f3cb32651..3532399a13 100644
--- a/hw/mips/mips_fulong2e.c
+++ b/hw/mips/mips_fulong2e.c
@@ -110,16 +110,19 @@ static int64_t load_kernel (CPUMIPSState *env)
 {
     int64_t kernel_entry, kernel_low, kernel_high;
     int index = 0;
-    long initrd_size;
+    long kernel_size, initrd_size;
     ram_addr_t initrd_offset;
     uint32_t *prom_buf;
     long prom_size;
 
-    if (load_elf(loaderparams.kernel_filename, cpu_mips_kseg0_to_phys, NULL,
-                 (uint64_t *)&kernel_entry, (uint64_t *)&kernel_low,
-                 (uint64_t *)&kernel_high, 0, EM_MIPS, 1, 0) < 0) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not load kernel '%s'\n",
-                loaderparams.kernel_filename);
+    kernel_size = load_elf(loaderparams.kernel_filename, cpu_mips_kseg0_to_phys,
+                           NULL, (uint64_t *)&kernel_entry,
+                           (uint64_t *)&kernel_low, (uint64_t *)&kernel_high,
+                           0, EM_MIPS, 1, 0);
+    if (kernel_size < 0) {
+        error_report("qemu: could not load kernel '%s': %s",
+                     loaderparams.kernel_filename,
+                     load_elf_strerror(kernel_size));
         exit(1);
     }
 
diff --git a/hw/mips/mips_malta.c b/hw/mips/mips_malta.c
index 3487d16f61..8ecd544baa 100644
--- a/hw/mips/mips_malta.c
+++ b/hw/mips/mips_malta.c
@@ -794,7 +794,7 @@ static void GCC_FMT_ATTR(3, 4) prom_set(uint32_t* prom_buf, int index,
 static int64_t load_kernel (void)
 {
     int64_t kernel_entry, kernel_high;
-    long initrd_size;
+    long kernel_size, initrd_size;
     ram_addr_t initrd_offset;
     int big_endian;
     uint32_t *prom_buf;
@@ -808,11 +808,13 @@ static int64_t load_kernel (void)
     big_endian = 0;
 #endif
 
-    if (load_elf(loaderparams.kernel_filename, cpu_mips_kseg0_to_phys, NULL,
-                 (uint64_t *)&kernel_entry, NULL, (uint64_t *)&kernel_high,
-                 big_endian, EM_MIPS, 1, 0) < 0) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not load kernel '%s'\n",
-                loaderparams.kernel_filename);
+    kernel_size = load_elf(loaderparams.kernel_filename, cpu_mips_kseg0_to_phys,
+                           NULL, (uint64_t *)&kernel_entry, NULL,
+                           (uint64_t *)&kernel_high, big_endian, EM_MIPS, 1, 0);
+    if (kernel_size < 0) {
+        error_report("qemu: could not load kernel '%s': %s",
+                     loaderparams.kernel_filename,
+                     load_elf_strerror(kernel_size));
         exit(1);
     }
 
diff --git a/hw/mips/mips_mipssim.c b/hw/mips/mips_mipssim.c
index 6990b1b0dd..07fc4c2300 100644
--- a/hw/mips/mips_mipssim.c
+++ b/hw/mips/mips_mipssim.c
@@ -78,8 +78,9 @@ static int64_t load_kernel(void)
         if ((entry & ~0x7fffffffULL) == 0x80000000)
             entry = (int32_t)entry;
     } else {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not load kernel '%s'\n",
-                loaderparams.kernel_filename);
+        error_report("qemu: could not load kernel '%s': %s",
+                     loaderparams.kernel_filename,
+                     load_elf_strerror(kernel_size));
         exit(1);
     }
 
diff --git a/hw/mips/mips_r4k.c b/hw/mips/mips_r4k.c
index 690874be2b..2f5ced7409 100644
--- a/hw/mips/mips_r4k.c
+++ b/hw/mips/mips_r4k.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "sysemu/block-backend.h"
 #include "exec/address-spaces.h"
 #include "sysemu/qtest.h"
+#include "qemu/error-report.h"
 
 #define MAX_IDE_BUS 2
 
@@ -96,8 +97,9 @@ static int64_t load_kernel(void)
         if ((entry & ~0x7fffffffULL) == 0x80000000)
             entry = (int32_t)entry;
     } else {
-        fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not load kernel '%s'\n",
-                loaderparams.kernel_filename);
+        error_report("qemu: could not load kernel '%s': %s",
+                     loaderparams.kernel_filename,
+                     load_elf_strerror(kernel_size));
         exit(1);
     }