diff --git a/usr.bin/tar/Makefile b/usr.bin/tar/Makefile
index 578c044e5c8..128f2c2c8a7 100644
--- a/usr.bin/tar/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/tar/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #
 
 PROG=	bsdtar
-VERSION=	1.02.022
+VERSION=	1.02.023
 DIST_SRCS=	bsdtar.c getdate.y matching.c read.c tree.c util.c write.c
 SRCS=	${DIST_SRCS}
 WARNS?=	5
diff --git a/usr.bin/tar/tree.c b/usr.bin/tar/tree.c
index 0fc35845239..4528eea3c15 100644
--- a/usr.bin/tar/tree.c
+++ b/usr.bin/tar/tree.c
@@ -309,13 +309,13 @@ tree_next(struct tree *t)
 				/* chdir() failed; return error */
 				tree_pop(t);
 				t->tree_errno = errno;
-				return (t->visit_type = TREE_ERROR);
+				return (t->visit_type = TREE_ERROR_DIR);
 			}
 			t->d = opendir(".");
 			if (t->d == NULL) {
 				tree_pop(t);
 				t->tree_errno = errno;
-				return (t->visit_type = TREE_ERROR);
+				return (t->visit_type = TREE_ERROR_DIR);
 			}
 			t->depth++;
 			t->flags &= ~hasLstat;
diff --git a/usr.bin/tar/tree.h b/usr.bin/tar/tree.h
index 95dad6b78c5..06eab8ea08f 100644
--- a/usr.bin/tar/tree.h
+++ b/usr.bin/tar/tree.h
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ void tree_close(struct tree *);
 #define	TREE_REGULAR	1
 #define	TREE_POSTDESCENT	2
 #define	TREE_POSTASCENT	3
-#define	TREE_ERROR	-1
+#define	TREE_ERROR_DIR	-1
 int tree_next(struct tree *);
 
 int tree_errno(struct tree *);
diff --git a/usr.bin/tar/write.c b/usr.bin/tar/write.c
index 3d833e93f8d..39743276e9c 100644
--- a/usr.bin/tar/write.c
+++ b/usr.bin/tar/write.c
@@ -537,14 +537,14 @@ write_hierarchy(struct bsdtar *bsdtar, struct archive *a, const char *path)
 		const struct stat *st = NULL, *lst = NULL;
 		int descend;
 
-		if (tree_ret == TREE_ERROR)
-			bsdtar_warnc(bsdtar, errno, "%s", name);
+		if (tree_ret == TREE_ERROR_DIR)
+			bsdtar_warnc(bsdtar, errno, "%s: Couldn't visit directory", name);
 		if (tree_ret != TREE_REGULAR)
 			continue;
 		lst = tree_current_lstat(tree);
 		if (lst == NULL) {
 			/* Couldn't lstat(); must not exist. */
-			bsdtar_warnc(bsdtar, errno, "%s: Cannot open", path);
+			bsdtar_warnc(bsdtar, errno, "%s: Cannot stat", path);
 			bsdtar->return_value = 1;
 			continue;
 		}
@@ -744,7 +744,7 @@ write_entry(struct bsdtar *bsdtar, struct archive *a, const struct stat *st,
 		fd = open(accpath, O_RDONLY);
 		if (fd < 0) {
 			if (!bsdtar->verbose)
-				bsdtar_warnc(bsdtar, errno, "%s", pathname);
+				bsdtar_warnc(bsdtar, errno, "%s: could not open file", pathname);
 			else
 				fprintf(stderr, ": %s", strerror(errno));
 			goto cleanup;