diff --git a/mariadb-prepare-db-dir b/mariadb-prepare-db-dir
index 8265747..3b464e9 100644
--- a/mariadb-prepare-db-dir
+++ b/mariadb-prepare-db-dir
@@ -29,6 +29,20 @@ fi
 
 # Set up the errlogfile with appropriate permissions
 touch "$errlogfile"
+ret=$?
+# Provide some advice if the log file cannot be touched
+if [ $ret -ne 0 ] ; then
+    errlogdir=$(dirname $errlogfile)
+    if ! [ -d "$errlogdir" ] ; then
+        echo "The directory $errlogdir does not exist."
+    elif [ -f "$errlogfile" ] ; then
+        echo "The log file $errlogfile cannot be touched, please, fix its permissions."
+    else
+        echo "The log file $errlogfile could not be created."
+    fi
+    echo "The daemon will be run under $myuser:$mygroup"
+    exit 1
+fi
 chown "$myuser:$mygroup" "$errlogfile"
 chmod 0640 "$errlogfile"
 [ -x /sbin/restorecon ] && /sbin/restorecon "$errlogfile"
diff --git a/mariadb-scripts-common b/mariadb-scripts-common
index e1f7b21..02b53a7 100755
--- a/mariadb-scripts-common
+++ b/mariadb-scripts-common
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ datadir="$result"
 
 # if there is log_error in the my.cnf, my_print_defaults still
 # returns log-error
-get_mysql_option mysqld_safe log-error "`hostname`.err"
+# log-error might be defined in mysqld_safe and mysqld sections,
+# the former has bigger priority
+get_mysql_option "mysqld_safe mysqld" log-error "`hostname`.err"
 errlogfile="$result"
 
 get_mysql_option mysqld socket "/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock"
diff --git a/mariadb.spec b/mariadb.spec
index eb5be49..f38aa62 100644
--- a/mariadb.spec
+++ b/mariadb.spec
@@ -840,6 +840,7 @@ fi
 - Multilib support re-worked
 - Introduce new option with_mysqld_unit
 - Removed obsolete mysql-cluster, the package should already be removed
+- Improve error message when log file is not writable
 
 * Wed Jun 18 2014 Mikko Tiihonen <mikko.tiihonen@iki.fi> - 1:10.0.12-2
 - Use -fno-delete-null-pointer-checks to avoid segfaults with gcc 4.9