diff --git a/node_modules/balena-preload/src/preload.py b/node_modules/balena-preload/src/preload.py
index 887eaf3..0c5cc7f 100755
--- a/node_modules/balena-preload/src/preload.py
+++ b/node_modules/balena-preload/src/preload.py
@@ -489,8 +489,13 @@ def start_docker_daemon(storage_driver, docker_dir):
         if running_dockerd.process.exit_code is not None:
             # There is no reason for dockerd to exit with a 0 status now.
             assert running_dockerd.process.exit_code != 0
-            # This will raise an sh.ErrorReturnCode_X exception.
-            running_dockerd.wait()
+            try:
+                # This will raise an sh.ErrorReturnCode_X exception.
+                running_dockerd.wait()
+            except:
+                print("An error has occurred executing 'dockerd':\n{}".format(
+                    running_dockerd.stderr.decode("utf8")), file=sys.stderr, flush=True)
+                raise
         # Check that we can connect to dockerd.
         output = docker("version", _ok_code=[0, 1])
         ok = output.exit_code == 0