diff --git a/tar.c b/tar.c
index 71719b0..4a81f8f 100644
--- a/tar.c
+++ b/tar.c
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ enum Type {
 	RESERVED  = '7'
 };
 
+enum Error {
+	BADCHKSUM,
+	BADMAGIC,
+	BADPATH
+};
+
 struct header {
 	char name[100];
 	char mode[8];
@@ -71,6 +77,12 @@ static const char *filtertools[] = {
 	['z'] = "gzip",
 };
 
+static const char *errors[] = {
+	[BADCHKSUM] = "bad checksum",
+	[BADMAGIC]  = "bad magic",
+	[BADPATH]   = "empty filename"
+};
+
 static void
 pushdirtime(char *name, time_t mtime)
 {
@@ -407,27 +419,36 @@ chktar(struct header *h)
 	char tmp[8], *err;
 	char *p = (char *)h;
 	long s1, s2, i;
+	int errnum;
 
-	if (h->prefix[0] == '\0' && h->name[0] == '\0')
+	if (h->prefix[0] == '\0' && h->name[0] == '\0') {
+		errnum = BADPATH;
 		goto bad;
-	if (h->magic[0] && strncmp("ustar", h->magic, 5))
+	}
+	if (h->magic[0] && strncmp("ustar", h->magic, 5)) {
+		errnum = BADMAGIC;
 		goto bad;
+	}
 	memcpy(tmp, h->chksum, sizeof(tmp));
 	for (i = 0; i < sizeof(tmp); i++)
 		if (tmp[i] == ' ')
 			tmp[i] = '\0';
 	s1 = strtol(tmp, &err, 8);
-	if (s1 < 0 || *err != '\0')
+	if (s1 < 0 || *err != '\0') {
+		errnum = BADCHKSUM;
 		goto bad;
+	}
 	memset(h->chksum, ' ', sizeof(h->chksum));
 	for (i = 0, s2 = 0; i < sizeof(*h); i++)
 		s2 += (unsigned char)p[i];
-	if (s1 != s2)
+	if (s1 != s2) {
+		errnum = BADCHKSUM;
 		goto bad;
+	}
 	memcpy(h->chksum, tmp, sizeof(h->chksum));
 	return;
 bad:
-	eprintf("malformed tar archive\n");
+	eprintf("malformed tar archive: %s\n", errors[errnum]);
 }
 
 static void