diff --git a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c
--- a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c
+++ b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c
@@ -2080,8 +2080,10 @@
 		/* Keep from trying again in case the hints file is bad. */
 		hints = "";
 
-		if ((fd = open(ld_elf_hints_path, O_RDONLY | O_CLOEXEC)) == -1)
+		if ((fd = open(ld_elf_hints_path, O_RDONLY | O_CLOEXEC)) == -1) {
+			dbg("failed to open hints file \"%s\"", ld_elf_hints_path);
 			return (NULL);
+		}
 
 		/*
 		 * Check of hdr.dirlistlen value against type limit
@@ -2089,29 +2091,57 @@
 		 * paranoia leads to checks that dirlist is fully
 		 * contained in the file range.
 		 */
-		if (read(fd, &hdr, sizeof hdr) != sizeof hdr ||
-		    hdr.magic != ELFHINTS_MAGIC ||
-		    hdr.version != 1 || hdr.dirlistlen > UINT_MAX / 2 ||
-		    fstat(fd, &hint_stat) == -1) {
+		if (read(fd, &hdr, sizeof hdr) != sizeof hdr) {
+			dbg("failed to read %lu bytes from hints file \"%s\"",
+			    (u_long)sizeof hdr,	ld_elf_hints_path);
 cleanup1:
 			close(fd);
-			hdr.dirlistlen = 0;
 			return (NULL);
 		}
+		if (hdr.magic != ELFHINTS_MAGIC) {
+			dbg("invalid magic number %08x (expected: %08x)",
+			    hdr.magic, ELFHINTS_MAGIC);
+			goto cleanup1;
+		}
+		if (hdr.version != 1) {
+			dbg("hints file version %d (expected: 1)", hdr.version);
+			goto cleanup1;
+		}
+		if (hdr.dirlistlen > UINT_MAX / 2) {
+			dbg("directory list to long: %d > %d",
+			    hdr.dirlistlen, UINT_MAX / 2);
+			goto cleanup1;
+		}
+		if (fstat(fd, &hint_stat) == -1) {
+			dbg("failed to find length of hints file \"%s\"",
+			    ld_elf_hints_path);
+			goto cleanup1;
+		}
 		dl = hdr.strtab;
-		if (dl + hdr.dirlist < dl)
+		if (dl + hdr.dirlist < dl) {
+			dbg("invalid string table position %d", dl);
+			goto cleanup1;
+		}
 			goto cleanup1;
 		dl += hdr.dirlist;
-		if (dl + hdr.dirlistlen < dl)
+		if (dl + hdr.dirlistlen < dl) {
+			dbg("invalid directory list offset %d", hdr.dirlist);
+			goto cleanup1;
+		}
 			goto cleanup1;
 		dl += hdr.dirlistlen;
-		if (dl > hint_stat.st_size)
+		if (dl > hint_stat.st_size) {
+			dbg("hints file \"%s\" is truncated (%d vs. %lld bytes)",
+			    ld_elf_hints_path, dl, (unsigned long long)hint_stat.st_size);
 			goto cleanup1;
+		}
 		p = xmalloc(hdr.dirlistlen + 1);
 		if (pread(fd, p, hdr.dirlistlen + 1,
 		    hdr.strtab + hdr.dirlist) != (ssize_t)hdr.dirlistlen + 1 ||
 		    p[hdr.dirlistlen] != '\0') {
 			free(p);
+			dbg("failed to read %d bytes starting at %d from hints file \"%s\"",
+			    hdr.dirlistlen + 1, hdr.strtab + hdr.dirlist, ld_elf_hints_path);
 			goto cleanup1;
 		}
 		hints = p;