diff --git a/usr.sbin/mountd/mountd.c b/usr.sbin/mountd/mountd.c
--- a/usr.sbin/mountd/mountd.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/mountd/mountd.c
@@ -210,7 +210,9 @@
 		    struct grouplist *, int, struct exportlist *,
 		    struct expcred *, uint64_t);
 static void	add_mlist(char *, char *);
-static int	check_dirpath(char *);
+static int	check_path_component(const char *, char **);
+static int	check_dirpath(char *, char **);
+static int	check_statfs(const char *, struct statfs *, char **);
 static int	check_options(struct dirlist *);
 static int	checkmask(struct sockaddr *sa);
 static int	chk_host(struct dirlist *, struct sockaddr *, int *, int *,
@@ -1557,6 +1559,7 @@
 	struct statfs fsb;
 	struct expcred anon;
 	char *cp, *endcp, *dirp, *hst, *usr, *dom, savedc;
+	char *err_msg = NULL;
 	int len, has_host, got_nondir, dirplen, netgrp;
 	uint64_t exflags;
 
@@ -1635,8 +1638,8 @@
 					goto nextline;
 				    }
 			    }
-			    if (check_dirpath(cp) &&
-				statfs(cp, &fsb) >= 0) {
+			    if (check_dirpath(cp, &err_msg) &&
+				check_statfs(cp, &fsb, &err_msg)) {
 				if ((fsb.f_flags & MNT_AUTOMOUNTED) != 0)
 				    syslog(LOG_ERR, "Warning: exporting of "
 					"automounted fs %s not supported", cp);
@@ -1701,8 +1704,15 @@
 				    dirplen = len;
 				}
 			    } else {
-				getexp_err(ep, tgrp,
-				    "symbolic link in export path or statfs failed");
+				if (err_msg != NULL) {
+					getexp_err(ep, tgrp, err_msg);
+					free(err_msg);
+					err_msg = NULL;
+				} else {
+					getexp_err(ep, tgrp,
+					    "symbolic link in export path or "
+					    "statfs failed");
+				}
 				goto nextline;
 			    }
 			    *endcp = savedc;
@@ -3786,29 +3796,76 @@
 	return (0);
 }
 
+static int
+check_path_component(const char *path, char **err)
+{
+	struct stat sb;
+
+	if (lstat(path, &sb)) {
+		asprintf(err, "%s: lstat() failed: %s.\n",
+		    path, strerror(errno));
+		return (0);
+	}
+
+	switch (sb.st_mode & S_IFMT) {
+	case S_IFDIR:
+		return (1);
+	case S_IFLNK:
+		asprintf(err, "%s: path is a symbolic link.\n", path);
+		break;
+	case S_IFREG:
+		asprintf(err, "%s: path is a file rather than a directory.\n",
+		    path);
+		break;
+	default:
+		asprintf(err, "%s: path is not a directory.\n", path);
+	}
+
+	return (0);
+}
+
 /*
- * Check an absolute directory path for any symbolic links. Return true
+ * Check each path component for the presence of symbolic links. Return true
  */
 static int
-check_dirpath(char *dirp)
+check_dirpath(char *dirp, char **err)
 {
 	char *cp;
-	int ret = 1;
-	struct stat sb;
 
 	cp = dirp + 1;
-	while (*cp && ret) {
+	while (*cp) {
 		if (*cp == '/') {
 			*cp = '\0';
-			if (lstat(dirp, &sb) < 0 || !S_ISDIR(sb.st_mode))
-				ret = 0;
+
+			if (!check_path_component(dirp, err)) {
+				*cp = '/';
+				return (0);
+			}
+
 			*cp = '/';
 		}
 		cp++;
 	}
-	if (lstat(dirp, &sb) < 0 || !S_ISDIR(sb.st_mode))
-		ret = 0;
-	return (ret);
+
+	if (!check_path_component(dirp, err))
+		return (0);
+
+	return (1);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Populate statfs information. Return true on success.
+ */
+static int
+check_statfs(const char *dirp, struct statfs *fsb, char **err)
+{
+	if (statfs(dirp, fsb)) {
+		asprintf(err, "%s: statfs() failed: %s\n", dirp,
+		    strerror(errno));
+		return (0);
+	}
+
+	return (1);
 }
 
 /*