diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_linker.c b/sys/kern/kern_linker.c
--- a/sys/kern/kern_linker.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_linker.c
@@ -483,7 +483,11 @@
 		 */
 		if (error != ENOENT) {
 			foundfile = 1;
-			if (error == EEXIST)
+			/*
+			 * The format is now recognized, abort trying another
+			 * linker.
+			 */
+			if (error == EEXIST || error == EUNSDEP)
 				break;
 		}
 		if (lf) {
@@ -541,7 +545,7 @@
 		 * can recognize this special case and not post bogus
 		 * dialog boxes.
 		 */
-		if (error != EEXIST)
+		if (error != EEXIST && error != EUNSDEP)
 			error = ENOEXEC;
 	} else
 		error = ENOENT;		/* Nothing found */
@@ -1244,6 +1248,8 @@
 		error = kern_kldload(td, pathname, &fileid);
 		if (error == 0)
 			td->td_retval[0] = fileid;
+		else if (error == EUNSDEP)
+			error = ENOEXEC;
 	}
 	free(pathname, M_TEMP);
 	return (error);
@@ -2355,8 +2361,33 @@
 		}
 		error = linker_load_module(NULL, modname, lf, verinfo, NULL);
 		if (error) {
-			printf("KLD %s: depends on %s - not available or"
-			    " version mismatch\n", lf->filename, modname);
+			switch (error) {
+			case ENOENT:
+				printf("KLD %s: depends on %s - not available\n",
+				    lf->filename, modname);
+				break;
+			case EEXIST:
+				printf("KLD %s: depends on %s - version mismatch\n",
+				    lf->filename, modname);
+				break;
+			case ENOEXEC:
+				printf("KLD %s: depends on %s - file format unrecognized\n",
+				    lf->filename, modname);
+				break;
+			case ENOMEM:
+				printf("KLD %s: depends on %s - no memory\n",
+				    lf->filename, modname);
+				break;
+			case EUNSDEP:
+				printf("KLD %s: depends on %s - transitive dependency error\n",
+				    lf->filename, modname);
+				break;
+			default:
+				printf("KLD %s: depends on %s - can not load, error %d\n",
+				    lf->filename, modname, error);
+			}
+
+			error = EUNSDEP;
 			break;
 		}
 	}
@@ -2364,7 +2395,7 @@
 	if (error)
 		return (error);
 	linker_addmodules(lf, start, stop, 0);
-	return (error);
+	return (0);
 }
 
 static int