diff --git a/hw/s390x/ipl.h b/hw/s390x/ipl.h
index 7fc86e7905..57cd125769 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/ipl.h
+++ b/hw/s390x/ipl.h
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ typedef union IplParameterBlock IplParameterBlock;
 
 int s390_ipl_set_loadparm(uint8_t *loadparm);
 void s390_ipl_update_diag308(IplParameterBlock *iplb);
-int s390_ipl_prepare_pv_header(void);
+int s390_ipl_prepare_pv_header(Error **errp);
 int s390_ipl_pv_unpack(void);
 void s390_ipl_prepare_cpu(S390CPU *cpu);
 IplParameterBlock *s390_ipl_get_iplb(void);
diff --git a/target/s390x/kvm/pv.h b/target/s390x/kvm/pv.h
index 7b935e2246..fca373a826 100644
--- a/target/s390x/kvm/pv.h
+++ b/target/s390x/kvm/pv.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ int s390_pv_query_info(void);
 int s390_pv_vm_enable(void);
 void s390_pv_vm_disable(void);
 bool s390_pv_vm_try_disable_async(S390CcwMachineState *ms);
-int s390_pv_set_sec_parms(uint64_t origin, uint64_t length);
+int s390_pv_set_sec_parms(uint64_t origin, uint64_t length, Error **errp);
 int s390_pv_unpack(uint64_t addr, uint64_t size, uint64_t tweak);
 void s390_pv_prep_reset(void);
 int s390_pv_verify(void);
diff --git a/hw/s390x/ipl.c b/hw/s390x/ipl.c
index 76110e8f58..e934bf89d1 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/ipl.c
+++ b/hw/s390x/ipl.c
@@ -702,7 +702,7 @@ static void s390_ipl_prepare_qipl(S390CPU *cpu)
     cpu_physical_memory_unmap(addr, len, 1, len);
 }
 
-int s390_ipl_prepare_pv_header(void)
+int s390_ipl_prepare_pv_header(Error **errp)
 {
     IplParameterBlock *ipib = s390_ipl_get_iplb_pv();
     IPLBlockPV *ipib_pv = &ipib->pv;
@@ -711,8 +711,7 @@ int s390_ipl_prepare_pv_header(void)
 
     cpu_physical_memory_read(ipib_pv->pv_header_addr, hdr,
                              ipib_pv->pv_header_len);
-    rc = s390_pv_set_sec_parms((uintptr_t)hdr,
-                               ipib_pv->pv_header_len);
+    rc = s390_pv_set_sec_parms((uintptr_t)hdr, ipib_pv->pv_header_len, errp);
     g_free(hdr);
     return rc;
 }
diff --git a/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-ccw.c b/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-ccw.c
index 1169e20b94..eaf61d3640 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-ccw.c
+++ b/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-ccw.c
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ static int s390_machine_protect(S390CcwMachineState *ms)
     }
 
     /* Set SE header and unpack */
-    rc = s390_ipl_prepare_pv_header();
+    rc = s390_ipl_prepare_pv_header(&local_err);
     if (rc) {
         goto out_err;
     }
@@ -410,6 +410,9 @@ static int s390_machine_protect(S390CcwMachineState *ms)
     return rc;
 
 out_err:
+    if (local_err) {
+        error_report_err(local_err);
+    }
     s390_machine_unprotect(ms);
     return rc;
 }
diff --git a/target/s390x/kvm/pv.c b/target/s390x/kvm/pv.c
index 6a69be7e5c..7ca7faec73 100644
--- a/target/s390x/kvm/pv.c
+++ b/target/s390x/kvm/pv.c
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ static bool info_valid;
 static struct kvm_s390_pv_info_vm info_vm;
 static struct kvm_s390_pv_info_dump info_dump;
 
-static int __s390_pv_cmd(uint32_t cmd, const char *cmdname, void *data)
+static int __s390_pv_cmd(uint32_t cmd, const char *cmdname, void *data,
+                         int *pvrc)
 {
     struct kvm_pv_cmd pv_cmd = {
         .cmd = cmd,
@@ -46,6 +47,9 @@ static int __s390_pv_cmd(uint32_t cmd, const char *cmdname, void *data)
                      "IOCTL rc: %d", cmd, cmdname, pv_cmd.rc, pv_cmd.rrc,
                      rc);
     }
+    if (pvrc) {
+        *pvrc = pv_cmd.rc;
+    }
     return rc;
 }
 
@@ -53,12 +57,13 @@ static int __s390_pv_cmd(uint32_t cmd, const char *cmdname, void *data)
  * This macro lets us pass the command as a string to the function so
  * we can print it on an error.
  */
-#define s390_pv_cmd(cmd, data) __s390_pv_cmd(cmd, #cmd, data)
+#define s390_pv_cmd(cmd, data) __s390_pv_cmd(cmd, #cmd, data, NULL)
+#define s390_pv_cmd_pvrc(cmd, data, pvrc) __s390_pv_cmd(cmd, #cmd, data, pvrc)
 #define s390_pv_cmd_exit(cmd, data)    \
 {                                      \
     int rc;                            \
                                        \
-    rc = __s390_pv_cmd(cmd, #cmd, data);\
+    rc = __s390_pv_cmd(cmd, #cmd, data, NULL); \
     if (rc) {                          \
         exit(1);                       \
     }                                  \
@@ -142,14 +147,24 @@ bool s390_pv_vm_try_disable_async(S390CcwMachineState *ms)
     return true;
 }
 
-int s390_pv_set_sec_parms(uint64_t origin, uint64_t length)
+int s390_pv_set_sec_parms(uint64_t origin, uint64_t length, Error **errp)
 {
+    int ret, pvrc;
     struct kvm_s390_pv_sec_parm args = {
         .origin = origin,
         .length = length,
     };
 
-    return s390_pv_cmd(KVM_PV_SET_SEC_PARMS, &args);
+    ret = s390_pv_cmd_pvrc(KVM_PV_SET_SEC_PARMS, &args, &pvrc);
+    if (ret) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Failed to set secure execution parameters");
+        if (pvrc == 0x108) {
+            error_append_hint(errp, "Please check whether the image is "
+                                    "correctly encrypted for this host\n");
+        }
+    }
+
+    return ret;
 }
 
 /*
