diff --git a/awesome-client.c b/awesome-client.c
index a09ef00e..fa1a7f88 100644
--- a/awesome-client.c
+++ b/awesome-client.c
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@ send_msg(char *msg, ssize_t msg_len)
         switch (errno)
         {
           case ENOENT:
-              warn("Can't write to %s\n", addr->sun_path);
+              warn("can't write to %s\n", addr->sun_path);
               break;
           default:
-              perror("error sending datagram");
+              warn("error sending datagram: %s\n", strerror(errno));
          }
          ret_value = errno;
     }
diff --git a/awesome-menu.c b/awesome-menu.c
index f4254101..09ffe7a7 100644
--- a/awesome-menu.c
+++ b/awesome-menu.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 
 #include <X11/Xutil.h>
 
@@ -138,10 +139,10 @@ config_parse(int screen, const char *confpatharg,
     switch((ret = cfg_parse(cfg, confpath)))
     {
       case CFG_FILE_ERROR:
-        perror("awesome-message: parsing configuration file failed");
+        warn("parsing configuration file failed: %s\n", strerror(errno));
         break;
       case CFG_PARSE_ERROR:
-        cfg_error(cfg, "awesome: parsing configuration file %s failed.\n", confpath);
+        cfg_error(cfg, "W: awesome: parsing configuration file %s failed.\n", confpath);
         break;
     }
 
diff --git a/awesome-message.c b/awesome-message.c
index 99bc9437..106a2ea9 100644
--- a/awesome-message.c
+++ b/awesome-message.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 
 #include <X11/Xlib.h>
 
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ config_parse(int screen, const char *confpatharg)
     switch((ret = cfg_parse(cfg, confpath)))
     {
       case CFG_FILE_ERROR:
-        perror("awesome-message: parsing configuration file failed");
+        warn("parsing configuration file failed: %s\n", strerror(errno));
         break;
       case CFG_PARSE_ERROR:
         cfg_error(cfg, "awesome: parsing configuration file %s failed.\n", confpath);
diff --git a/awesome.c b/awesome.c
index cb6ea427..b53f6769 100644
--- a/awesome.c
+++ b/awesome.c
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
             switch (r = recv(csfd, buf, sizeof(buf)-1, MSG_TRUNC))
             {
               case -1:
-                perror("awesome: error reading UNIX domain socket");
+                warn("error reading UNIX domain socket: %s\n", strerror(errno));
                 csfd = -1;
                 break;
               case 0:
@@ -436,9 +436,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 
     if(csfd > 0 && close(csfd))
-        perror("error closing UNIX domain socket");
+        warn("error closing UNIX domain socket: %s\n", strerror(errno));
     if(unlink(addr->sun_path))
-        perror("error unlinking UNIX domain socket");
+        warn("error unlinking UNIX domain socket: %s\n", strerror(errno));
     p_delete(&addr);
 
     /* remap all clients since some WM won't handle them otherwise */
diff --git a/common/configopts.c b/common/configopts.c
index 9237bf18..33700f36 100644
--- a/common/configopts.c
+++ b/common/configopts.c
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ config_check(const char *confpatharg)
     switch((ret = cfg_parse(cfg, confpath)))
     {
       case CFG_FILE_ERROR:
-        perror("awesome: parsing configuration file failed");
+        warn("parsing configuration file failed: %s\n", strerror(errno));
         break;
       case CFG_PARSE_ERROR:
         cfg_error(cfg, "awesome: parsing configuration file %s failed.\n", confpath);
diff --git a/common/draw.c b/common/draw.c
index 5c58134c..10e5e52f 100644
--- a/common/draw.c
+++ b/common/draw.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ draw_iso2utf8(char *iso)
             warn("unable to convert text from %s to UTF-8, not available",
                  nl_langinfo(CODESET));
         else
-            perror("awesome: unable to convert text");
+            warn("unable to convert text: %s\n", strerror(errno));
 
         return NULL;
     }
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ draw_iso2utf8(char *iso)
 
     if(iconv(iso2utf8, &iso, &len, &utf8, &utf8len) == (size_t) -1)
     {
-        perror("awesome: text conversion failed");
+        warn("text conversion failed: %s\n", strerror(errno));
         p_delete(&utf8p);
         return NULL;
     }
diff --git a/common/socket.c b/common/socket.c
index c171f2f8..f3652bb4 100644
--- a/common/socket.c
+++ b/common/socket.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 #include <sys/un.h>
 
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ get_client_socket(void)
     csfd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
 
     if(csfd < 0)
-        perror("error opening UNIX domain socket");
+        warn("error opening UNIX domain socket: %s\n", strerror(errno));
 
     return csfd;
 }
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 61f51f18..3ea31f5a 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
  *
  */
 
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <X11/keysym.h>
 
 #include "config.h"
@@ -479,12 +480,12 @@ config_parse(const char *confpatharg)
     switch(ret)
     {
       case CFG_FILE_ERROR:
-        perror("awesome: parsing configuration file failed");
+        warn("parsing configuration file failed: %s\n", strerror(errno));
         if(!(defconfig = fopen(confpath, "w")))
-           perror("awesome: unable to create default configuration file");
+           warn("unable to create default configuration file: %s\n", strerror(errno));
         break;
       case CFG_PARSE_ERROR:
-        cfg_error(cfg, "awesome: parsing configuration file %s failed.\n", confpath);
+        cfg_error(cfg, "W: awesome: parsing configuration file %s failed.\n", confpath);
         break;
     }
 
diff --git a/uicb.c b/uicb.c
index 74b33f75..bc1d023b 100644
--- a/uicb.c
+++ b/uicb.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 
 #include "awesome.h"
 #include "tag.h"
@@ -117,8 +118,7 @@ uicb_spawn(int screen, char *arg)
                 close(ConnectionNumber(globalconf.display));
             setsid();
             execl(shell, shell, "-c", arg, NULL);
-            warn("execl '%s -c %s'", shell, arg);
-            perror(" failed");
+            warn("execl '%s -c %s' failed: %s\n", shell, arg, strerror(errno));
         }
         exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
     }