diff --git a/internal/util.go b/internal/util.go
index bfc5c6f..7d47498 100644
--- a/internal/util.go
+++ b/internal/util.go
@@ -6,12 +6,37 @@ import (
 	"crypto/x509"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
+	"os/exec"
 	"regexp"
 	"time"
 )
 
+var rsyncExitValues = map[int]string{
+	0:  "Success",
+	1:  "Syntax or usage error",
+	2:  "Protocol incompatibility",
+	3:  "Errors selecting input/output files, dirs",
+	4:  "Requested action not supported: an attempt was made to manipulate 64-bit files on a platform that cannot support them; or an option was specified that is supported by the client and not by the server.",
+	5:  "Error starting client-server protocol",
+	6:  "Daemon unable to append to log-file",
+	10: "Error in socket I/O",
+	11: "Error in file I/O",
+	12: "Error in rsync protocol data stream",
+	13: "Errors with program diagnostics",
+	14: "Error in IPC code",
+	20: "Received SIGUSR1 or SIGINT",
+	21: "Some error returned by waitpid()",
+	22: "Error allocating core memory buffers",
+	23: "Partial transfer due to error",
+	24: "Partial transfer due to vanished source files",
+	25: "The --max-delete limit stopped deletions",
+	30: "Timeout in data send/receive",
+	35: "Timeout waiting for daemon connection",
+}
+
 // GetTLSConfig generate tls.Config from CAFile
 func GetTLSConfig(CAFile string) (*tls.Config, error) {
 	caCert, err := ioutil.ReadFile(CAFile)
@@ -115,3 +140,16 @@ func ExtractSizeFromRsyncLog(logFile string) string {
 	re := regexp.MustCompile(`(?m)^Total file size: ([0-9\.]+[KMGTP]?) bytes`)
 	return ExtractSizeFromLog(logFile, re)
 }
+
+// TranslateRsyncErrorCode translates the exit code of rsync to a message
+func TranslateRsyncErrorCode(cmdErr error) (exitCode int, msg string) {
+
+	if exiterr, ok := cmdErr.(*exec.ExitError); ok {
+		exitCode = exiterr.ExitCode()
+		strerr, valid := rsyncExitValues[exitCode]
+		if valid {
+			msg = fmt.Sprintf("rsync error: %s", strerr)
+		}
+	}
+	return
+}
diff --git a/worker/provider_test.go b/worker/provider_test.go
index ea6a84f..62f9a24 100644
--- a/worker/provider_test.go
+++ b/worker/provider_test.go
@@ -106,6 +106,34 @@ exit 0
 		})
 
 	})
+	Convey("If the rsync program fails", t, func() {
+		tmpDir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "tunasync")
+		defer os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
+		So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+		tmpFile := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "log_file")
+
+		Convey("in the rsyncProvider", func() {
+
+			c := rsyncConfig{
+				name:         "tuna",
+				upstreamURL:  "rsync://rsync.tuna.moe/tuna/",
+				workingDir:   tmpDir,
+				logDir:       tmpDir,
+				logFile:      tmpFile,
+				extraOptions: []string{"--somethine-invalid"},
+				interval:     600 * time.Second,
+			}
+
+			provider, err := newRsyncProvider(c)
+			So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+
+			err = provider.Run()
+			So(err, ShouldNotBeNil)
+			loggedContent, err := ioutil.ReadFile(provider.LogFile())
+			So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+			So(string(loggedContent), ShouldContainSubstring, "Syntax or usage error")
+		})
+	})
 }
 
 func TestRsyncProviderWithAuthentication(t *testing.T) {
@@ -556,4 +584,34 @@ exit 0
 			// fmt.Println(string(loggedContent))
 		})
 	})
+
+	Convey("If the rsync program fails", t, func(ctx C) {
+		tmpDir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "tunasync")
+		defer os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
+		So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+		tmpFile := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "log_file")
+
+		Convey("in the twoStageRsyncProvider", func() {
+
+			c := twoStageRsyncConfig{
+				name:          "tuna-two-stage-rsync",
+				upstreamURL:   "rsync://0.0.0.1/",
+				stage1Profile: "debian",
+				workingDir:    tmpDir,
+				logDir:        tmpDir,
+				logFile:       tmpFile,
+				excludeFile:   tmpFile,
+			}
+
+			provider, err := newTwoStageRsyncProvider(c)
+			So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+
+			err = provider.Run()
+			So(err, ShouldNotBeNil)
+			loggedContent, err := ioutil.ReadFile(provider.LogFile())
+			So(err, ShouldBeNil)
+			So(string(loggedContent), ShouldContainSubstring, "Error in socket I/O")
+
+		})
+	})
 }
diff --git a/worker/rsync_provider.go b/worker/rsync_provider.go
index a1a5a4e..5ce1abb 100644
--- a/worker/rsync_provider.go
+++ b/worker/rsync_provider.go
@@ -110,6 +110,13 @@ func (p *rsyncProvider) Run() error {
 		return err
 	}
 	if err := p.Wait(); err != nil {
+		code, msg := internal.TranslateRsyncErrorCode(err)
+		if code != 0 {
+			logger.Debug("Rsync exitcode %d (%s)", code, msg)
+			if p.logFileFd != nil {
+				p.logFileFd.WriteString(msg + "\n")
+			}
+		}
 		return err
 	}
 	p.dataSize = internal.ExtractSizeFromRsyncLog(p.LogFile())
diff --git a/worker/two_stage_rsync_provider.go b/worker/two_stage_rsync_provider.go
index e95da23..572d275 100644
--- a/worker/two_stage_rsync_provider.go
+++ b/worker/two_stage_rsync_provider.go
@@ -168,6 +168,13 @@ func (p *twoStageRsyncProvider) Run() error {
 		err = p.Wait()
 		p.Lock()
 		if err != nil {
+			code, msg := internal.TranslateRsyncErrorCode(err)
+			if code != 0 {
+				logger.Debug("Rsync exitcode %d (%s)", code, msg)
+				if p.logFileFd != nil {
+					p.logFileFd.WriteString(msg + "\n")
+				}
+			}
 			return err
 		}
 	}