diff --git a/lib/bdev/pmem/bdev_pmem.c b/lib/bdev/pmem/bdev_pmem.c
index 9238e0858..f8fa7e781 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/pmem/bdev_pmem.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/pmem/bdev_pmem.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "spdk/rpc.h"
 #include "spdk/bdev_module.h"
 #include "spdk_internal/log.h"
+#include "spdk/config.h"
 
 #include "bdev_pmem.h"
 #include "libpmemblk.h"
@@ -442,6 +443,9 @@ bdev_pmem_initialize(void)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+#ifdef SPDK_CONFIG_DEBUG
+	setenv("PMEMBLK_LOG_LEVEL", "1", 1);
+#endif
 	spdk_io_device_register(&g_pmem_disks, bdev_pmem_create_cb, bdev_pmem_destroy_cb, 0, "pmem_bdev");
 
 	bdev_pmem_read_conf();
diff --git a/lib/bdev/pmem/bdev_pmem_rpc.c b/lib/bdev/pmem/bdev_pmem_rpc.c
index 3156cffbe..698661c59 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/pmem/bdev_pmem_rpc.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/pmem/bdev_pmem_rpc.c
@@ -205,6 +205,9 @@ spdk_rpc_create_pmem_pool(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 
 	pbp = pmemblk_create(req.pmem_file, req.block_size, pool_size, 0666);
 	if (pbp == NULL) {
+		const char *msg = pmemblk_errormsg();
+
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("pmemblk_create() failed: %s\n", msg ? msg : "(logs disabled)");
 		goto invalid;
 	}
 
@@ -317,6 +320,7 @@ spdk_rpc_delete_pmem_pool(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 {
 	struct rpc_delete_pmem_pool req = {};
 	struct spdk_json_write_ctx *w;
+	int rc;
 
 	if (spdk_json_decode_object(params, rpc_delete_pmem_pool_decoders,
 				    SPDK_COUNTOF(rpc_delete_pmem_pool_decoders),
@@ -326,7 +330,11 @@ spdk_rpc_delete_pmem_pool(struct spdk_jsonrpc_request *request,
 	}
 
 	/* Check if file is actually pmem pool */
-	if (pmemblk_check(req.pmem_file, 0) != 1) {
+	rc = pmemblk_check(req.pmem_file, 0);
+	if (rc != 1) {
+		const char *msg = pmemblk_errormsg();
+
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("pmemblk_check() failed (%d): %s\n", rc, msg ? msg : "(logs disabled)");
 		goto invalid;
 	}