diff --git a/drivers/scsi/hosts.c b/drivers/scsi/hosts.c
index 6660fa92ffa1..a2b1414da288 100644
--- a/drivers/scsi/hosts.c
+++ b/drivers/scsi/hosts.c
@@ -325,7 +325,6 @@ struct Scsi_Host *scsi_host_alloc(struct scsi_host_template *sht, int privsize)
 {
 	struct Scsi_Host *shost;
 	gfp_t gfp_mask = GFP_KERNEL;
-	int rval;
 
 	if (sht->unchecked_isa_dma && privsize)
 		gfp_mask |= __GFP_DMA;
@@ -420,7 +419,8 @@ struct Scsi_Host *scsi_host_alloc(struct scsi_host_template *sht, int privsize)
 	shost->ehandler = kthread_run(scsi_error_handler, shost,
 			"scsi_eh_%d", shost->host_no);
 	if (IS_ERR(shost->ehandler)) {
-		rval = PTR_ERR(shost->ehandler);
+		printk(KERN_WARNING "scsi%d: error handler thread failed to spawn, error = %ld\n",
+			shost->host_no, PTR_ERR(shost->ehandler));
 		goto fail_kfree;
 	}