diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 2813f00275..2ad6d0d1f4 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+2007-09-23  Tim-Philipp Müller  <tim at centricular dot net>
+
+	* plugins/elements/gstfakesink.c:
+	  Add some debug text to error message to indicate that
+	  we errored out on request.
+
+	* tools/gst-launch.c:
+	  When the state change to PLAYING fails, check for an
+	  error message on the bus and print it.
+
 2007-09-22  Thomas Vander Stichele  <thomas at apestaart dot org>
 
 	translated by: Jorge González González <aloriel@gmail.com>
diff --git a/plugins/elements/gstfakesink.c b/plugins/elements/gstfakesink.c
index 2141ac40b1..aef4debf93 100644
--- a/plugins/elements/gstfakesink.c
+++ b/plugins/elements/gstfakesink.c
@@ -490,6 +490,7 @@ gst_fake_sink_change_state (GstElement * element, GstStateChange transition)
 
   /* ERROR */
 error:
-  GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (element, CORE, STATE_CHANGE, (NULL), (NULL));
+  GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (element, CORE, STATE_CHANGE, (NULL),
+      ("Erroring out on state change as requested"));
   return GST_STATE_CHANGE_FAILURE;
 }
diff --git a/tools/gst-launch.c b/tools/gst-launch.c
index c73f764e4b..56c9b1350e 100644
--- a/tools/gst-launch.c
+++ b/tools/gst-launch.c
@@ -731,7 +731,22 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
       fprintf (stderr, _("Setting pipeline to PLAYING ...\n"));
       if (gst_element_set_state (pipeline,
               GST_STATE_PLAYING) == GST_STATE_CHANGE_FAILURE) {
+        GstMessage *err_msg;
+        GstBus *bus;
+
         fprintf (stderr, _("ERROR: pipeline doesn't want to play.\n"));
+        bus = gst_element_get_bus (pipeline);
+        if ((err_msg = gst_bus_poll (bus, GST_MESSAGE_ERROR, 0))) {
+          GError *gerror;
+          gchar *debug;
+
+          gst_message_parse_error (err_msg, &gerror, &debug);
+          gst_object_default_error (GST_MESSAGE_SRC (err_msg), gerror, debug);
+          gst_message_unref (err_msg);
+          g_error_free (gerror);
+          g_free (debug);
+        }
+        gst_object_unref (bus);
         res = -1;
         goto end;
       }