diff --git a/docs/gst/tmpl/gstvalue.sgml b/docs/gst/tmpl/gstvalue.sgml
index 27ecf0c890..70e712e021 100644
--- a/docs/gst/tmpl/gstvalue.sgml
+++ b/docs/gst/tmpl/gstvalue.sgml
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@ GValue implementations specific to GStreamer
 <!-- ##### MACRO GST_MAKE_FOURCC ##### -->
 <para>
 will transform four characters into a host-endiannness guint32 fourcc:
-<code>guint32 fourcc = GST_MAKE_FOURCC ('M','J','P','G');</code>
+<informalexample>
+<programlisting>
+guint32 fourcc = GST_MAKE_FOURCC ('M','J','P','G');
+</programlisting>
+</informalexample>
 </para>
 
 @a: the first component
@@ -28,17 +32,27 @@ will transform four characters into a host-endiannness guint32 fourcc:
 
 <!-- ##### MACRO GST_STR_FOURCC ##### -->
 <para>
-
+Creates a fourcc from an input string. The input string should consisnt
+of at least four characters (this is not checked for!).
+<informalexample>
+<programlisting>
+guint32 fourcc = GST_STR_FOURCC("MJPG");
+</programlisting>
+</informalexample>
 </para>
 
-@f: 
+@f: a string with four characters
 
 
 <!-- ##### MACRO GST_FOURCC_FORMAT ##### -->
 <para>
 Can be used to properly output a fourcc (a guint32) value in a
 printf()-style text message.
-<code>printf ("fourcc: %" GST_FOURCC_FORMAT "\n", GST_FOURCC_ARGS (fcc));</code>
+<informalexample>
+<programlisting>
+printf ("fourcc: %" GST_FOURCC_FORMAT "\n", GST_FOURCC_ARGS (fcc));
+</programlisting>
+</informalexample>
 </para>
 
 
@@ -47,7 +61,11 @@ printf()-style text message.
 <para>
 Can be used to properly output a fourcc (a guint32) value in a
 printf()-style text message.
-<code>printf ("fourcc: %" GST_FOURCC_FORMAT "\n", GST_FOURCC_ARGS (fcc));</code>
+<informalexample>
+<programlisting>
+printf ("fourcc: %" GST_FOURCC_FORMAT "\n", GST_FOURCC_ARGS (fcc));
+</programlisting>
+</informalexample>
 </para>
 
 @fourcc: the fourcc value to print
@@ -55,84 +73,88 @@ printf()-style text message.
 
 <!-- ##### MACRO GST_VALUE_HOLDS_FOURCC ##### -->
 <para>
-
+Checks if the give GValue contains a FOURCC value.
 </para>
 
-@x: 
+@x: the #GValue to check
 
 
 <!-- ##### MACRO GST_VALUE_HOLDS_INT_RANGE ##### -->
 <para>
-
+Checks if the give GValue contains a INT_RANGE value.
 </para>
 
-@x: 
+@x: the #GValue to check
 
 
 <!-- ##### MACRO GST_VALUE_HOLDS_DOUBLE_RANGE ##### -->
 <para>
-
+Checks if the give GValue contains a DOUBLE_RANGE value.
 </para>
 
-@x: 
+@x: the #GValue to check
 
 
 <!-- ##### MACRO GST_VALUE_HOLDS_LIST ##### -->
 <para>
-
+Checks if the give GValue contains a LIST value.
 </para>
 
-@x: 
+@x: the #GValue to check
 
 
 <!-- ##### MACRO GST_VALUE_HOLDS_FIXED_LIST ##### -->
 <para>
-
+Checks if the give GValue contains a FIXED_LIST value.
 </para>
 
-@x: 
+@x: the #GValue to check
 
 
 <!-- ##### MACRO GST_VALUE_HOLDS_CAPS ##### -->
 <para>
-
+Checks if the give GValue contains a CAPS value.
 </para>
 
-@x: 
+@x: the #GValue to check
 
 
 <!-- ##### MACRO GST_VALUE_HOLDS_FRACTION ##### -->
 <para>
-
+Checks if the give GValue contains a FRACTION value.
 </para>
 
-@x: 
+@x: the #GValue to check
 
 
 <!-- ##### MACRO GST_VALUE_LESS_THAN ##### -->
 <para>
-
+Indicates that the first value provided to a comparison function
+(gst_value_compare()) is lesser than the second one.
 </para>
 
 
 
 <!-- ##### MACRO GST_VALUE_EQUAL ##### -->
 <para>
-
+Indicates that the first value provided to a comparison function
+(gst_value_compare()) is equal to the second one.
 </para>
 
 
 
 <!-- ##### MACRO GST_VALUE_GREATER_THAN ##### -->
 <para>
-
+Indicates that the first value provided to a comparison function
+(gst_value_compare()) is greater than the second one.
 </para>
 
 
 
 <!-- ##### MACRO GST_VALUE_UNORDERED ##### -->
 <para>
-
+Indicates that the comparison function (gst_value_compare()) can not
+determine a order for the two provided values.
 </para>
 
 
@@ -144,7 +166,8 @@ printf()-style text message.
 
 @value1: 
 @value2: 
-@Returns: 
+@Returns: one of GST_VALUE_LESS_THAN, GST_VALUE_EQUAL,
+GST_VALUE_GREATER_THAN or GST_VALUE_UNORDERED
 
 
 <!-- ##### USER_FUNCTION GstValueSerializeFunc ##### -->
diff --git a/gst/gst.c b/gst/gst.c
index d9961b3dee..4627f2286b 100644
--- a/gst/gst.c
+++ b/gst/gst.c
@@ -409,17 +409,24 @@ load_plugin_func (gpointer data, gpointer user_data)
 {
   GstPlugin *plugin;
   const gchar *filename;
+  GError *err = NULL;
 
   filename = (const gchar *) data;
 
-  plugin = gst_plugin_load_file (filename, NULL);
+  plugin = gst_plugin_load_file (filename, &err);
 
   if (plugin) {
     GST_INFO ("Loaded plugin: \"%s\"", filename);
 
     gst_registry_pool_add_plugin (plugin);
   } else {
-    GST_WARNING ("Failed to load plugin: \"%s\"", filename);
+    if (err) {
+      /* Report error to user, and free error */
+      GST_ERROR ("Failed to load plugin: %s\n", err->message);
+      g_error_free (err);
+    } else {
+      GST_WARNING ("Failed to load plugin: \"%s\"", filename);
+    }
   }
 
   g_free (data);
diff --git a/gst/gstplugin.c b/gst/gstplugin.c
index ba1862ade1..170e1bac5b 100644
--- a/gst/gstplugin.c
+++ b/gst/gstplugin.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #endif
 #include <signal.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 
 #include "gst_private.h"
 
@@ -324,7 +325,8 @@ gst_plugin_check_file (const gchar * filename, GError ** error)
   if (stat (filename, &file_status)) {
     g_set_error (error,
         GST_PLUGIN_ERROR,
-        GST_PLUGIN_ERROR_MODULE, "Problem opening file %s\n", filename);
+        GST_PLUGIN_ERROR_MODULE, "Problem accessing file %s: %s\n", filename,
+        strerror (errno));
     return FALSE;
   }
 
@@ -348,6 +350,7 @@ gst_plugin_check_file (const gchar * filename, GError ** error)
     return FALSE;
   }
   /* it's a plugin */
+  GST_INFO ("looks like a gst plugin \"%s\"", filename);
   g_module_close (module);
   return TRUE;
 }