diff --git a/src/aiori-POSIX.c b/src/aiori-POSIX.c
index 3cd9e31..68bcd15 100644
--- a/src/aiori-POSIX.c
+++ b/src/aiori-POSIX.c
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ static IOR_offset_t POSIX_Xfer(int access, void *file, IOR_size_t * buffer,
 static void POSIX_Fsync(void *fd, IOR_param_t * param)
 {
         if (fsync(*(int *)fd) != 0)
-                WARN("fsync() failed");
+                EWARN("fsync() failed");
 }
 
 /*
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ static void POSIX_Delete(char *testFileName, IOR_param_t * param)
         sprintf(errmsg, "[RANK %03d]: unlink() of file \"%s\" failed\n",
                 rank, testFileName);
         if (unlink(testFileName) != 0)
-                WARN(errmsg);
+                EWARN(errmsg);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/ior.c b/src/ior.c
index dd2c9b4..68f99ea 100644
--- a/src/ior.c
+++ b/src/ior.c
@@ -872,7 +872,7 @@ void GetPlatformName(char *platformName)
         struct utsname name;
 
         if (uname(&name) != 0) {
-                WARN("cannot get platform name");
+                EWARN("cannot get platform name");
                 sprintf(sysName, "%s", "Unknown");
                 sprintf(nodeName, "%s", "Unknown");
         } else {
@@ -1423,7 +1423,7 @@ static void PrintHeader(int argc, char **argv)
         }
         fprintf(stdout, "\n");
         if (uname(&unamebuf) != 0) {
-                WARN("uname failed");
+                EWARN("uname failed");
                 fprintf(stdout, "Machine: Unknown");
         } else {
                 fprintf(stdout, "Machine: %s %s", unamebuf.sysname,
diff --git a/src/iordef.h b/src/iordef.h
index 6203bf6..a7b307d 100644
--- a/src/iordef.h
+++ b/src/iordef.h
@@ -136,12 +136,6 @@ typedef long long int      IOR_size_t;
 } while (0)
 
 
-/******************************************************************************/
-/*
- * WARN will display a custom error message as well as an error string from
- * sys_errlist, but will not exit the program
- */
-
 #define WARN(MSG) do {                                                   \
         if (verbose > VERBOSE_2) {                                       \
             fprintf(stdout, "ior WARNING: %s, (%s:%d).\n",               \
@@ -152,13 +146,20 @@ typedef long long int      IOR_size_t;
         fflush(stdout);                                                  \
 } while (0)
 
+/* warning with errno printed */
+#define EWARN(MSG) do {                                                  \
+        if (verbose > VERBOSE_2) {                                       \
+            fprintf(stdout, "ior WARNING: %s, errno %d, %s (%s:%d).\n",  \
+                    MSG, errno, strerror(errno), __FILE__, __LINE__);    \
+        } else {                                                         \
+            fprintf(stdout, "ior WARNING: %s, errno %d, %s \n",          \
+                    MSG, errno, strerror(errno));                        \
+        }                                                                \
+        fflush(stdout);                                                  \
+} while (0)
 
-/******************************************************************************/
-/*
- * ERR will display a custom error message as well as an error string from
- * sys_errlist and then exit the program
- */
 
+/* display error message and terminate execution */
 #define ERR(MSG) do {                                                    \
         fprintf(stdout, "ior ERROR: %s, errno %d, %s (%s:%d)\n",         \
                 MSG, errno, strerror(errno), __FILE__, __LINE__);        \