diff --git a/procmon/main.cpp b/procmon/main.cpp
index 90ec33238..fce730c35 100644
--- a/procmon/main.cpp
+++ b/procmon/main.cpp
@@ -96,7 +96,8 @@ bool getshm(const string &name, int size, bi::shared_memory_object &target) {
         }
         else {
             ostringstream os;
-            os << "ProcMon failed to create the 'proc stat' shared mem segment, got " << biex.what();
+            os << "ProcMon failed to create the '" << name << "' shared mem segment, got " << biex.what() << ".";
+            os << "  Check the permissions on /dev/shm; should be 1777";
             log.writeLog(__LINE__, os.str(), LOG_TYPE_CRITICAL);
             exit(1);
         }
diff --git a/utils/rwlock/rwlock.cpp b/utils/rwlock/rwlock.cpp
index abe298849..d042b905e 100644
--- a/utils/rwlock/rwlock.cpp
+++ b/utils/rwlock/rwlock.cpp
@@ -166,13 +166,25 @@ RWLockShmImpl::RWLockShmImpl(int key, bool excl)
         new (&fState->sems[RWLock::READERS]) bi::interprocess_semaphore(0);
         new (&fState->sems[RWLock::WRITERS]) bi::interprocess_semaphore(0);
     }
-    catch (bi::interprocess_exception&)
+    catch (bi::interprocess_exception &e)
     {
-        if (excl)
+        if (e.get_error_code() == bi::security_error) {
+            cerr << "RWLock:  Failed to create the lock.  Check perms on /dev/shm; should be 1777" << endl;
+            throw;
+        }
+        if (e.get_error_code() == bi::already_exists_error && excl)
             throw not_excl();
+        if (e.get_error_code() != bi::already_exists_error)
+            throw;
 
-        bi::shared_memory_object shm(bi::open_only, keyName.c_str(), bi::read_write);
-        fStateShm.swap(shm);
+        try {
+            bi::shared_memory_object shm(bi::open_only, keyName.c_str(), bi::read_write);
+            fStateShm.swap(shm);
+        }
+        catch (exception &e) {
+            cerr << "RWLock failed to attach to the " << keyName << " shared mem segment, got " << e.what() << endl;
+            throw;
+        }
         bi::mapped_region region(fStateShm, bi::read_write);
         fRegion.swap(region);
         fState = static_cast<State*>(fRegion.get_address());