diff --git a/ares/m4/cares-compilers.m4 b/ares/m4/cares-compilers.m4
index 5b5f43d8de69773799e6fe441cbd36fa41627f04..ac4fc07e9ff958db31b94c70a78e5393918016d3 100644
--- a/ares/m4/cares-compilers.m4
+++ b/ares/m4/cares-compilers.m4
@@ -328,6 +328,9 @@ AC_DEFUN([CARES_COMPILER_WORKS_IFELSE], [
     tmp_compiler_works="yes"
   ],[
     tmp_compiler_works="no"
+    echo " " >&6
+    sed 's/^/cc-fail> /' conftest.err >&6
+    echo " " >&6
   ])
   dnl linking capability verification
   if test "$tmp_compiler_works" = "yes"; then
@@ -341,6 +344,9 @@ AC_DEFUN([CARES_COMPILER_WORKS_IFELSE], [
       tmp_compiler_works="yes"
     ],[
       tmp_compiler_works="no"
+      echo " " >&6
+      sed 's/^/ln-fail> /' conftest.err >&6
+      echo " " >&6
     ])
   fi
   dnl only do runtime verification when not cross-compiling
@@ -359,6 +365,9 @@ AC_DEFUN([CARES_COMPILER_WORKS_IFELSE], [
       tmp_compiler_works="yes"
     ],[
       tmp_compiler_works="no"
+      echo " " >&6
+      echo "rn-fail test program exited with status $ac_status" >&6
+      echo " " >&6
     ])
   fi
   dnl branch upon test result
diff --git a/m4/curl-compilers.m4 b/m4/curl-compilers.m4
index 71e6ea495aeea820731af7d1eddbbc8ff0c2aae6..60e0c98f7db3f824c4dc8010d39e3a45a25e9b5b 100644
--- a/m4/curl-compilers.m4
+++ b/m4/curl-compilers.m4
@@ -334,6 +334,9 @@ AC_DEFUN([CURL_COMPILER_WORKS_IFELSE], [
     tmp_compiler_works="yes"
   ],[
     tmp_compiler_works="no"
+    echo " " >&6
+    sed 's/^/cc-fail> /' conftest.err >&6
+    echo " " >&6
   ])
   dnl linking capability verification
   if test "$tmp_compiler_works" = "yes"; then
@@ -347,6 +350,9 @@ AC_DEFUN([CURL_COMPILER_WORKS_IFELSE], [
       tmp_compiler_works="yes"
     ],[
       tmp_compiler_works="no"
+      echo " " >&6
+      sed 's/^/ln-fail> /' conftest.err >&6
+      echo " " >&6
     ])
   fi
   dnl only do runtime verification when not cross-compiling
@@ -365,6 +371,9 @@ AC_DEFUN([CURL_COMPILER_WORKS_IFELSE], [
       tmp_compiler_works="yes"
     ],[
       tmp_compiler_works="no"
+      echo " " >&6
+      echo "rn-fail test program exited with status $ac_status" >&6
+      echo " " >&6
     ])
   fi
   dnl branch upon test result