diff --git a/include/ntfs-3g/volume.h b/include/ntfs-3g/volume.h
index c4fb9df5..c00e5d56 100644
--- a/include/ntfs-3g/volume.h
+++ b/include/ntfs-3g/volume.h
@@ -78,6 +78,21 @@ typedef enum {
 
 extern int ntfs_check_if_mounted(const char *file, unsigned long *mnt_flags);
 
+typedef enum {
+	NTFS_VOLUME_OK			= 0,
+	NTFS_VOLUME_SYNTAX_ERROR	= 11,
+	NTFS_VOLUME_NOT_NTFS		= 12,
+	NTFS_VOLUME_CORRUPT		= 13,
+	NTFS_VOLUME_HIBERNATED		= 14,
+	NTFS_VOLUME_UNCLEAN_UNMOUNT	= 15,
+	NTFS_VOLUME_LOCKED		= 16,
+	NTFS_VOLUME_RAID		= 17,
+	NTFS_VOLUME_UNKNOWN_REASON	= 18,
+	NTFS_VOLUME_NO_PRIVILEGE	= 19,
+	NTFS_VOLUME_OUT_OF_MEMORY	= 20,
+	NTFS_VOLUME_FUSE_ERROR		= 21
+} ntfs_volume_status;
+
 /**
  * enum ntfs_volume_state_bits -
  *
@@ -222,5 +237,7 @@ extern int ntfs_logfile_reset(ntfs_volume *vol);
 
 extern int ntfs_volume_write_flags(ntfs_volume *vol, const u16 flags);
 
+extern int ntfs_volume_error(int err);
+
 #endif /* defined _NTFS_VOLUME_H */
 
diff --git a/libntfs-3g/volume.c b/libntfs-3g/volume.c
index 699c2dd2..b90a48e6 100644
--- a/libntfs-3g/volume.c
+++ b/libntfs-3g/volume.c
@@ -1484,3 +1484,39 @@ err_out:
 	return ret;
 }
 
+int ntfs_volume_error(int err)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	switch (err) {
+		case 0:
+			ret = NTFS_VOLUME_OK;
+			break;
+		case EINVAL:
+			ret = NTFS_VOLUME_NOT_NTFS;
+			break;
+		case EIO:
+			ret = NTFS_VOLUME_CORRUPT;
+			break;
+		case EPERM:
+			ret = NTFS_VOLUME_HIBERNATED;
+			break;
+		case EOPNOTSUPP:
+			ret = NTFS_VOLUME_UNCLEAN_UNMOUNT;
+			break;
+		case EBUSY:
+			ret = NTFS_VOLUME_LOCKED;
+			break;
+		case ENXIO:
+			ret = NTFS_VOLUME_RAID;
+			break;
+		case EACCES:
+			ret = NTFS_VOLUME_NO_PRIVILEGE;
+			break;
+		default:
+			ret = NTFS_VOLUME_UNKNOWN_REASON;
+			break;
+	}
+	return ret;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/ntfs-3g.c b/src/ntfs-3g.c
index d75f3e33..a59b6612 100644
--- a/src/ntfs-3g.c
+++ b/src/ntfs-3g.c
@@ -1629,23 +1629,28 @@ static int ntfs_open(const char *device, char *mntpoint)
 	if (ctx->force)
 		flags |= MS_FORCE;
 
-	ctx->vol = utils_mount_volume(device, mntpoint, flags);
-	if (!ctx->vol)
-		return -1;
+	ctx->vol = ntfs_mount(device, flags);
+	if (!ctx->vol) {
+		ntfs_log_perror("Failed to mount '%s'", device);
+		goto err_out;
+	}
 	
 	ctx->vol->free_clusters = ntfs_attr_get_free_bits(ctx->vol->lcnbmp_na);
 	if (ctx->vol->free_clusters < 0) {
 		ntfs_log_perror("Failed to read NTFS $Bitmap");
-		return -1;
+		goto err_out;
 	}
 
 	ctx->vol->free_mft_records = ntfs_get_nr_free_mft_records(ctx->vol);
 	if (ctx->vol->free_mft_records < 0) {
 		ntfs_log_perror("Failed to calculate free MFT records");
-		return -1;
+		goto err_out;
 	}
+
+	errno = 0;
+err_out:
+	return ntfs_volume_error(errno);
 	
-	return 0;
 }
 
 static char *parse_mount_options(const char *orig_opts)
@@ -2227,28 +2232,31 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	fuse_fstype fstype = FSTYPE_UNKNOWN;
 	struct stat sbuf;
 	uid_t uid, euid;
-	int err = 10;
+	int err;
 
 	utils_set_locale();
 	ntfs_log_set_handler(ntfs_log_handler_stderr);
 
 	if (parse_options(argc, argv)) {
 		usage();
-		return 1;
+		return NTFS_VOLUME_SYNTAX_ERROR;
 	}
 
 	if (ntfs_fuse_init())
-		return 2;
+		return NTFS_VOLUME_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
 	
 	parsed_options = parse_mount_options(opts.options ? opts.options : "");
-	if (!parsed_options)
+	if (!parsed_options) {
+		err = NTFS_VOLUME_SYNTAX_ERROR;
 		goto err_out;
+	}
 
 	uid  = getuid();
 	euid = geteuid();
 	
 	if (setuid(euid)) {
 		ntfs_log_perror("Failed to set user ID to %d", euid);
+		err = NTFS_VOLUME_NO_PRIVILEGE;
 		goto err_out;
 	}
 
@@ -2262,13 +2270,15 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	
 	if (stat(opts.device, &sbuf)) {
 		ntfs_log_perror("Failed to access '%s'", opts.device);
+		err = NTFS_VOLUME_NO_PRIVILEGE;
 		goto err_out;
 	}
 	/* Always use fuseblk for block devices unless it's surely missing. */
 	if (S_ISBLK(sbuf.st_mode) && (fstype != FSTYPE_FUSE))
 		ctx->blkdev = TRUE;
 
-	if (ntfs_open(opts.device, opts.mnt_point))
+	err = ntfs_open(opts.device, opts.mnt_point);
+	if (err)
 		goto err_out;
 	
 	if (ctx->blkdev) {
@@ -2278,14 +2288,19 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
 	
 	fh = mount_fuse(parsed_options);
-	if (!fh)
+	if (!fh) {
+		err = NTFS_VOLUME_FUSE_ERROR;
 		goto err_out;
+	}
 		
 	if (setuid(uid)) {
-		ntfs_log_perror("Failed to set user ID to %d", uid);
+		ntfs_log_perror("Failed to drop privilege (uid to %d)", uid);
+		err = NTFS_VOLUME_NO_PRIVILEGE;
 		goto err_umount;
 	}
 
+	ctx->mounted = TRUE;
+
 #if defined(linux) || defined(__uClinux__)
 	if (S_ISBLK(sbuf.st_mode) && (fstype == FSTYPE_FUSE))
 		ntfs_log_info(fuse26_kmod_msg);
@@ -2317,6 +2332,7 @@ err_umount:
 	fuse_unmount(opts.mnt_point, ctx->fc);
 	fuse_destroy(fh);
 err_out:
+	utils_mount_error(opts.device, opts.mnt_point, err);
 	ntfs_close();
 	free(ctx);
 	free(parsed_options);
diff --git a/src/utils.c b/src/utils.c
index 2b14f74d..ce93a5fb 100644
--- a/src/utils.c
+++ b/src/utils.c
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ static const char *fakeraid_msg =
 "different device under /dev/mapper/, (e.g. /dev/mapper/nvidia_eahaabcc1)\n"
 "to mount NTFS. Please see the 'dmraid' documentation for help.\n";
 
+static const char *access_denied_msg =
+"Please check the volume and the NTFS-3G binary permissions, the mounting\n" 
+"user and group ID, and the mount options.\n";
+
 static const char *forced_mount_msg =
 "\n"
 "            mount -t ntfs-3g %s %s -o force\n"
@@ -109,34 +113,32 @@ int utils_set_locale(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-ntfs_volume *utils_mount_volume(const char *volume, const char *mntpoint,
-				unsigned long flags)
+void utils_mount_error(const char *volume, const char *mntpoint, int err)
 {
-	ntfs_volume *vol;
-
-	vol = ntfs_mount(volume, flags);
-	if (!vol) {
-		
-		ntfs_log_perror("Failed to mount '%s'", volume);
-		
-		if (errno == EINVAL)
+	switch (err) {
+		case NTFS_VOLUME_NOT_NTFS:
 			ntfs_log_error(invalid_ntfs_msg, volume);
-		else if (errno == EIO)
+			break;
+		case NTFS_VOLUME_CORRUPT:
 			ntfs_log_error("%s", corrupt_volume_msg);
-		else if (errno == EPERM)
+			break;
+		case NTFS_VOLUME_HIBERNATED:
 			ntfs_log_error("%s", hibernated_volume_msg);
-		else if (errno == EOPNOTSUPP) {
+			break;
+		case NTFS_VOLUME_UNCLEAN_UNMOUNT:
 			ntfs_log_error(unclean_journal_msg);
-			ntfs_log_error(forced_mount_msg, volume, mntpoint,
+			ntfs_log_error(forced_mount_msg, volume, mntpoint, 
 				       volume, mntpoint);
-		} else if (errno == EBUSY)
+			break;
+		case NTFS_VOLUME_LOCKED:
 			ntfs_log_error("%s", opened_volume_msg);
-		else if (errno == ENXIO)
+			break;
+		case NTFS_VOLUME_RAID:
 			ntfs_log_error("%s", fakeraid_msg);
-		
-		return NULL;
+			break;
+		case NTFS_VOLUME_NO_PRIVILEGE:
+			ntfs_log_error(access_denied_msg, volume);
+			break;
 	}
-
-	return vol;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/utils.h b/src/utils.h
index 400d465f..2d47ca4b 100644
--- a/src/utils.h
+++ b/src/utils.h
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@ extern const char *ntfs_home;
 extern const char *ntfs_gpl;
 
 int utils_set_locale(void);
-
-ntfs_volume *utils_mount_volume(const char *device, const char *mntpoint,
-				unsigned long flags);
+void utils_mount_error(const char *vol, const char *mntpoint, int err);
 
 #endif /* _NTFS_UTILS_H_ */