diff --git a/git-ref/src/store/file/find.rs b/git-ref/src/store/file/find.rs
index f709420b99..f60c85b8be 100644
--- a/git-ref/src/store/file/find.rs
+++ b/git-ref/src/store/file/find.rs
@@ -124,7 +124,12 @@ impl file::Store {
         };
         let relative_path = base.join(inbetween).join(relative_path);
 
-        let contents = match self.ref_contents(&relative_path)? {
+        let contents = match self
+            .ref_contents(&relative_path)
+            .map_err(|err| Error::ReadFileContents {
+                err,
+                path: relative_path.to_owned(),
+            })? {
             None => {
                 if is_definitely_absolute {
                     if let Some(packed) = packed {
@@ -302,9 +307,8 @@ mod error {
                 from()
                 source(err)
             }
-            ReadFileContents(err: io::Error) {
-                display("The ref file could not be read in full")
-                from()
+            ReadFileContents{err: io::Error, path: PathBuf} {
+                display("The ref file '{}' could not be read in full", path.display())
                 source(err)
             }
             ReferenceCreation{ err: file::loose::reference::decode::Error, relative_path: PathBuf } {
diff --git a/git-ref/src/store/file/loose/iter.rs b/git-ref/src/store/file/loose/iter.rs
index 428ddbbb55..f745e3c1b4 100644
--- a/git-ref/src/store/file/loose/iter.rs
+++ b/git-ref/src/store/file/loose/iter.rs
@@ -128,7 +128,10 @@ impl Iterator for Loose {
                         self.buf.clear();
                         f.read_to_end(&mut self.buf)
                     })
-                    .map_err(loose::Error::ReadFileContents)
+                    .map_err(|err| loose::Error::ReadFileContents {
+                        err,
+                        path: validated_path.to_owned(),
+                    })
                     .and_then(|_| {
                         let relative_path = validated_path
                             .strip_prefix(&self.ref_paths.base)
@@ -234,8 +237,8 @@ pub mod loose {
                     display("The file system could not be traversed")
                     source(err)
                 }
-                ReadFileContents(err: io::Error) {
-                    display("The ref file could not be read in full")
+                ReadFileContents{err: io::Error, path: PathBuf} {
+                    display("The ref file '{}' could not be read in full", path.display())
                     source(err)
                 }
                 ReferenceCreation{ err: file::loose::reference::decode::Error, relative_path: PathBuf } {
diff --git a/git-ref/src/store/file/overlay_iter.rs b/git-ref/src/store/file/overlay_iter.rs
index 61304f2e6a..c343994c2f 100644
--- a/git-ref/src/store/file/overlay_iter.rs
+++ b/git-ref/src/store/file/overlay_iter.rs
@@ -64,7 +64,10 @@ impl<'p, 's> LooseThenPacked<'p, 's> {
                 self.buf.clear();
                 f.read_to_end(&mut self.buf)
             })
-            .map_err(Error::ReadFileContents)?;
+            .map_err(|err| Error::ReadFileContents {
+                err,
+                path: refpath.to_owned(),
+            })?;
         loose::Reference::try_from_path(name, &self.buf)
             .map_err(|err| Error::ReferenceCreation {
                 err,
@@ -245,8 +248,8 @@ mod error {
                 display("The file system could not be traversed")
                 source(err)
             }
-            ReadFileContents(err: io::Error) {
-                display("The ref file could not be read in full")
+            ReadFileContents{err: io::Error, path: PathBuf} {
+                display("The ref file '{}' could not be read in full", path.display())
                 source(err)
             }
             ReferenceCreation{ err: file::loose::reference::decode::Error, relative_path: PathBuf } {