diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -1188,7 +1188,8 @@
         // connected in the active best chain
         CValidationState state;
         if (!ActivateBestChain(config, state)) {
-            LogPrintf("Failed to connect best block");
+            LogPrintf("Failed to connect best block (%s)\n",
+                      FormatStateMessage(state));
             StartShutdown();
             return;
         }
diff --git a/src/net_processing.cpp b/src/net_processing.cpp
--- a/src/net_processing.cpp
+++ b/src/net_processing.cpp
@@ -1281,8 +1281,11 @@
         }
     } // release cs_main before calling ActivateBestChain
     if (need_activate_chain) {
-        CValidationState dummy;
-        ActivateBestChain(config, dummy, a_recent_block);
+        CValidationState state;
+        if (!ActivateBestChain(config, state, a_recent_block)) {
+            LogPrint(BCLog::NET, "failed to activate chain (%s)\n",
+                     FormatStateMessage(state));
+        }
     }
 
     LOCK(cs_main);
@@ -2285,8 +2288,11 @@
                 LOCK(cs_most_recent_block);
                 a_recent_block = most_recent_block;
             }
-            CValidationState dummy;
-            ActivateBestChain(config, dummy, a_recent_block);
+            CValidationState state;
+            if (!ActivateBestChain(config, state, a_recent_block)) {
+                LogPrint(BCLog::NET, "failed to activate chain (%s)\n",
+                         FormatStateMessage(state));
+            }
         }
 
         LOCK(cs_main);
diff --git a/src/test/test_bitcoin.cpp b/src/test/test_bitcoin.cpp
--- a/src/test/test_bitcoin.cpp
+++ b/src/test/test_bitcoin.cpp
@@ -117,7 +117,8 @@
     {
         CValidationState state;
         if (!ActivateBestChain(config, state)) {
-            throw std::runtime_error("ActivateBestChain failed.");
+            throw std::runtime_error(strprintf("ActivateBestChain failed. (%s)",
+                                               FormatStateMessage(state)));
         }
     }
     nScriptCheckThreads = 3;
diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -2144,14 +2144,20 @@
 void FlushStateToDisk() {
     CValidationState state;
     const CChainParams &chainparams = Params();
-    FlushStateToDisk(chainparams, state, FlushStateMode::ALWAYS);
+    if (!FlushStateToDisk(chainparams, state, FlushStateMode::ALWAYS)) {
+        LogPrintf("%s: failed to flush state (%s)\n", __func__,
+                  FormatStateMessage(state));
+    }
 }
 
 void PruneAndFlush() {
     CValidationState state;
     fCheckForPruning = true;
     const CChainParams &chainparams = Params();
-    FlushStateToDisk(chainparams, state, FlushStateMode::NONE);
+    if (!FlushStateToDisk(chainparams, state, FlushStateMode::NONE)) {
+        LogPrintf("%s: failed to flush state (%s)\n", __func__,
+                  FormatStateMessage(state));
+    }
 }
 
 /** Check warning conditions and do some notifications on new chain tip set. */
@@ -4088,7 +4094,7 @@
         if (!ret) {
             GetMainSignals().BlockChecked(*pblock, state);
             return error("%s: AcceptBlock FAILED (%s)", __func__,
-                         state.GetDebugMessage());
+                         FormatStateMessage(state));
         }
     }
 
@@ -4097,7 +4103,8 @@
     // Only used to report errors, not invalidity - ignore it
     CValidationState state;
     if (!g_chainstate.ActivateBestChain(config, state, pblock)) {
-        return error("%s: ActivateBestChain failed", __func__);
+        return error("%s: ActivateBestChain failed (%s)", __func__,
+                     FormatStateMessage(state));
     }
 
     return true;
@@ -4241,8 +4248,11 @@
 void PruneBlockFilesManual(int nManualPruneHeight) {
     CValidationState state;
     const CChainParams &chainparams = Params();
-    FlushStateToDisk(chainparams, state, FlushStateMode::NONE,
-                     nManualPruneHeight);
+    if (!FlushStateToDisk(chainparams, state, FlushStateMode::NONE,
+                          nManualPruneHeight)) {
+        LogPrintf("%s: failed to flush state (%s)\n", __func__,
+                  FormatStateMessage(state));
+    }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -4516,6 +4526,8 @@
         LogPrintf("%s: Connecting genesis block...\n", __func__);
         CValidationState state;
         if (!ActivateBestChain(config, state)) {
+            LogPrintf("%s: failed to activate chain (%s)\n", __func__,
+                      FormatStateMessage(state));
             return false;
         }
     }
@@ -4684,9 +4696,10 @@
             }
             if (!g_chainstate.ConnectBlock(config, block, state, pindex,
                                            coins)) {
-                return error(
-                    "VerifyDB(): *** found unconnectable block at %d, hash=%s",
-                    pindex->nHeight, pindex->GetBlockHash().ToString());
+                return error("VerifyDB(): *** found unconnectable block at %d, "
+                             "hash=%s (%s)",
+                             pindex->nHeight, pindex->GetBlockHash().ToString(),
+                             FormatStateMessage(state));
             }
         }
     }
@@ -4849,13 +4862,15 @@
         }
 
         if (!DisconnectTip(config, state, nullptr)) {
-            return error(
-                "RewindBlockIndex: unable to disconnect block at height %i",
-                pindex->nHeight);
+            return error("RewindBlockIndex: unable to disconnect block at "
+                         "height %i (%s)",
+                         pindex->nHeight, FormatStateMessage(state));
         }
 
         // Occasionally flush state to disk.
         if (!FlushStateToDisk(params, state, FlushStateMode::PERIODIC)) {
+            LogPrintf("RewindBlockIndex: unable to flush state to disk (%s)\n",
+                      FormatStateMessage(state));
             return false;
         }
     }
@@ -4895,6 +4910,8 @@
         CValidationState state;
         if (!FlushStateToDisk(config.GetChainParams(), state,
                               FlushStateMode::ALWAYS)) {
+            LogPrintf("RewindBlockIndex: unable to flush state to disk (%s)\n",
+                      FormatStateMessage(state));
             return false;
         }
     }
@@ -4983,7 +5000,8 @@
         CBlockIndex *pindex = AddToBlockIndex(block);
         CValidationState state;
         if (!ReceivedBlockTransactions(block, state, pindex, blockPos)) {
-            return error("%s: genesis block not accepted", __func__);
+            return error("%s: genesis block not accepted (%s)", __func__,
+                         FormatStateMessage(state));
         }
     } catch (const std::runtime_error &e) {
         return error("%s: failed to write genesis block: %s", __func__,