diff --git a/pkg/container/container.go b/pkg/container/container.go
index cd6ade01..a0789183 100644
--- a/pkg/container/container.go
+++ b/pkg/container/container.go
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ func New(sc types.StackerConfig, name string) (*Container, error) {
 func (c *Container) BindMount(source string, dest string, extraOpts string) error {
 	createOpt := "create=dir"
 	stat, err := os.Stat(source)
+	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return errors.Errorf("bind mount source %q does not exist, refusing bind mount: %s", source, err)
+	}
 	if err == nil && !stat.IsDir() {
 		createOpt = "create=file"
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/stacker/build.go b/pkg/stacker/build.go
index c1d30f76..8771e75d 100644
--- a/pkg/stacker/build.go
+++ b/pkg/stacker/build.go
@@ -820,9 +820,10 @@ func SetupLayerConfig(config types.StackerConfig, c *container.Container, l type
 	}
 
 	for _, bind := range l.Binds {
+		log.Debugf("bind mounting %q into container at %q", bind.Source, bind.Dest)
 		err = c.BindMount(bind.Source, bind.Dest, "")
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return errors.Errorf("failed to bind mount %q at %q: %s", bind.Source, bind.Dest, err)
 		}
 	}