diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index 27ab805..4429dd4 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 //! Various types of errors that `font-kit` can return.
 
+use std::borrow::Cow;
 use std::convert::From;
 use std::error::Error;
 use std::io;
@@ -91,18 +92,21 @@ impl From<winapi::um::winnt::HRESULT> for GlyphLoadingError {
 }
 
 /// Reasons why a source might fail to look up a font or fonts.
-#[derive(Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Debug)]
+#[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Debug)]
 pub enum SelectionError {
     /// No font matching the given query was found.
     NotFound,
     /// The source was inaccessible because of an I/O or similar error.
-    CannotAccessSource,
+    CannotAccessSource {
+        /// Additional diagnostic information may include file name
+        reason: Option<Cow<'static, str>>,
+    },
 }
 
 impl Error for SelectionError {}
 
 impl_display! { SelectionError, {
         NotFound => "no font found",
-        CannotAccessSource => "failed to access source",
+        CannotAccessSource { reason: ref maybe_cow } => maybe_cow.as_deref().unwrap_or("failed to access source")
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/sources/core_text.rs b/src/sources/core_text.rs
index c323eb6..e4b6292 100644
--- a/src/sources/core_text.rs
+++ b/src/sources/core_text.rs
@@ -230,13 +230,13 @@ fn create_handle_from_descriptor(descriptor: &CTFontDescriptor) -> Result<Handle
     let mut file = if let Ok(file) = File::open(&font_path) {
         file
     } else {
-        return Err(SelectionError::CannotAccessSource);
+        return Err(SelectionError::CannotAccessSource { reason: None });
     };
 
     let font_data = if let Ok(font_data) = utils::slurp_file(&mut file) {
         Arc::new(font_data)
     } else {
-        return Err(SelectionError::CannotAccessSource);
+        return Err(SelectionError::CannotAccessSource { reason: None });
     };
 
     match Font::analyze_bytes(Arc::clone(&font_data)) {
@@ -255,7 +255,9 @@ fn create_handle_from_descriptor(descriptor: &CTFontDescriptor) -> Result<Handle
             Err(SelectionError::NotFound)
         }
         Ok(FileType::Single) => Ok(Handle::from_memory(font_data, 0)),
-        Err(_) => Err(SelectionError::CannotAccessSource),
+        Err(e) => Err(SelectionError::CannotAccessSource {
+            reason: Some(format!("{:?} error on path {:?}", e, font_path).into()),
+        }),
     }
 }