diff --git a/tool/microkit/src/elf.rs b/tool/microkit/src/elf.rs
index badb3eec..5f342f86 100644
--- a/tool/microkit/src/elf.rs
+++ b/tool/microkit/src/elf.rs
@@ -220,12 +220,12 @@ impl ElfFile {
     pub fn from_path(path: &Path) -> Result<ElfFile, String> {
         let bytes = match fs::read(path) {
             Ok(bytes) => bytes,
-            Err(err) => return Err(format!("Failed to read ELF '{}': {}", path.display(), err)),
+            Err(err) => return Err(format!("failed to read ELF: {}", err)),
         };
 
         let magic = &bytes[0..4];
         if magic != ELF_MAGIC {
-            return Err(format!("ELF '{}': magic check failed", path.display()));
+            return Err("magic check failed".to_string());
         }
 
         let word_size;
@@ -241,13 +241,7 @@ impl ElfFile {
                 hdr_size = std::mem::size_of::<ElfHeader64>();
                 word_size = 64;
             }
-            _ => {
-                return Err(format!(
-                    "ELF '{}': invalid class '{}'",
-                    path.display(),
-                    class
-                ))
-            }
+            _ => return Err(format!("invalid class '{}'", class)),
         };
 
         // Now need to read the header into a struct
@@ -260,17 +254,16 @@ impl ElfFile {
         assert!(hdr.ident_class == *class);
 
         if hdr.ident_data != 1 {
-            return Err(format!(
-                "ELF '{}': incorrect endianness, only little endian architectures are supported",
-                path.display()
-            ));
+            return Err(
+                "incorrect endianness, only little endian architectures are supported".to_string(),
+            );
         }
 
         let entry = hdr.entry;
 
         // Read all the segments
         if hdr.phnum == 0 {
-            return Err(format!("ELF '{}': has no program headers", path.display()));
+            return Err("has no program headers".to_string());
         }
 
         let mut segments = Vec::with_capacity(hdr.phnum as usize);
@@ -325,18 +318,12 @@ impl ElfFile {
         }
 
         if shstrtab_shent.is_none() {
-            return Err(format!(
-                "ELF '{}': unable to find string table section",
-                path.display()
-            ));
+            return Err("unable to find string table section".to_string());
         }
 
         assert!(symtab_shent.is_some());
         if symtab_shent.is_none() {
-            return Err(format!(
-                "ELF '{}': unable to find symbol table section",
-                path.display()
-            ));
+            return Err("unable to find symbol table section".to_string());
         }
 
         // Reading the symbol table
diff --git a/tool/microkit/src/loader.rs b/tool/microkit/src/loader.rs
index 30c64ff5..2a1ec446 100644
--- a/tool/microkit/src/loader.rs
+++ b/tool/microkit/src/loader.rs
@@ -139,7 +139,14 @@ impl<'a> Loader<'a> {
             unreachable!("internal error: x86_64 does not support creating a loader image");
         }
 
-        let loader_elf = ElfFile::from_path(loader_elf_path).unwrap();
+        let loader_elf = ElfFile::from_path(loader_elf_path).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+            eprintln!(
+                "ERROR: failed to parse loader ELF ({}): {}",
+                loader_elf_path.display(),
+                e
+            );
+            std::process::exit(1);
+        });
         let sz = loader_elf.word_size;
         let magic = match sz {
             32 => 0x5e14dead,
diff --git a/tool/microkit/src/main.rs b/tool/microkit/src/main.rs
index d3c9a3cb..719ba9ab 100644
--- a/tool/microkit/src/main.rs
+++ b/tool/microkit/src/main.rs
@@ -568,7 +568,14 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), String> {
         }
     };
 
-    let capdl_initialiser_elf = ElfFile::from_path(&capdl_init_elf_path).unwrap();
+    let capdl_initialiser_elf = ElfFile::from_path(&capdl_init_elf_path).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+        eprintln!(
+            "ERROR: failed to parse initialiser ELF ({}): {}",
+            capdl_init_elf_path.display(),
+            e
+        );
+        std::process::exit(1);
+    });
 
     // Only relevant for ARM and RISC-V.
     // Determine how much physical memory is available to the kernel after it boots but before dropping
@@ -581,7 +588,14 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), String> {
         match kernel_config.arch {
             Arch::X86_64 => (None, None, None),
             Arch::Aarch64 | Arch::Riscv64 => {
-                let kernel_elf = ElfFile::from_path(&kernel_elf_path).unwrap();
+                let kernel_elf = ElfFile::from_path(&kernel_elf_path).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+                    eprintln!(
+                        "ERROR: failed to parse kernel ELF ({}): {}",
+                        kernel_elf_path.display(),
+                        e
+                    );
+                    std::process::exit(1);
+                });
 
                 // Now determine how much memory we have after the kernel boots.
                 let (available_memory, kernel_boot_region) =
@@ -594,7 +608,14 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), String> {
             }
         };
 
-    let monitor_elf = ElfFile::from_path(&monitor_elf_path)?;
+    let monitor_elf = ElfFile::from_path(&monitor_elf_path).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+        eprintln!(
+            "ERROR: failed to parse monitor ELF ({}): {}",
+            monitor_elf_path.display(),
+            e
+        );
+        std::process::exit(1);
+    });
 
     let mut search_paths = vec![std::env::current_dir().unwrap()];
     for path in args.search_paths {
@@ -608,9 +629,18 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), String> {
     // Get the elf files for each pd:
     for pd in &system.protection_domains {
         match get_full_path(&pd.program_image, &search_paths) {
-            Some(path) => {
-                system_elfs.push(ElfFile::from_path(&path)?);
-            }
+            Some(path) => match ElfFile::from_path(&path) {
+                Ok(elf) => system_elfs.push(elf),
+                Err(e) => {
+                    eprintln!(
+                        "ERROR: failed to parse ELF '{}' for PD '{}': {}",
+                        path.display(),
+                        pd.name,
+                        e
+                    );
+                    std::process::exit(1);
+                }
+            },
             None => {
                 return Err(format!(
                     "unable to find program image: '{}'",