diff --git a/main.qml b/main.qml
index f97a2732..a399f058 100644
--- a/main.qml
+++ b/main.qml
@@ -699,13 +699,13 @@ ApplicationWindow {
         currentWallet.connected(true);
     }
 
-    function onDaemonStartFailure(){
+    function onDaemonStartFailure(error) {
         console.log("daemon start failed");
         hideProcessingSplash();
         // resume refresh
         currentWallet.startRefresh();
         informationPopup.title = qsTr("Daemon failed to start") + translationManager.emptyString;
-        informationPopup.text  = qsTr("Please check your wallet and daemon log for errors. You can also try to start %1 manually.").arg((isWindows)? "monerod.exe" : "monerod")
+        informationPopup.text  = error + ".\n\n" + qsTr("Please check your wallet and daemon log for errors. You can also try to start %1 manually.").arg((isWindows)? "monerod.exe" : "monerod")
         informationPopup.icon  = StandardIcon.Critical
         informationPopup.onCloseCallback = null
         informationPopup.open();
diff --git a/src/daemon/DaemonManager.cpp b/src/daemon/DaemonManager.cpp
index 74da6351..8d995458 100644
--- a/src/daemon/DaemonManager.cpp
+++ b/src/daemon/DaemonManager.cpp
@@ -63,6 +63,12 @@ DaemonManager *DaemonManager::instance(const QStringList *args)
 
 bool DaemonManager::start(const QString &flags, NetworkType::Type nettype, const QString &dataDir, const QString &bootstrapNodeAddress, bool noSync /* = false*/)
 {
+    if (!QFileInfo(m_monerod).isFile())
+    {
+        emit daemonStartFailure("\"" + QDir::toNativeSeparators(m_monerod) + "\" " + tr("executable is missing"));
+        return false;
+    }
+
     // prepare command line arguments and pass to monerod
     QStringList arguments;
 
@@ -130,7 +136,7 @@ bool DaemonManager::start(const QString &flags, NetworkType::Type nettype, const
 
     if (!started) {
         qDebug() << "Daemon start error: " + m_daemon->errorString();
-        emit daemonStartFailure();
+        emit daemonStartFailure(m_daemon->errorString());
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -140,7 +146,7 @@ bool DaemonManager::start(const QString &flags, NetworkType::Type nettype, const
             emit daemonStarted();
             m_noSync = noSync;
         } else {
-            emit daemonStartFailure();
+            emit daemonStartFailure(tr("Timed out, local node is not responding after %1 seconds").arg(DAEMON_START_TIMEOUT_SECONDS));
         }
     });
 
diff --git a/src/daemon/DaemonManager.h b/src/daemon/DaemonManager.h
index a03d3d9b..4bbd3133 100644
--- a/src/daemon/DaemonManager.h
+++ b/src/daemon/DaemonManager.h
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ private:
 signals:
     void daemonStarted() const;
     void daemonStopped() const;
-    void daemonStartFailure() const;
+    void daemonStartFailure(const QString &error) const;
     void daemonConsoleUpdated(QString message) const;
 
 public slots: