diff --git a/cli_classic.c b/cli_classic.c
index 21a9424fd..e39496101 100644
--- a/cli_classic.c
+++ b/cli_classic.c
@@ -1491,15 +1491,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		ret = do_extract(&context);
 	else if (options.erase_it) {
 		ret = flashrom_flash_erase(&context);
-		/*
-		 * FIXME: Do we really want the scary warning if erase failed?
-		 * After all, after erase the chip is either blank or partially
-		 * blank or it has the old contents. A blank chip won't boot,
-		 * so if the user wanted erase and reboots afterwards, the user
-		 * knows very well that booting won't work.
-		 */
-		if (ret)
-			emergency_help_message();
 	}
 	else if (options.write_it)
 		ret = do_write(&context, options.filename, options.referencefile);
diff --git a/flashrom.c b/flashrom.c
index c5a2d6941..100fc480a 100644
--- a/flashrom.c
+++ b/flashrom.c
@@ -1966,13 +1966,27 @@ void finalize_flash_access(struct flashctx *const flash)
 
 int flashrom_flash_erase(struct flashctx *const flashctx)
 {
-	if (prepare_flash_access(flashctx, false, false, true, flashctx->flags.verify_after_write))
-		return 1;
+	if (prepare_flash_access(flashctx, false, false, true, flashctx->flags.verify_after_write)) {
+		msg_gerr("Error: some of the required checks to prepare flash access failed. "
+			 "Earlier messages should give more details.\n"
+			 "Erase operation has not started.\n");
+		return ERROR_FLASHROM_PREPARE_FLASH_ACCESS;
+	}
 
 	const int ret = erase_by_layout(flashctx);
 
 	finalize_flash_access(flashctx);
 
+	/*
+	 * FIXME: Do we really want the scary warning if erase failed?
+	 * After all, after erase the chip is either blank or partially
+	 * blank or it has the old contents. A blank chip won't boot,
+	 * so if the user wanted erase and reboots afterwards, the user
+	 * knows very well that booting won't work.
+	 */
+	if (ret)
+		emergency_help_message();
+
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -2063,8 +2077,12 @@ int flashrom_image_write(struct flashctx *const flashctx, void *const buffer, co
 	}
 #endif
 
-	if (prepare_flash_access(flashctx, false, true, false, verify))
+	if (prepare_flash_access(flashctx, false, true, false, verify)) {
+		msg_gerr("Error: some of the required checks to prepare flash access failed. "
+			 "Earlier messages should give more details.\n"
+			 "Write operation has not started.\n");
 		goto _free_ret;
+	}
 
 	/* If given, assume flash chip contains same data as `refcontents`. */
 	if (refcontents) {
diff --git a/include/flash.h b/include/flash.h
index c3321fcee..d66556249 100644
--- a/include/flash.h
+++ b/include/flash.h
@@ -712,6 +712,7 @@ int write_flash(struct flashctx *flash, const uint8_t *buf, unsigned int start,
 
 #define ERROR_FLASHROM_PROBE_NO_CHIPS_FOUND -1
 #define ERROR_FLASHROM_PROBE_INTERNAL_ERROR -2
+#define ERROR_FLASHROM_PREPARE_FLASH_ACCESS -3
 
 struct cli_progress {
 	unsigned int stage_pc[FLASHROM_PROGRESS_NR];
diff --git a/tests/chip_wp.c b/tests/chip_wp.c
index d735b0cfd..5061a666e 100644
--- a/tests/chip_wp.c
+++ b/tests/chip_wp.c
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ void full_chip_erase_with_wp_dummyflasher_test_success(void **state)
 	/* Try erasing the chip again. Now that WP is active, the first 4 KiB is
 	   protected and we're trying to erase the whole chip, erase should
 	   fail. */
-	assert_int_equal(1, flashrom_flash_erase(&flash));
+	assert_int_equal(ERROR_FLASHROM_PREPARE_FLASH_ACCESS, flashrom_flash_erase(&flash));
 
 	teardown(&layout);