diff --git a/git-odb/src/loose/db/write.rs b/git-odb/src/loose/db/write.rs
index 1bc48abe24b..68db519b65c 100644
--- a/git-odb/src/loose/db/write.rs
+++ b/git-odb/src/loose/db/write.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ quick_error! {
             source(err)
         }
         IoRaw(err: io::Error) {
+            display("An IO error occurred while writing an object")
             source(err)
             from()
         }
diff --git a/git-odb/src/pack/index/traverse/mod.rs b/git-odb/src/pack/index/traverse/mod.rs
index 339ac7ca670..77433e1235c 100644
--- a/git-odb/src/pack/index/traverse/mod.rs
+++ b/git-odb/src/pack/index/traverse/mod.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ quick_error! {
     #[derive(Debug)]
     pub enum Error {
         Processor(err: Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>) {
+            display("One of the traversal processors failed")
             source(&**err)
             from()
         }
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ quick_error! {
             from()
         }
         Graph(err: pack::graph::Error) {
+            display("The pack delta graph could not be built")
             from()
             source(err)
         }
diff --git a/gitoxide-core/src/pack/explode.rs b/gitoxide-core/src/pack/explode.rs
index fcf921fc9eb..753e729cb55 100644
--- a/gitoxide-core/src/pack/explode.rs
+++ b/gitoxide-core/src/pack/explode.rs
@@ -63,10 +63,12 @@ quick_error! {
     #[derive(Debug)]
     enum Error {
         Io(err: std::io::Error) {
+            display("An IO error occurred while writing an object")
             source(err)
             from()
         }
-        Odb(err: loose::db::write::Error) {
+        OdbWrite(err: loose::db::write::Error) {
+            display("An object could not be written to the database")
             source(err)
             from()
         }
@@ -155,7 +157,7 @@ where
             }
         },
         pack::cache::DecodeEntryLRU::default,
-    ).map(|(_,_,c)|progress::DoOrDiscard::from(c)).with_context(|| "Some loose objects could not be extracted")?;
+    ).map(|(_,_,c)|progress::DoOrDiscard::from(c)).with_context(|| "Failed to explode the entire pack - some loose objects may have been created nonetheless")?;
 
     let (index_path, data_path) = (bundle.index.path().to_owned(), bundle.pack.path().to_owned());
     drop(bundle);
diff --git a/src/plumbing/pretty.rs b/src/plumbing/pretty.rs
index d3025250a51..471bc04d273 100644
--- a/src/plumbing/pretty.rs
+++ b/src/plumbing/pretty.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ mod options {
             #[structopt(long)]
             delete_pack: bool,
 
-            /// The amount of checks to run. Defaults to 'all'.
+            /// The amount of checks to run
             #[structopt(
                 long,
                 short = "c",
diff --git a/tests/snapshots/plumbing-pack-explode-missing-objects-dir-fail b/tests/snapshots/plumbing-pack-explode-missing-objects-dir-fail
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bad9f21a7af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/snapshots/plumbing-pack-explode-missing-objects-dir-fail
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Error: Failed to explode the entire pack - some loose objects may have been created nonetheless
+
+Caused by:
+    0: One of the traversal processors failed
+    1: Failed to write commit object 501b297447a8255d3533c6858bb692575cdefaa0
+    2: An object could not be written to the database
+    3: Could not create named temp file in 'does-not-exist'
+    4: No such file or directory (os error 2) at path "/Users/byron/dev/grit-rs/does-not-exist/.tmpAiSVb8"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/stateless-journey.sh b/tests/stateless-journey.sh
index 342240f44a4..8a8b2cd2659 100755
--- a/tests/stateless-journey.sh
+++ b/tests/stateless-journey.sh
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ title "CLI ${kind}"
 
 (when "running 'plumbing pack-explode"
   PACK_FILE="$fixtures/packs/pack-11fdfa9e156ab73caae3b6da867192221f2089c2"
-  (with "no directory specified"
+  (with "no objects directory specified"
     it "explodes the pack successfully and with desired output" && {
       WITH_SNAPSHOT="$snapshot/plumbing-pack-explode-to-sink-success" \
       expect_run $SUCCESSFULLY "$exe_plumbing" pack-explode "${PACK_FILE}.idx"
@@ -62,14 +62,14 @@ title "CLI ${kind}"
             expect_run $WITH_FAILURE ls ${PACK_FILE}.idx
           }
         )
-        (with "TODO(how to write into the middle of a file in bash): an invalid pack"
-
-        )
       )
     )
   )
   (with "a non-existing directory specified"
-
+    it "fails with a helpful error message" && {
+      WITH_SNAPSHOT="$snapshot/plumbing-pack-explode-missing-objects-dir-fail" \
+      expect_run $WITH_FAILURE "$exe_plumbing" pack-explode "${PACK_FILE}.idx" does-not-exist
+    }
   )
   (with "an existing directory specified"