diff --git a/release/errors.go b/release/errors.go
index 5348a83f8..314bc1516 100644
--- a/release/errors.go
+++ b/release/errors.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ deal with. See
 for those limitations.
 
 If your files appear to meet the requirements, it may simply be a bug
-in Flux. PLease report it at
+in Flux. Please report it at
 
     https://github.com/weaveworks/flux/issues
 
diff --git a/release/releaser.go b/release/releaser.go
index 47b679a45..e54f3bc39 100644
--- a/release/releaser.go
+++ b/release/releaser.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/go-kit/kit/log"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 
 	"github.com/weaveworks/flux/resource"
 	"github.com/weaveworks/flux/update"
@@ -37,15 +38,18 @@ func Release(rc *ReleaseContext, changes Changes, logger log.Logger) (results up
 	}
 
 	err = ApplyChanges(rc, updates, logger)
-	if err == nil {
-		var after map[string]resource.Resource
-		after, err = rc.manifests.LoadManifests(rc.repo.Dir(), rc.repo.ManifestDir())
-		if err == nil {
-			err = VerifyChanges(before, updates, after)
-		}
+	if err != nil {
+		return results, MakeReleaseError(errors.Wrap(err, "applying changes"))
 	}
+
+	after, err := rc.manifests.LoadManifests(rc.repo.Dir(), rc.repo.ManifestDir())
 	if err != nil {
-		err = MakeReleaseError(err)
+		return results, MakeReleaseError(errors.Wrap(err, "loading resources after updates"))
+	}
+
+	err = VerifyChanges(before, updates, after)
+	if err != nil {
+		return results, MakeReleaseError(errors.Wrap(err, "verifying changes"))
 	}
 	return results, err
 }
@@ -70,14 +74,18 @@ func VerifyChanges(before map[string]resource.Resource, updates []*update.Contro
 	timer := update.NewStageTimer("verify_changes")
 	defer timer.ObserveDuration()
 
+	verificationError := func(msg string, args ...interface{}) error {
+		return errors.Wrap(fmt.Errorf(msg, args...), "failed to verify changes")
+	}
+
 	for _, update := range updates {
 		res, ok := before[update.ResourceID.String()]
 		if !ok {
-			return fmt.Errorf("resource %q mentioned in update not found in resources", update.ResourceID.String())
+			return verificationError("resource %q mentioned in update not found in resources", update.ResourceID.String())
 		}
 		wl, ok := res.(resource.Workload)
 		if !ok {
-			return fmt.Errorf("resource %q mentioned in update is not a workload", update.ResourceID.String())
+			return verificationError("resource %q mentioned in update is not a workload", update.ResourceID.String())
 		}
 		for _, containerUpdate := range update.Updates {
 			wl.SetContainerImage(containerUpdate.Container, containerUpdate.Target)
@@ -87,7 +95,7 @@ func VerifyChanges(before map[string]resource.Resource, updates []*update.Contro
 	for id, afterRes := range after {
 		beforeRes, ok := before[id]
 		if !ok {
-			return fmt.Errorf("resource %q is new after update")
+			return verificationError("resource %q is new after update")
 		}
 		delete(before, id)
 
@@ -98,23 +106,22 @@ func VerifyChanges(before map[string]resource.Resource, updates []*update.Contro
 		}
 		afterWorkload, ok := afterRes.(resource.Workload)
 		if !ok {
-			return fmt.Errorf("resource %q is no longer a workload (Deployment or DaemonSet, or similar) after update", id)
+			return verificationError("resource %q is no longer a workload (Deployment or DaemonSet, or similar) after update", id)
 		}
 
 		beforeContainers := beforeWorkload.Containers()
 		afterContainers := afterWorkload.Containers()
 		if len(beforeContainers) != len(afterContainers) {
-			return fmt.Errorf("resource %q has different set of containers after update", id)
+			return verificationError("resource %q has different set of containers after update", id)
 		}
 		for i := range afterContainers {
 			if beforeContainers[i].Name != afterContainers[i].Name {
-				return fmt.Errorf("Container in position %d of resource %q has a different name after update: was %q, now %q", i, id, beforeContainers[i].Name, afterContainers[i].Name)
+				return verificationError("container in position %d of resource %q has a different name after update: was %q, now %q", i, id, beforeContainers[i].Name, afterContainers[i].Name)
 			}
 			if beforeContainers[i].Image != afterContainers[i].Image {
-				return fmt.Errorf("The image for container %q in resource %q should be %q, but is %q", beforeContainers[i].Name, id, beforeContainers[i].Image.String(), afterContainers[i].Image.String())
+				return verificationError("the image for container %q in resource %q should be %q, but is %q", beforeContainers[i].Name, id, beforeContainers[i].Image.String(), afterContainers[i].Image.String())
 			}
 		}
-
 	}
 
 	var disappeared []string
@@ -122,7 +129,7 @@ func VerifyChanges(before map[string]resource.Resource, updates []*update.Contro
 		disappeared = append(disappeared, fmt.Sprintf("%q", id))
 	}
 	if len(disappeared) > 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("resources {%s} present before update but not after", strings.Join(disappeared, ", "))
+		return verificationError("resources {%s} present before update but not after", strings.Join(disappeared, ", "))
 	}
 
 	return nil