diff --git a/backends/hostmem-file.c b/backends/hostmem-file.c
index 7a34e25c43c33221422158dab67f5175b24e59db..ba601ce940880ceef52d925e00f2e97ae1a9467d 100644
--- a/backends/hostmem-file.c
+++ b/backends/hostmem-file.c
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ static void set_mem_path(Object *o, const char *str, Error **errp)
     HostMemoryBackendFile *fb = MEMORY_BACKEND_FILE(o);
 
     if (host_memory_backend_mr_inited(backend)) {
-        error_setg(errp, "cannot change property value");
+        error_setg(errp, "cannot change property 'mem-path' of %s",
+                   object_get_typename(o));
         return;
     }
     g_free(fb->mem_path);
@@ -120,7 +121,8 @@ static void file_memory_backend_set_align(Object *o, Visitor *v,
     uint64_t val;
 
     if (host_memory_backend_mr_inited(backend)) {
-        error_setg(&local_err, "cannot change property value");
+        error_setg(&local_err, "cannot change property '%s' of %s",
+                   name, object_get_typename(o));
         goto out;
     }
 
diff --git a/backends/hostmem.c b/backends/hostmem.c
index 0c8ef176530ea66de569200093b37f259c3bddaa..87b19d2111b274b08d496823a75fcdeea05bcfd6 100644
--- a/backends/hostmem.c
+++ b/backends/hostmem.c
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ host_memory_backend_set_size(Object *obj, Visitor *v, const char *name,
     uint64_t value;
 
     if (host_memory_backend_mr_inited(backend)) {
-        error_setg(&local_err, "cannot change property value");
+        error_setg(&local_err, "cannot change property %s of %s ",
+                   name, object_get_typename(obj));
         goto out;
     }
 
@@ -66,8 +67,9 @@ host_memory_backend_set_size(Object *obj, Visitor *v, const char *name,
         goto out;
     }
     if (!value) {
-        error_setg(&local_err, "Property '%s.%s' doesn't take value '%"
-                   PRIu64 "'", object_get_typename(obj), name, value);
+        error_setg(&local_err,
+                   "property '%s' of %s doesn't take value '%" PRIu64 "'",
+                   name, object_get_typename(obj), value);
         goto out;
     }
     backend->size = value;