diff --git a/src/espeak-ng.c b/src/espeak-ng.c
index db5d1043..ef27493a 100644
--- a/src/espeak-ng.c
+++ b/src/espeak-ng.c
@@ -598,8 +598,17 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 		}
 		case 0x110: // --compile-phonemes
+		{
 			espeak_ng_InitializePath(data_path);
-			return (espeak_ng_CompilePhonemeData(22050, stdout) == ENS_OK) ? EXIT_SUCCESS : EXIT_FAILURE;
+			espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT context = NULL;
+			espeak_ng_STATUS result = espeak_ng_CompilePhonemeData(22050, stdout, &context);
+			if (result != ENS_OK) {
+				espeak_ng_PrintStatusCodeMessage(result, stderr, context);
+				espeak_ng_ClearErrorContext(&context);
+				return EXIT_FAILURE;
+			}
+			return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+		}
 		default:
 			exit(0);
 		}
diff --git a/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h b/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
index fd20ee6c..e270fcb2 100644
--- a/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
+++ b/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
@@ -148,7 +148,8 @@ espeak_ng_CompileMbrolaVoice(const char *path,
 
 ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS
 espeak_ng_CompilePhonemeData(long rate,
-                             FILE *log);
+                             FILE *log,
+                             espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context);
 
 ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS
 espeak_ng_CompileIntonation(FILE *log,
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/compiledata.c b/src/libespeak-ng/compiledata.c
index 8cb519f4..cbec5ce3 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/compiledata.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/compiledata.c
@@ -2635,7 +2635,7 @@ static void CompilePhonemeFiles()
 	phoneme_tab2[n_phcodes+1].mnemonic = 0; // terminator
 }
 
-static espeak_ng_STATUS CompilePhonemeData2(const char *source, FILE *log)
+static espeak_ng_STATUS CompilePhonemeData2(const char *source, FILE *log, espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context)
 {
 	char fname[sizeof(path_home)+40];
 	sprintf(fname, "%s/../phsource", path_home);
@@ -2648,19 +2648,15 @@ static espeak_ng_STATUS CompilePhonemeData2(const char *source, FILE *log)
 
 	f_errors = log;
 
-	if (!access(fname, 755)) {
-		fprintf(log, "Can't find phoneme source directory: %s\n", fname);
-		return errno;
-	}
+	if (!access(fname, 755))
+		return create_file_error_context(context, errno, fname);
 
 	strncpy0(current_fname, source, sizeof(current_fname));
 
 	sprintf(fname, "%s/../phsource/phonemes", path_home);
-	f_in = fopen_log(f_errors, fname, "rb");
-	if (f_in == NULL) {
-		fprintf(log, "Can't read master phonemes file: %s\n", fname);
-		return errno;
-	}
+	f_in = fopen(fname, "rb");
+	if (f_in == NULL)
+		return create_file_error_context(context, errno, fname);
 
 	sprintf(fname, "%s/../phsource/%s", path_home, "compile_report");
 	f_report = fopen_log(f_errors, fname, "w");
@@ -2686,16 +2682,31 @@ static espeak_ng_STATUS CompilePhonemeData2(const char *source, FILE *log)
 	        "#  -------  ---------\n");
 
 	sprintf(fname, "%s/%s", path_home, "phondata");
-	f_phdata = fopen_log(f_errors, fname, "wb");
+	f_phdata = fopen(fname, "wb");
+	if (f_phdata == NULL) {
+		int error = errno;
+		fclose(f_in);
+		return create_file_error_context(context, errno, fname);
+	}
 
 	sprintf(fname, "%s/%s", path_home, "phonindex");
-	f_phindex = fopen_log(f_errors, fname, "wb");
+	f_phindex = fopen(fname, "wb");
+	if (f_phindex == NULL) {
+		int error = errno;
+		fclose(f_in);
+		fclose(f_phdata);
+		return create_file_error_context(context, errno, fname);
+	}
 
 	sprintf(fname, "%s/%s", path_home, "phontab");
-	f_phtab = fopen_log(f_errors, fname, "wb");
-
-	if (f_phdata == NULL || f_phindex == NULL || f_phtab == NULL)
-		return errno;
+	f_phtab = fopen(fname, "wb");
+	if (f_phtab == NULL) {
+		int error = errno;
+		fclose(f_in);
+		fclose(f_phdata);
+		fclose(f_phindex);
+		return create_file_error_context(context, errno, fname);
+	}
 
 	sprintf(fname, "%s/../phsource/compile_prog_log", path_home);
 	f_prog_log = fopen_log(f_errors, fname, "wb");
@@ -3033,12 +3044,12 @@ espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_CompileIntonation(FILE *log, espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT
 	return error_count > 0 ? ENS_COMPILE_ERROR : ENS_OK;
 }
 
-espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_CompilePhonemeData(long rate, FILE *log)
+espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_CompilePhonemeData(long rate, FILE *log, espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context)
 {
 	if (!log) log = stderr;
 	WavegenInit(rate, 0);
 	WavegenSetVoice(voice);
-	return CompilePhonemeData2("phonemes", log);
+	return CompilePhonemeData2("phonemes", log, context);
 }
 
 #pragma GCC visibility pop
diff --git a/src/speak-ng.c b/src/speak-ng.c
index a5a9ea00..c717f562 100644
--- a/src/speak-ng.c
+++ b/src/speak-ng.c
@@ -585,8 +585,17 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 		}
 		case 0x110: // --compile-phonemes
+		{
 			espeak_ng_InitializePath(data_path);
-			return (espeak_ng_CompilePhonemeData(22050, stdout) == ENS_OK) ? EXIT_SUCCESS : EXIT_FAILURE;
+			espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT context = NULL;
+			espeak_ng_STATUS result = espeak_ng_CompilePhonemeData(22050, stdout, &context);
+			if (result != ENS_OK) {
+				espeak_ng_PrintStatusCodeMessage(result, stderr, context);
+				espeak_ng_ClearErrorContext(&context);
+				return EXIT_FAILURE;
+			}
+			return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+		}
 		default:
 			exit(0);
 		}