diff --git a/src/plugins/mpi/pmix/pmixp_client.c b/src/plugins/mpi/pmix/pmixp_client.c
index d78772d88baff260cef107386e6ef0bd91cdb493..397cfb0fc92d576ea96506326c30458762d759ba 100644
--- a/src/plugins/mpi/pmix/pmixp_client.c
+++ b/src/plugins/mpi/pmix/pmixp_client.c
@@ -223,13 +223,13 @@ int pmixp_libpmix_init(void)
 	pmix_info_t *kvp = NULL;
 
 	if (0 != (rc = pmixp_mkdir(pmixp_info_tmpdir_lib(), rights))) {
-		PMIXP_ERROR_STD("Cannot create server tmpdir: \"%s\"",
+		PMIXP_ERROR_STD("Cannot create server lib tmpdir: \"%s\"",
 				pmixp_info_tmpdir_lib());
 		return errno;
 	}
 
 	if (0 != (rc = pmixp_mkdir(pmixp_info_tmpdir_cli(), rights))) {
-		PMIXP_ERROR_STD("Cannot create client tmpdir: \"%s\"",
+		PMIXP_ERROR_STD("Cannot create client cli tmpdir: \"%s\"",
 				pmixp_info_tmpdir_cli());
 		return errno;
 	}
diff --git a/src/plugins/mpi/pmix/pmixp_info.h b/src/plugins/mpi/pmix/pmixp_info.h
index 803b8da93957d6f1587c0c3021c8d843786f6430..0b1fb17fb8e4c4ce2805e04e5380245459881422 100644
--- a/src/plugins/mpi/pmix/pmixp_info.h
+++ b/src/plugins/mpi/pmix/pmixp_info.h
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ static inline char *pmixp_info_tmpdir_cli_base(void)
 	return _pmixp_job_info.cli_tmpdir_base;
 }
 
-/* Cli tempdir */
+/* Lib tempdir */
 static inline char *pmixp_info_tmpdir_lib(void)
 {
 	return _pmixp_job_info.lib_tmpdir;
diff --git a/src/plugins/mpi/pmix/pmixp_utils.c b/src/plugins/mpi/pmix/pmixp_utils.c
index 94ad445f9f86bc2c73bdfc05369ce3754fd4c018..43d5bb9bb9b1b33d52232f62f9c73603c81cb3c0 100644
--- a/src/plugins/mpi/pmix/pmixp_utils.c
+++ b/src/plugins/mpi/pmix/pmixp_utils.c
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ int pmixp_mkdir(char *path, mode_t rights)
 
 	if (0 != mkdir(path, rights) ) {
 		PMIXP_ERROR_STD("Cannot create directory \"%s\"",
-				pmixp_info_tmpdir_lib());
+				path);
 		return errno;
 	}
 
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ int pmixp_mkdir(char *path, mode_t rights)
 	}
 
 	if (chown(path, (uid_t) pmixp_info_jobuid(), (gid_t) -1) < 0) {
-		error("%s: chown(%s): %m", __func__, pmixp_info_tmpdir_lib());
+		error("%s: chown(%s): %m", __func__, path);
 		return errno;
 	}
 	return 0;