diff --git a/pkg/recipe/recipe.go b/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
index 4782bccb..87c51669 100644
--- a/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
+++ b/pkg/recipe/recipe.go
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ func EnsureUpToDate(recipeName string) error {
 
 	isClean, err := gitPkg.IsClean(recipeDir)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to check git clean status in %s: %s", recipeDir, err)
 	}
 
 	if !isClean {
@@ -594,12 +594,12 @@ func EnsureUpToDate(recipeName string) error {
 
 	repo, err := git.PlainOpen(recipeDir)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to open %s: %s", recipeDir, err)
 	}
 
 	remotes, err := repo.Remotes()
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to read remotes in %s: %s", recipeDir, err)
 	}
 
 	if len(remotes) == 0 {
@@ -609,12 +609,12 @@ func EnsureUpToDate(recipeName string) error {
 
 	worktree, err := repo.Worktree()
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to open git work tree in %s: %s", recipeDir, err)
 	}
 
 	branch, err := gitPkg.CheckoutDefaultBranch(repo, recipeDir)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to check out default branch in %s: %s", recipeDir, err)
 	}
 
 	fetchOpts := &git.FetchOptions{
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ func EnsureUpToDate(recipeName string) error {
 	}
 	if err := repo.Fetch(fetchOpts); err != nil {
 		if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "already up-to-date") {
-			return err
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to fetch tags in %s: %s", recipeDir, err)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -636,7 +636,7 @@ func EnsureUpToDate(recipeName string) error {
 
 	if err := worktree.Pull(opts); err != nil {
 		if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "already up-to-date") {
-			return err
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to git pull in %s: %s", recipeDir, err)
 		}
 	}