diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwinput/controllermanager.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwinput/controllermanager.cpp
index 7054f72c8f..6d82b1e226 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwinput/controllermanager.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwinput/controllermanager.cpp
@@ -34,16 +34,27 @@ namespace MWInput
     {
         if (!controllerBindingsFile.empty())
         {
-            SDL_GameControllerAddMappingsFromFile(Files::pathToUnicodeString(controllerBindingsFile).c_str());
+            const int result
+                = SDL_GameControllerAddMappingsFromFile(Files::pathToUnicodeString(controllerBindingsFile).c_str());
+            if (result < 0)
+                Log(Debug::Error) << "Failed to add game controller mappings from file \"" << controllerBindingsFile
+                                  << "\": " << SDL_GetError();
         }
 
         if (!userControllerBindingsFile.empty())
         {
-            SDL_GameControllerAddMappingsFromFile(Files::pathToUnicodeString(userControllerBindingsFile).c_str());
+            const int result
+                = SDL_GameControllerAddMappingsFromFile(Files::pathToUnicodeString(userControllerBindingsFile).c_str());
+            if (result < 0)
+                Log(Debug::Error) << "Failed to add game controller mappings from user file \""
+                                  << userControllerBindingsFile << "\": " << SDL_GetError();
         }
 
         // Open all presently connected sticks
-        int numSticks = SDL_NumJoysticks();
+        const int numSticks = SDL_NumJoysticks();
+        if (numSticks < 0)
+            Log(Debug::Error) << "Failed to get number of joysticks: " << SDL_GetError();
+
         for (int i = 0; i < numSticks; i++)
         {
             if (SDL_IsGameController(i))
@@ -52,11 +63,17 @@ namespace MWInput
                 evt.which = i;
                 static const int fakeDeviceID = 1;
                 ControllerManager::controllerAdded(fakeDeviceID, evt);
-                Log(Debug::Info) << "Detected game controller: " << SDL_GameControllerNameForIndex(i);
+                if (const char* name = SDL_GameControllerNameForIndex(i))
+                    Log(Debug::Info) << "Detected game controller: " << name;
+                else
+                    Log(Debug::Warning) << "Detected game controller without a name: " << SDL_GetError();
             }
             else
             {
-                Log(Debug::Info) << "Detected unusable controller: " << SDL_JoystickNameForIndex(i);
+                if (const char* name = SDL_JoystickNameForIndex(i))
+                    Log(Debug::Info) << "Detected unusable controller: " << name;
+                else
+                    Log(Debug::Warning) << "Detected unusable controller without a name: " << SDL_GetError();
             }
         }
 
@@ -336,8 +353,11 @@ namespace MWInput
             return;
         if (!SDL_GameControllerHasSensor(cntrl, SDL_SENSOR_GYRO))
             return;
-        if (SDL_GameControllerSetSensorEnabled(cntrl, SDL_SENSOR_GYRO, SDL_TRUE) < 0)
+        if (const int result = SDL_GameControllerSetSensorEnabled(cntrl, SDL_SENSOR_GYRO, SDL_TRUE); result < 0)
+        {
+            Log(Debug::Error) << "Failed to enable game controller sensor: " << SDL_GetError();
             return;
+        }
         mGyroAvailable = true;
 #endif
     }
@@ -353,7 +373,11 @@ namespace MWInput
 #if SDL_VERSION_ATLEAST(2, 0, 14)
         SDL_GameController* cntrl = mBindingsManager->getControllerOrNull();
         if (cntrl && mGyroAvailable)
-            SDL_GameControllerGetSensorData(cntrl, SDL_SENSOR_GYRO, gyro, 3);
+        {
+            const int result = SDL_GameControllerGetSensorData(cntrl, SDL_SENSOR_GYRO, gyro, 3);
+            if (result < 0)
+                Log(Debug::Error) << "Failed to get game controller sensor data: " << SDL_GetError();
+        }
 #endif
         return std::array<float, 3>({ gyro[0], gyro[1], gyro[2] });
     }