diff --git a/pkg/stacker/build.go b/pkg/stacker/build.go
index 177f38ab..d737f7a4 100644
--- a/pkg/stacker/build.go
+++ b/pkg/stacker/build.go
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ func (b *Builder) build(s types.Storage, file string) error {
 						log.Infof("failed executing %s: %s\n", opts.OnRunFailure, err2)
 					}
 				}
-				return errors.Errorf("run commands failed: %s", err)
+				return errors.Errorf("run commands failed for image %q in %q: %s", name, sf.FilePath(), err)
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/stacker/convert.go b/pkg/stacker/convert.go
index 364bf9c4..7588d5b6 100644
--- a/pkg/stacker/convert.go
+++ b/pkg/stacker/convert.go
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ func (c *Converter) convertCommand(cmd *Command) error {
 			c.env[key] = val
 		}
 	case "workdir":
+		layer.Run = append(layer.Run, fmt.Sprintf("mkdir -p %s", cmd.Value[0]))
 		layer.Run = append(layer.Run, fmt.Sprintf("cd %s", cmd.Value[0]))
 		c.currDir = cmd.Value[0]
 	case "arg":
diff --git a/pkg/types/stackerfile.go b/pkg/types/stackerfile.go
index 5ae33287..4ef6e61b 100644
--- a/pkg/types/stackerfile.go
+++ b/pkg/types/stackerfile.go
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ func (sf *Stackerfile) Get(name string) (Layer, bool) {
 	return layer, ok
 }
 
+func (sf *Stackerfile) FilePath() string {
+	return sf.path
+}
+
 func (sf *Stackerfile) Len() int {
 	return len(sf.internal)
 }