diff --git a/dracut-functions.sh b/dracut-functions.sh
index 39a2767149..6dfbe87c4c 100755
--- a/dracut-functions.sh
+++ b/dracut-functions.sh
@@ -1150,15 +1150,24 @@ inst_script() {
 inst_simple() {
     local dstdir="${dstdir:-"$initdir"}"
     local _ret _hostonly_install
-    if [[ $1 == "-H" ]] && [[ $hostonly ]]; then
-        _hostonly_install="-H"
-        shift
+    if [[ $1 == "-H" ]]; then
+        if [[ $hostonly ]]; then
+            _hostonly_install="-H"
+            shift
+        else
+            ddebug "skipping install of '$2', not in hostonly mode"
+            return 0
+        fi
     fi
     [[ -e ${dstdir}/"${2:-$1}" ]] && return 0 # already there
     if [[ $1 == /* ]]; then
-        [[ -e ${dracutsysrootdir-}/${1#"${dracutsysrootdir-}"} ]] || return 1 # no source
-    else
-        [[ -e $1 ]] || return 1 # no source
+        if [[ ! -e ${dracutsysrootdir-}/${1#"${dracutsysrootdir-}"} ]]; then
+            dwarn "no source: '$1'!"
+            return 1
+        fi
+    elif [[ ! -e $1 ]]; then
+        dwarn "no source: '$1'!"
+        return 1
     fi
     if $DRACUT_INSTALL ${dracutsysrootdir:+-r "$dracutsysrootdir"} ${dstdir:+-D "$dstdir"} ${loginstall:+-L "$loginstall"} ${_hostonly_install:+-H} "$@"; then
         return 0
diff --git a/src/install/dracut-install.c b/src/install/dracut-install.c
index a3f0cdb7c4..b9409e0d31 100644
--- a/src/install/dracut-install.c
+++ b/src/install/dracut-install.c
@@ -1431,7 +1431,7 @@ static int dracut_install(const char *orig_src, const char *orig_dst, bool isdir
                         if (!hash_path)
                                 return -ENOMEM;
                         hashmap_put(items_failed, hash_path, hash_path);
-                        /* src does not exist */
+                        log_debug("src does not exist: '%s'; fullsrcpath: '%s'", src, fullsrcpath);
                         return 1;
                 }
         } else {