diff --git a/src/widgets/krun.cpp b/src/widgets/krun.cpp
--- a/src/widgets/krun.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/krun.cpp
@@ -1750,19 +1750,24 @@
     terminateStartupNotification(); // do this before the messagebox
 
     if (exitCode != 0 && !m_executable.isEmpty()) {
+        QString errorString;
+        const bool foundExec = !QStandardPaths::findExecutable(m_executable).isEmpty();
         // Let's see if the error is because the exe doesn't exist.
         // When this happens, waitForStarted returns false, but not if kioexec
         // was involved, then we come here, that's why the code is here.
         //
         // We'll try to find the executable relatively to current directory,
         // (or with a full path, if m_executable is absolute), and then in the PATH.
-        if (!QFile(m_executable).exists() && QStandardPaths::findExecutable(m_executable).isEmpty()) {
-            const QString &errorString = i18n("Could not find the program '%1'", m_executable);
-            qWarning() << errorString;
-            emit error(errorString);
-        } else {
-            //qDebug() << process->readAllStandardError();
+        if (!QFileInfo(m_executable).isExecutable() && !foundExec) {
+            errorString = i18n("Could not find an executable program with the name '%1'", m_executable);
+        } else if (foundExec) {
+            // We found an executable but it failed to launch for some reason
+            errorString = i18n("The executable '%1' terminated abnormally.\n"
+                                "For more details try running it from a terminal emulator (e.g. Konsole).",
+                                m_executable, exitCode);
         }
+        qWarning() << errorString;
+        emit error(errorString);
     }
 
     deleteLater();
diff --git a/src/widgets/krun_p.h b/src/widgets/krun_p.h
--- a/src/widgets/krun_p.h
+++ b/src/widgets/krun_p.h
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
     void error(const QString &errorString);
 
 private Q_SLOTS:
-    void slotProcessExited(int, QProcess::ExitStatus);
+    void slotProcessExited(int exitCode, QProcess::ExitStatus);
 
 private:
     void init(const KService::Ptr &service, const QString &bin, const QString &userVisibleName,