diff --git a/src/amd/common/ac_spm.c b/src/amd/common/ac_spm.c
index 52e33c43df9..e24da87fb69 100644
--- a/src/amd/common/ac_spm.c
+++ b/src/amd/common/ac_spm.c
@@ -492,6 +492,7 @@ bool ac_init_spm(const struct radeon_info *info,
       create_info = gfx11_spm_counters;
       break;
    default:
+      fprintf(stderr, "radv: Failed to initialize SPM because SPM counters aren't implemented.\n");
       return false; /* not implemented */
    }
 
diff --git a/src/amd/vulkan/radv_spm.c b/src/amd/vulkan/radv_spm.c
index 78735f7fb37..5f4d500d6a8 100644
--- a/src/amd/vulkan/radv_spm.c
+++ b/src/amd/vulkan/radv_spm.c
@@ -282,8 +282,10 @@ radv_spm_init(struct radv_device *device)
    struct ac_perfcounters *pc = &pdev->ac_perfcounters;
 
    /* We failed to initialize the performance counters. */
-   if (!pc->blocks)
+   if (!pc->blocks) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "radv: Failed to initialize SPM because perf counters aren't implemented.\n");
       return false;
+   }
 
    if (!ac_init_spm(gpu_info, pc, &device->spm))
       return false;