diff --git a/lib/kobject.c b/lib/kobject.c
index 21dee7c19afd..aeefa8bc8b1c 100644
--- a/lib/kobject.c
+++ b/lib/kobject.c
@@ -192,14 +192,14 @@ static int kobject_add_internal(struct kobject *kobj)
 
 		/* be noisy on error issues */
 		if (error == -EEXIST)
-			printk(KERN_ERR "%s failed for %s with "
-			       "-EEXIST, don't try to register things with "
-			       "the same name in the same directory.\n",
-			       __func__, kobject_name(kobj));
+			WARN(1, "%s failed for %s with "
+			     "-EEXIST, don't try to register things with "
+			     "the same name in the same directory.\n",
+			     __func__, kobject_name(kobj));
 		else
-			printk(KERN_ERR "%s failed for %s (%d)\n",
-			       __func__, kobject_name(kobj), error);
-		dump_stack();
+			WARN(1, "%s failed for %s (error: %d parent: %s)\n",
+			     __func__, kobject_name(kobj), error,
+			     parent ? kobject_name(parent) : "'none'");
 	} else
 		kobj->state_in_sysfs = 1;