diff --git a/lib/libutil/passwd.c b/lib/libutil/passwd.c
index 867e77ddc708..c439dd5daef1 100644
--- a/lib/libutil/passwd.c
+++ b/lib/libutil/passwd.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: passwd.c,v 1.45 2006/12/20 16:47:13 christos Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: passwd.c,v 1.46 2008/12/21 17:54:43 christos Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 
 #include <sys/cdefs.h>
 #if defined(LIBC_SCCS) && !defined(lint)
-__RCSID("$NetBSD: passwd.c,v 1.45 2006/12/20 16:47:13 christos Exp $");
+__RCSID("$NetBSD: passwd.c,v 1.46 2008/12/21 17:54:43 christos Exp $");
 #endif /* LIBC_SCCS and not lint */
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ __RCSID("$NetBSD: passwd.c,v 1.45 2006/12/20 16:47:13 christos Exp $");
 
 static const char      *pw_filename(const char *filename);
 static void		pw_cont(int sig);
-static int		pw_equal(char *buf, struct passwd *old_pw);
+static const char *	pw_equal(char *buf, struct passwd *old_pw);
 static const char      *pw_default(const char *option);
 static int		read_line(FILE *fp, char *line, int max);
 static void		trim_whitespace(char *line);
@@ -290,7 +290,8 @@ pw_prompt(void)
 }
 
 /* for use in pw_copy(). Compare a pw entry to a pw struct. */
-static int
+/* returns a character string labelling the miscompared field or 0 */
+static const char *
 pw_equal(char *buf, struct passwd *pw)
 {
 	struct passwd buf_pw;
@@ -303,16 +304,26 @@ pw_equal(char *buf, struct passwd *pw)
 	if (buf[len-1] == '\n')
 		buf[len-1] = '\0';
 	if (!pw_scan(buf, &buf_pw, NULL))
-		return 0;
-	return !strcmp(pw->pw_name, buf_pw.pw_name)
-		&& pw->pw_uid == buf_pw.pw_uid
-		&& pw->pw_gid == buf_pw.pw_gid
-		&& !strcmp(pw->pw_class, buf_pw.pw_class)
-		&& (long)pw->pw_change == (long)buf_pw.pw_change
-		&& (long)pw->pw_expire == (long)buf_pw.pw_expire
-		&& !strcmp(pw->pw_gecos, buf_pw.pw_gecos)
-		&& !strcmp(pw->pw_dir, buf_pw.pw_dir)
-		&& !strcmp(pw->pw_shell, buf_pw.pw_shell);
+		return "corrupt line";
+	if (strcmp(pw->pw_name, buf_pw.pw_name) != 0)
+		return "name";
+	if (pw->pw_uid != buf_pw.pw_uid)
+		return "uid";
+	if (pw->pw_gid != buf_pw.pw_gid)
+		return "gid";
+	if (strcmp( pw->pw_class, buf_pw.pw_class) != 0)
+		return "class";
+	if (pw->pw_change != buf_pw.pw_change)
+		return "change";
+	if (pw->pw_expire != buf_pw.pw_expire)
+		return "expire";
+	if (strcmp( pw->pw_gecos, buf_pw.pw_gecos) != 0)
+		return "gecos";
+	if (strcmp( pw->pw_dir, buf_pw.pw_dir) != 0)
+		return "dir";
+	if (strcmp( pw->pw_shell, buf_pw.pw_shell) != 0)
+		return "shell";
+	return (char *)0;
 }
 
 void
@@ -365,6 +376,7 @@ pw_copyx(int ffd, int tfd, struct passwd *pw, struct passwd *old_pw,
 	}
 
 	for (done = 0; fgets(buf, (int)sizeof(buf), from);) {
+		const char *neq;
 		if (!strchr(buf, '\n')) {
 			snprintf(errbuf, errbufsz, "%s: line too long", mpwd);
 			(void)fclose(from);
@@ -402,9 +414,15 @@ pw_copyx(int ffd, int tfd, struct passwd *pw, struct passwd *old_pw,
 			continue;
 		}
 		*p = ':';
-		if (old_pw && !pw_equal(buf, old_pw)) {
-			snprintf(errbuf, errbufsz, "%s: entry inconsistent",
-			    mpwd);
+		if (old_pw && (neq = pw_equal(buf, old_pw)) != NULL) {
+			if (strcmp(neq, "corrupt line") == 0)
+				(void)snprintf(errbuf, errbufsz,
+				    "%s: entry %s corrupted", mpwd,
+				    pw->pw_name);
+			else
+				(void)snprintf(errbuf, errbufsz,
+				    "%s: entry %s inconsistent %s",
+				    mpwd, pw->pw_name, neq);
 			(void)fclose(from);
 			(void)fclose(to);
 			return (0);