diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index f04e477e3d..bb504f98a6 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -7932,8 +7932,10 @@ virDomainDefPtr virDomainDefParseNode(virCapsPtr caps,
     virDomainDefPtr def = NULL;
 
     if (!xmlStrEqual(root->name, BAD_CAST "domain")) {
-        virDomainReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                              "%s", _("incorrect root element"));
+        virDomainReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
+                             _("unexpected root element <%s>, "
+                               "expecting <domain>"),
+                             root->name);
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -7963,8 +7965,10 @@ virDomainObjParseNode(virCapsPtr caps,
     virDomainObjPtr obj = NULL;
 
     if (!xmlStrEqual(root->name, BAD_CAST "domstatus")) {
-        virDomainReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                             "%s", _("incorrect root element"));
+        virDomainReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
+                             _("unexpected root element <%s>, "
+                               "expecting <domstatus>"),
+                             root->name);
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/interface_conf.c b/src/conf/interface_conf.c
index fd8d1ae28f..59f74a1ab7 100644
--- a/src/conf/interface_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/interface_conf.c
@@ -838,8 +838,10 @@ virInterfaceDefPtr virInterfaceDefParseNode(xmlDocPtr xml,
     virInterfaceDefPtr def = NULL;
 
     if (!xmlStrEqual(root->name, BAD_CAST "interface")) {
-        virInterfaceReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                              "%s", _("incorrect root element"));
+        virInterfaceReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
+                                _("unexpected root element <%s>, "
+                                  "expecting <interface>"),
+                                root->name);
         return NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/network_conf.c b/src/conf/network_conf.c
index 10afcde6d9..1058b0774a 100644
--- a/src/conf/network_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/network_conf.c
@@ -1107,8 +1107,10 @@ virNetworkDefPtr virNetworkDefParseNode(xmlDocPtr xml,
     virNetworkDefPtr def = NULL;
 
     if (!xmlStrEqual(root->name, BAD_CAST "network")) {
-        virNetworkReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                              "%s", _("incorrect root element"));
+        virNetworkReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
+                              _("unexpected root element <%s>, "
+                                "expecting <network>"),
+                              root->name);
         return NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/node_device_conf.c b/src/conf/node_device_conf.c
index fc284e01e0..084121f26d 100644
--- a/src/conf/node_device_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/node_device_conf.c
@@ -1204,8 +1204,10 @@ virNodeDeviceDefParseNode(xmlDocPtr xml,
     virNodeDeviceDefPtr def = NULL;
 
     if (!xmlStrEqual(root->name, BAD_CAST "device")) {
-        virNodeDeviceReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                                 "%s", _("incorrect root element"));
+        virNodeDeviceReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
+                                 _("unexpected root element <%s> "
+                                   "expecting <device>"),
+                                 root->name);
         return NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/secret_conf.c b/src/conf/secret_conf.c
index a51fc6963a..6e80733dd2 100644
--- a/src/conf/secret_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/secret_conf.c
@@ -126,8 +126,10 @@ secretXMLParseNode(xmlDocPtr xml, xmlNodePtr root)
     char *uuidstr = NULL;
 
     if (!xmlStrEqual(root->name, BAD_CAST "secret")) {
-        virSecretReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR, "%s",
-                             _("incorrect root element"));
+        virSecretReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR,
+                             _("unexpected root element <%s>, "
+                               "expecting <secret>"),
+                             root->name);
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c b/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c
index ad0697424f..14399cce63 100644
--- a/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c
+++ b/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ caps_mockup(vahControl * ctl, const char *xmlStr)
     }
 
     if (!xmlStrEqual(ctxt->node->name, BAD_CAST "domain")) {
-        vah_error(NULL, 0, _("incorrect root element"));
+        vah_error(NULL, 0, _("unexpected root element, expecting <domain>"));
         goto cleanup;
     }