diff --git a/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt b/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt
index 8b61c93609994dd91e36c25e1b29647ad084eaff..01ece1b9213e97de22f1cc02faf4f0bae5165e96 100644
--- a/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt
+++ b/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt
@@ -1759,7 +1759,7 @@ and is between 256 and 4096 characters. It is defined in the file
 
 	nousb		[USB] Disable the USB subsystem
 
-	nowatchdog	[KNL] Disable the lockup detector.
+	nowatchdog	[KNL] Disable the lockup detector (NMI watchdog).
 
 	nowb		[ARM]
 
diff --git a/kernel/watchdog.c b/kernel/watchdog.c
index 6e3c41a4024c1cc66be01218e2c37498498f2469..5b082156cd2146fcf0971568d8eb28cb371b3627 100644
--- a/kernel/watchdog.c
+++ b/kernel/watchdog.c
@@ -364,7 +364,8 @@ static int watchdog_nmi_enable(int cpu)
 		goto out_save;
 	}
 
-	printk(KERN_ERR "NMI watchdog failed to create perf event on cpu%i: %p\n", cpu, event);
+	printk(KERN_ERR "NMI watchdog disabled for cpu%i: unable to create perf event: %ld\n",
+	       cpu, PTR_ERR(event));
 	return PTR_ERR(event);
 
 	/* success path */