diff --git a/src/DAMASK_abaqus.f b/src/DAMASK_abaqus.f
index e0045a2eb..69f6fba4b 100644
--- a/src/DAMASK_abaqus.f
+++ b/src/DAMASK_abaqus.f
@@ -53,7 +53,10 @@ subroutine DAMASK_interface_init
 
  call getoutdir(wd, lenOutDir)
  ierr = CHDIR(wd)
- if (ierr /= 0) call quit(0)
+ if (ierr /= 0) then
+   write(6,'(a20,a,a16)') ' working directory "',trim(wd),'" does not exist'
+   call quit(1)
+ endif
 
 #include "compilation_info.f90"  
 
diff --git a/src/DAMASK_marc.f90 b/src/DAMASK_marc.f90
index 51006de72..0f3be66d0 100644
--- a/src/DAMASK_marc.f90
+++ b/src/DAMASK_marc.f90
@@ -67,7 +67,10 @@ subroutine DAMASK_interface_init
  inquire(5, name=wd)                                                                                ! determine inputputfile
  wd = wd(1:scan(wd,'/',back=.true.))
  ierr = CHDIR(wd)
- if (ierr /= 0) call quit(0)
+ if (ierr /= 0) then
+   write(6,'(a20,a,a16)') ' working directory "',trim(wd),'" does not exist'
+   call quit(1)
+ endif
 
 end subroutine DAMASK_interface_init