diff --git a/uroot/initramfs/archive.go b/uroot/initramfs/archive.go
index 9d8f1a4..893e570 100644
--- a/uroot/initramfs/archive.go
+++ b/uroot/initramfs/archive.go
@@ -6,11 +6,17 @@
 package initramfs
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"io"
 
 	"github.com/u-root/mkuimage/cpio"
 )
 
+// Possible errors.
+var (
+	ErrNoPath = errors.New("invalid argument: must specify path")
+)
+
 // ReadOpener opens a cpio.RecordReader.
 type ReadOpener interface {
 	OpenReader() (cpio.RecordReader, error)
diff --git a/uroot/initramfs/cpio.go b/uroot/initramfs/cpio.go
index 791354e..bbe876f 100644
--- a/uroot/initramfs/cpio.go
+++ b/uroot/initramfs/cpio.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ var _ WriteOpener = &CPIOFile{}
 // OpenWriter opens c.Path for writing.
 func (c *CPIOFile) OpenWriter() (Writer, error) {
 	if len(c.Path) == 0 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("path is required")
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to write to CPIO: %w", ErrNoPath)
 	}
 	f, err := os.OpenFile(c.Path, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC, 0o644)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func (c *CPIOFile) OpenWriter() (Writer, error) {
 // OpenReader opens c.Path for reading.
 func (c *CPIOFile) OpenReader() (cpio.RecordReader, error) {
 	if len(c.Path) == 0 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("path is required")
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read from CPIO: %w", ErrNoPath)
 	}
 	f, err := os.Open(c.Path)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/uroot/initramfs/dir.go b/uroot/initramfs/dir.go
index bc847c6..7108803 100644
--- a/uroot/initramfs/dir.go
+++ b/uroot/initramfs/dir.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ var _ WriteOpener = &Dir{}
 // OpenWriter implements Archiver.OpenWriter.
 func (d *Dir) OpenWriter() (Writer, error) {
 	if len(d.Path) == 0 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("path is required")
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to use directory as output: %w", ErrNoPath)
 	}
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(d.Path, 0o755); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrExist) {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/uroot/uroot.go b/uroot/uroot.go
index 1121a1d..c85326d 100644
--- a/uroot/uroot.go
+++ b/uroot/uroot.go
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ func CreateInitramfs(logger ulog.Logger, opts Opts) error {
 
 	// Finally, write the archive.
 	if err := initramfs.Write(archive); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error archiving: %v", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("error archiving: %w", err)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/uroot/uroot_test.go b/uroot/uroot_test.go
index 38dca11..bd62057 100644
--- a/uroot/uroot_test.go
+++ b/uroot/uroot_test.go
@@ -405,10 +405,57 @@ func TestCreateInitramfs(t *testing.T) {
 				itest.IsEmpty{},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "cpio no path given",
+			opts: Opts{
+				TempDir:    dir,
+				InitCmd:    "/bin/systemd",
+				OutputFile: &initramfs.CPIOFile{},
+			},
+			errs: []error{initramfs.ErrNoPath},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "dir no path given",
+			opts: Opts{
+				TempDir:    dir,
+				InitCmd:    "/bin/systemd",
+				OutputFile: &initramfs.Dir{},
+			},
+			errs: []error{initramfs.ErrNoPath},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "dir failed to create",
+			opts: Opts{
+				TempDir:    dir,
+				InitCmd:    "/bin/systemd",
+				OutputFile: &initramfs.Dir{Path: filepath.Join(tmp400, "foobar")},
+			},
+			errs: []error{os.ErrPermission},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "cpio failed to create",
+			opts: Opts{
+				TempDir:    dir,
+				InitCmd:    "/bin/systemd",
+				OutputFile: &initramfs.CPIOFile{Path: filepath.Join(tmp400, "foobar")},
+			},
+			errs: []error{os.ErrPermission},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "cpio basefile no path given",
+			opts: Opts{
+				TempDir:     dir,
+				InitCmd:     "/bin/systemd",
+				BaseArchive: &initramfs.CPIOFile{},
+			},
+			errs: []error{initramfs.ErrNoPath},
+		},
 	} {
 		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("Test %d [%s]", i, tt.name), func(t *testing.T) {
 			archive := cpio.InMemArchive()
-			tt.opts.OutputFile = &initramfs.Archive{Archive: archive}
+			if tt.opts.OutputFile == nil {
+				tt.opts.OutputFile = &initramfs.Archive{Archive: archive}
+			}
 			err := CreateInitramfs(l, tt.opts)
 			for _, want := range tt.errs {
 				if !errors.Is(err, want) {