diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 1e6bc5023..7bb1cd970 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@ linux-2.6 (3.1.6-2) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   [ Ben Hutchings ]
   * snapshot: Implement compat_ioctl (Closes: #502816)
 
+  [ Jonathan Nieder ]
+  * prerm: Print an error message when aborting removal of the running
+    kernel (Closes: #601962)
+
  -- Ben Hutchings <ben@decadent.org.uk>  Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:54:23 +0100
 
 linux-2.6 (3.1.6-1) unstable; urgency=low
diff --git a/debian/templates/temp.image.plain/prerm b/debian/templates/temp.image.plain/prerm
index 51b3bf029..1a3db34f0 100755
--- a/debian/templates/temp.image.plain/prerm
+++ b/debian/templates/temp.image.plain/prerm
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ if ($running eq $version) {
   die "Error retreiving answer for $question: $answer" if $ret;
 
   if ($answer =~ /^(y|t)/i) {
+    print STDERR "Aborting removal of running kernel image.\n";
     exit 1; #Operation not permitted
   }
   else {