diff --git a/hw/core/loader.c b/hw/core/loader.c
index 45aaba6158b8..9feca32de989 100644
--- a/hw/core/loader.c
+++ b/hw/core/loader.c
@@ -1176,10 +1176,42 @@ static bool roms_overlap(Rom *last_rom, Rom *this_rom)
         last_rom->addr + last_rom->romsize > this_rom->addr;
 }
 
+static const char *rom_as_name(Rom *rom)
+{
+    const char *name = rom->as ? rom->as->name : NULL;
+    return name ?: "anonymous";
+}
+
+static void rom_print_overlap_error_header(void)
+{
+    error_report("Some ROM regions are overlapping");
+    error_printf(
+        "These ROM regions might have been loaded by "
+        "direct user request or by default.\n"
+        "They could be BIOS/firmware images, a guest kernel, "
+        "initrd or some other file loaded into guest memory.\n"
+        "Check whether you intended to load all this guest code, and "
+        "whether it has been built to load to the correct addresses.\n");
+}
+
+static void rom_print_one_overlap_error(Rom *last_rom, Rom *rom)
+{
+    error_printf(
+        "\nThe following two regions overlap (in the %s address space):\n",
+        rom_as_name(rom));
+    error_printf(
+        "  %s (addresses 0x" TARGET_FMT_plx " - 0x" TARGET_FMT_plx ")\n",
+        last_rom->name, last_rom->addr, last_rom->addr + last_rom->romsize);
+    error_printf(
+        "  %s (addresses 0x" TARGET_FMT_plx " - 0x" TARGET_FMT_plx ")\n",
+        rom->name, rom->addr, rom->addr + rom->romsize);
+}
+
 int rom_check_and_register_reset(void)
 {
     MemoryRegionSection section;
     Rom *rom, *last_rom = NULL;
+    bool found_overlap = false;
 
     QTAILQ_FOREACH(rom, &roms, next) {
         if (rom->fw_file) {
@@ -1187,12 +1219,12 @@ int rom_check_and_register_reset(void)
         }
         if (!rom->mr) {
             if (roms_overlap(last_rom, rom)) {
-                fprintf(stderr, "rom: requested regions overlap "
-                        "(rom %s. free=0x" TARGET_FMT_plx
-                        ", addr=0x" TARGET_FMT_plx ")\n",
-                        rom->name, last_rom->addr + last_rom->romsize,
-                        rom->addr);
-                return -1;
+                if (!found_overlap) {
+                    found_overlap = true;
+                    rom_print_overlap_error_header();
+                }
+                rom_print_one_overlap_error(last_rom, rom);
+                /* Keep going through the list so we report all overlaps */
             }
             last_rom = rom;
         }
@@ -1201,6 +1233,10 @@ int rom_check_and_register_reset(void)
         rom->isrom = int128_nz(section.size) && memory_region_is_rom(section.mr);
         memory_region_unref(section.mr);
     }
+    if (found_overlap) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     qemu_register_reset(rom_reset, NULL);
     roms_loaded = 1;
     return 0;
diff --git a/softmmu/vl.c b/softmmu/vl.c
index 7146fbe21986..cbf3896ce661 100644
--- a/softmmu/vl.c
+++ b/softmmu/vl.c
@@ -3278,7 +3278,6 @@ static void qemu_machine_creation_done(void)
     qemu_run_machine_init_done_notifiers();
 
     if (rom_check_and_register_reset() != 0) {
-        error_report("rom check and register reset failed");
         exit(1);
     }