diff --git a/src/background/config_rc.ts b/src/background/config_rc.ts
index 13d92f38..6b0b6b64 100644
--- a/src/background/config_rc.ts
+++ b/src/background/config_rc.ts
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ export async function writeRc(conf: string, force = false, filename = "auto") {
     } else {
         path = filename
     }
-    return await Native.writerc(path, force, conf)
+    await Native.writerc(path, force, conf)
+    return path
 }
 
 export async function runRc(rc: string) {
diff --git a/src/excmds.test.ts b/src/excmds.test.ts
index b0bc5926..26f7d9ac 100644
--- a/src/excmds.test.ts
+++ b/src/excmds.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import * as Native from "@src/lib/native"
 import * as Messaging from "@src/lib/messaging"
 import * as DOM from "@src/lib/dom"
 import state from "@src/state"
+import * as rc from "@src/background/config_rc"
 
 jest.mock("@src/lib/webext", () => ({
     ...jest.requireActual("@src/lib/webext"),
@@ -288,6 +289,32 @@ test.each(["mktridactylrc", "source"])(
     },
 )
 
+test("`mktridactylrc` reports the written path", async () => {
+    jest.mocked(Native.nativegate).mockResolvedValue(true)
+    jest.mocked(rc.writeRc).mockResolvedValue("/tmp/tridactylrc")
+
+    await backgroundExcmds.mktridactylrc()
+
+    expect(Messaging.messageActiveTab).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        "excmd_content",
+        "fillcmdline_tmp",
+        [3000, "# RC written to /tmp/tridactylrc"],
+    )
+})
+
+test.each([
+    [1, /already exists.*-f/],
+    [2, /parent directory.*writable/],
+])("`writerc` reports native error %i", async (code, error) => {
+    jest.mocked(browser.runtime.sendNativeMessage).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        code,
+    })
+
+    await expect(
+        Native.writerc("/tmp/tridactylrc", false, "secret config"),
+    ).rejects.toThrow(error)
+})
+
 test.each([
     ["guiset_quiet", ["gui", "none"], "0.1.1"],
     ["exclaim_quiet", [], "0"],
diff --git a/src/excmds.ts b/src/excmds.ts
index b0cb8933..70a1f72e 100644
--- a/src/excmds.ts
+++ b/src/excmds.ts
@@ -827,7 +827,7 @@ export async function nativeinstall() {
     With no arguments supplied the excmd will try to find an appropriate
     config path and write the rc file to there. Any argument given to the
     excmd excluding the `-f` flag will be treated as a path to write the rc
-    file to relative to the native messenger's location (`~/.local/share/tridactyl/`). By default, it silently refuses to overwrite existing files.
+    file to relative to the native messenger's location (`~/.local/share/tridactyl/`). By default, it refuses to overwrite existing files.
 
     The RC file will be split into sections that will be created if a config
     property is discovered within one of them:
@@ -872,7 +872,8 @@ export async function mktridactylrc(...args: string[]) {
         return fillcmdline_tmp(3000, "# RC copied to clipboard")
     }
     if (!(await Native.nativegate("0.1.11", false))) throw new Error("`:mktridactylrc` requires the native messenger. Run `:nativeinstall` or use `:mktridactylrc --clipboard`.")
-    if (!(await rc.writeRc(conf, overwrite, file))) logger.error("Could not write RC file")
+    const path = await rc.writeRc(conf, overwrite, file)
+    await fillcmdline_tmp(3000, `# RC written to ${path}`)
 
     return conf
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/native.ts b/src/lib/native.ts
index 32cd239b..11573082 100644
--- a/src/lib/native.ts
+++ b/src/lib/native.ts
@@ -347,9 +347,20 @@ export async function write(file: string, content: string) {
 }
 
 export async function writerc(file: string, force: boolean, content: string) {
-    return sendNativeMsg("writerc", { file, force, content }).catch(e => {
-        throw new Error(`Failed to write '${content}' to '${file}'. ${e}`)
-    })
+    const response = await sendNativeMsg("writerc", { file, force, content })
+    if (response.code === 1)
+        throw new Error(
+            `RC file '${file}' already exists. Use :mktridactylrc -f to overwrite it.`,
+        )
+    if (response.error || (response.code != null && response.code !== 0)) {
+        const error =
+            response.error ||
+            (response.code === 2
+                ? "check that its parent directory exists and is writable"
+                : `native messenger returned code ${response.code}`)
+        throw new Error(`Failed to write RC file '${file}': ${error}.`)
+    }
+    return response
 }
 
 export async function mkdir(dir: string, exist_ok: boolean) {