diff --git a/include/net/lwtunnel.h b/include/net/lwtunnel.h
index ebfe237aad7e..ca6f002774ef 100644
--- a/include/net/lwtunnel.h
+++ b/include/net/lwtunnel.h
@@ -107,8 +107,10 @@ int lwtunnel_encap_add_ops(const struct lwtunnel_encap_ops *op,
 			   unsigned int num);
 int lwtunnel_encap_del_ops(const struct lwtunnel_encap_ops *op,
 			   unsigned int num);
-int lwtunnel_valid_encap_type(u16 encap_type);
-int lwtunnel_valid_encap_type_attr(struct nlattr *attr, int len);
+int lwtunnel_valid_encap_type(u16 encap_type,
+			      struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
+int lwtunnel_valid_encap_type_attr(struct nlattr *attr, int len,
+				   struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
 int lwtunnel_build_state(u16 encap_type,
 			 struct nlattr *encap,
 			 unsigned int family, const void *cfg,
@@ -172,11 +174,14 @@ static inline int lwtunnel_encap_del_ops(const struct lwtunnel_encap_ops *op,
 	return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 }
 
-static inline int lwtunnel_valid_encap_type(u16 encap_type)
+static inline int lwtunnel_valid_encap_type(u16 encap_type,
+					    struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
 {
+	NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "CONFIG_LWTUNNEL is not enabled in this kernel");
 	return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 }
-static inline int lwtunnel_valid_encap_type_attr(struct nlattr *attr, int len)
+static inline int lwtunnel_valid_encap_type_attr(struct nlattr *attr, int len,
+						 struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
 {
 	/* return 0 since we are not walking attr looking for
 	 * RTA_ENCAP_TYPE attribute on nexthops.
diff --git a/net/core/lwtunnel.c b/net/core/lwtunnel.c
index cfae3d5fe11f..ab840386a74d 100644
--- a/net/core/lwtunnel.c
+++ b/net/core/lwtunnel.c
@@ -126,14 +126,16 @@ int lwtunnel_build_state(u16 encap_type,
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(lwtunnel_build_state);
 
-int lwtunnel_valid_encap_type(u16 encap_type)
+int lwtunnel_valid_encap_type(u16 encap_type, struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
 {
 	const struct lwtunnel_encap_ops *ops;
 	int ret = -EINVAL;
 
 	if (encap_type == LWTUNNEL_ENCAP_NONE ||
-	    encap_type > LWTUNNEL_ENCAP_MAX)
+	    encap_type > LWTUNNEL_ENCAP_MAX) {
+		NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "Unknown lwt encapsulation type");
 		return ret;
+	}
 
 	rcu_read_lock();
 	ops = rcu_dereference(lwtun_encaps[encap_type]);
@@ -153,11 +155,16 @@ int lwtunnel_valid_encap_type(u16 encap_type)
 		}
 	}
 #endif
-	return ops ? 0 : -EOPNOTSUPP;
+	ret = ops ? 0 : -EOPNOTSUPP;
+	if (ret < 0)
+		NL_SET_ERR_MSG(extack, "lwt encapsulation type not supported");
+
+	return ret;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(lwtunnel_valid_encap_type);
 
-int lwtunnel_valid_encap_type_attr(struct nlattr *attr, int remaining)
+int lwtunnel_valid_encap_type_attr(struct nlattr *attr, int remaining,
+				   struct netlink_ext_ack *extack)
 {
 	struct rtnexthop *rtnh = (struct rtnexthop *)attr;
 	struct nlattr *nla_entype;
@@ -174,7 +181,8 @@ int lwtunnel_valid_encap_type_attr(struct nlattr *attr, int remaining)
 			if (nla_entype) {
 				encap_type = nla_get_u16(nla_entype);
 
-				if (lwtunnel_valid_encap_type(encap_type) != 0)
+				if (lwtunnel_valid_encap_type(encap_type,
+							      extack) != 0)
 					return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/net/ipv4/fib_frontend.c b/net/ipv4/fib_frontend.c
index 715b7967d8ea..4e678fa892dd 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/fib_frontend.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/fib_frontend.c
@@ -685,7 +685,8 @@ static int rtm_to_fib_config(struct net *net, struct sk_buff *skb,
 			break;
 		case RTA_MULTIPATH:
 			err = lwtunnel_valid_encap_type_attr(nla_data(attr),
-							     nla_len(attr));
+							     nla_len(attr),
+							     extack);
 			if (err < 0)
 				goto errout;
 			cfg->fc_mp = nla_data(attr);
@@ -702,7 +703,8 @@ static int rtm_to_fib_config(struct net *net, struct sk_buff *skb,
 			break;
 		case RTA_ENCAP_TYPE:
 			cfg->fc_encap_type = nla_get_u16(attr);
-			err = lwtunnel_valid_encap_type(cfg->fc_encap_type);
+			err = lwtunnel_valid_encap_type(cfg->fc_encap_type,
+							extack);
 			if (err < 0)
 				goto errout;
 			break;
diff --git a/net/ipv6/route.c b/net/ipv6/route.c
index 2fe84bdc4e60..524a76b5206e 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/route.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/route.c
@@ -3016,7 +3016,7 @@ static int rtm_to_fib6_config(struct sk_buff *skb, struct nlmsghdr *nlh,
 		cfg->fc_mp_len = nla_len(tb[RTA_MULTIPATH]);
 
 		err = lwtunnel_valid_encap_type_attr(cfg->fc_mp,
-						     cfg->fc_mp_len);
+						     cfg->fc_mp_len, extack);
 		if (err < 0)
 			goto errout;
 	}
@@ -3035,7 +3035,7 @@ static int rtm_to_fib6_config(struct sk_buff *skb, struct nlmsghdr *nlh,
 	if (tb[RTA_ENCAP_TYPE]) {
 		cfg->fc_encap_type = nla_get_u16(tb[RTA_ENCAP_TYPE]);
 
-		err = lwtunnel_valid_encap_type(cfg->fc_encap_type);
+		err = lwtunnel_valid_encap_type(cfg->fc_encap_type, extack);
 		if (err < 0)
 			goto errout;
 	}