diff --git a/src/uu/dd/locales/en-US.ftl b/src/uu/dd/locales/en-US.ftl
index 1ae3b68cd5d..cacdd359a9a 100644
--- a/src/uu/dd/locales/en-US.ftl
+++ b/src/uu/dd/locales/en-US.ftl
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ dd-error-failed-to-open = failed to open { $path }
 dd-error-write-error = write error
 dd-error-failed-to-seek = failed to seek in output file
 dd-error-io-error = IO error
+dd-error-reading = error reading { $file }
+dd-error-writing = error writing { $file }
 dd-error-cannot-skip-offset = '{ $file }': cannot skip to specified offset
 dd-error-cannot-skip-invalid = '{ $file }': cannot skip: Invalid argument
 dd-error-cannot-seek-invalid = '{ $output }': cannot seek: Invalid argument
diff --git a/src/uu/dd/src/dd.rs b/src/uu/dd/src/dd.rs
index ac26efc79c2..378ff826b12 100644
--- a/src/uu/dd/src/dd.rs
+++ b/src/uu/dd/src/dd.rs
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 use clap::{Arg, Command};
 use gcd::Gcd;
 use uucore::display::Quotable;
-use uucore::error::{FromIo, UResult};
+use uucore::error::{FromIo, UError, UResult};
 #[cfg(unix)]
 use uucore::error::{USimpleError, set_exit_code};
 #[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "android", target_os = "freebsd"))]
@@ -1133,7 +1133,7 @@ fn flush_caches_full_length(i: &Input, o: &Output) {
 ///
 /// If there is a problem reading from the input or writing to
 /// this output.
-fn dd_copy(mut i: Input, o: Output) -> io::Result<()> {
+fn dd_copy(mut i: Input, o: Output) -> UResult<()> {
     // The read and write statistics.
     //
     // These objects are counters, initialized to zero. After each
@@ -1190,7 +1190,8 @@ fn dd_copy(mut i: Input, o: Output) -> io::Result<()> {
             &prog_tx,
             output_thread,
             truncate,
-        );
+        )
+        .map_err_context(|| translate!("dd-error-io-error"));
     }
 
     // Spawn a timer thread to provide a scheduled signal indicating when we
@@ -1221,9 +1222,23 @@ fn dd_copy(mut i: Input, o: Output) -> io::Result<()> {
     let output_nocache = o.settings.oflags.nocache;
     let output_direct = o.settings.oflags.direct;
 
+    // How the input and the output are named in error messages, as in GNU
+    // `dd`: the operand itself when given, `'standard input'` or
+    // `'standard output'` otherwise.
+    let input_name = i.settings.infile.as_deref().map_or_else(
+        || translate!("dd-standard-input"),
+        |f| f.quote().to_string(),
+    );
+    let output_name = i.settings.outfile.as_deref().map_or_else(
+        || translate!("dd-standard-output"),
+        |f| f.quote().to_string(),
+    );
+
     // Add partial block buffering, if needed.
     let mut o = if o.settings.buffered {
-        BlockWriter::Buffered(BufferedOutput::new(o)?)
+        BlockWriter::Buffered(
+            BufferedOutput::new(o).map_err_context(|| translate!("dd-error-io-error"))?,
+        )
     } else {
         BlockWriter::Unbuffered(o)
     };
@@ -1231,7 +1246,7 @@ fn dd_copy(mut i: Input, o: Output) -> io::Result<()> {
     // Aligned read scratch sized to the block size (the max size needed).
     // 4 KiB alignment satisfies block devices that enforce a strict
     // `dma_alignment` for `iflag=direct` reads — see `AlignedBuf`.
-    let mut buf = AlignedBuf::new(bsize)?;
+    let mut buf = AlignedBuf::new(bsize).map_err_context(|| translate!("dd-error-io-error"))?;
     // Separate scratch for `conv=block` / `conv=unblock`, which can change
     // the byte count and so cannot be done in-place in `buf`.
     let mut conv_buf: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
@@ -1243,7 +1258,7 @@ fn dd_copy(mut i: Input, o: Output) -> io::Result<()> {
     // each iteration and cumulative statistics are reported to
     // the progress reporting thread.
     // A failure ends the loop, so the statistics gathered so far still get reported.
-    let mut copy_error = None;
+    let mut copy_error: Option<Box<dyn UError>> = None;
     while below_count_limit(i.settings.count, &rstat) {
         // Read a block from the input then write the block to the output.
         //
@@ -1252,7 +1267,11 @@ fn dd_copy(mut i: Input, o: Output) -> io::Result<()> {
         // blocks already read and the number of blocks remaining.
         let loop_bsize = calc_loop_bsize(i.settings.count, &rstat, i.settings.ibs, bsize);
         let Ok((rstat_update, data)) = read_helper(&mut i, &mut buf, &mut conv_buf, loop_bsize)
-            .map_err(|e| copy_error = Some(e))
+            .map_err(|e| {
+                copy_error = Some(e.map_err_context(
+                    || translate!("dd-error-reading", "file" => input_name.clone()),
+                ));
+            })
         else {
             break;
         };
@@ -1265,7 +1284,14 @@ fn dd_copy(mut i: Input, o: Output) -> io::Result<()> {
             }
             break;
         }
-        let Ok(wstat_update) = o.write_blocks(data).map_err(|e| copy_error = Some(e)) else {
+        let Ok(wstat_update) = o.write_blocks(data).map_err(|e| {
+            copy_error = Some(
+                e.map_err_context(|| translate!("dd-error-writing", "file" => output_name.clone())),
+            );
+        }) else {
+            // The block was read before the write failed, so it still counts as
+            // a record in, as GNU `dd` reports it.
+            rstat += rstat_update;
             break;
         };
 
@@ -1325,6 +1351,7 @@ fn dd_copy(mut i: Input, o: Output) -> io::Result<()> {
     }
 
     finalize(o, rstat, wstat, start, &prog_tx, output_thread, truncate)
+        .map_err_context(|| translate!("dd-error-io-error"))
 }
 
 /// Flush output, print final stats, and join with the progress thread.
@@ -1600,7 +1627,7 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
         None if is_stdout_redirected_to_seekable_file() => Output::new_file_from_stdout(&settings)?,
         None => Output::new_stdout(&settings)?,
     };
-    dd_copy(i, o).map_err_context(|| translate!("dd-error-io-error"))
+    dd_copy(i, o)
 }
 
 pub fn uu_app() -> Command {
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_dd.rs b/tests/by-util/test_dd.rs
index 07df2388028..585a09dbfc7 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_dd.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_dd.rs
@@ -2300,9 +2300,26 @@ fn test_stats_are_reported_when_a_write_fails() {
     // second one is cut short at 256 KiB, and the third write fails.
     result.stderr_contains("1+1 records out");
     result.stderr_contains("786432 bytes");
+    // The third block was read before its write failed, so it counts as a
+    // record in.
+    result.stderr_contains("3+0 records in");
+    result.stderr_contains("error writing 'capped.bin'");
     assert_eq!(at.metadata("capped.bin").len(), CAP);
 }
 
+// A failing read names the operation and the input, as GNU `dd` does, instead
+// of reporting a bare "IO error".
+#[test]
+#[cfg(all(unix, not(target_os = "macos")))]
+fn test_read_error_names_the_input() {
+    let (at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();
+    at.mkdir("subdir");
+    ucmd.args(&["if=subdir", "of=/dev/null"])
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_contains("error reading 'subdir'")
+        .stderr_contains("0+0 records in");
+}
+
 #[cfg(all(feature = "feat_diagnostics", not(wasi_runner)))]
 mod diagnostics {
     use super::*;