diff --git a/helpers.h b/helpers.h
index 6dafaf7d..da1e879b 100644
--- a/helpers.h
+++ b/helpers.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 
 
 #ifndef touch
-# define touch(x) mknod((x), S_IFREG|0644, 0)
+# define touch(x) do { if (mknod((x), S_IFREG|0644, 0) && errno != EEXIST) _pe("Failed creating %s", x); } while (0)
 #endif
 #ifndef chardev
 # define chardev(x,m,maj,min) mknod((x), S_IFCHR|(m), makedev((maj),(min)))