diff --git a/replica/database.cc b/replica/database.cc
index c413a02bbb..e9e50b083d 100644
--- a/replica/database.cc
+++ b/replica/database.cc
@@ -1726,12 +1726,25 @@ future<mutation> database::apply_counter_update(schema_ptr s, const frozen_mutat
   }));
 }
 
+static void throw_commitlog_add_error(schema_ptr s, const frozen_mutation& m) {
+    // it is tempting to do a full pretty print here, but the mutation is likely
+    // humungous if we got an error, so just tell us where and pk...
+    std::throw_with_nested(std::runtime_error(format("Could not write mutation {}:{} ({}) to commitlog"
+        , s->ks_name(), s->cf_name()
+        , m.key()
+    )));
+}
+
 future<> database::apply_with_commitlog(column_family& cf, const mutation& m, db::timeout_clock::time_point timeout) {
     db::rp_handle h;
     if (cf.commitlog() != nullptr && cf.durable_writes()) {
         auto fm = freeze(m);
-        commitlog_entry_writer cew(m.schema(), fm, db::commitlog::force_sync::no);
-        h = co_await cf.commitlog()->add_entry(m.schema()->id(), cew, timeout);
+        try {
+            commitlog_entry_writer cew(m.schema(), fm, db::commitlog::force_sync::no);
+            h = co_await cf.commitlog()->add_entry(m.schema()->id(), cew, timeout);
+        } catch (...) {
+            throw_commitlog_add_error(cf.schema(), fm);
+        }
     }
     try {
         co_await apply_in_memory(m, cf, std::move(h), timeout);
@@ -1767,8 +1780,12 @@ future<> database::do_apply(schema_ptr s, const frozen_mutation& m, tracing::tra
     db::rp_handle h;
     auto cl = cf.commitlog();
     if (cl != nullptr && cf.durable_writes()) {
-        commitlog_entry_writer cew(s, m, sync);
-        h = co_await cf.commitlog()->add_entry(uuid, cew, timeout);
+        try {
+            commitlog_entry_writer cew(s, m, sync);
+            h = co_await cf.commitlog()->add_entry(uuid, cew, timeout);
+        } catch (...) {
+            throw_commitlog_add_error(s, m);
+        }
     }
     try {
         co_await this->apply_in_memory(m, s, std::move(h), timeout);