diff --git a/src/plugins/android/androidconfigurations.cpp b/src/plugins/android/androidconfigurations.cpp
index 94dbbbb9e3f..e1945c594a0 100644
--- a/src/plugins/android/androidconfigurations.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/android/androidconfigurations.cpp
@@ -378,12 +378,28 @@ FileName AndroidConfigurations::zipalignPath() const
     return path.appendPath(QLatin1String("tools/zipalign" QTC_HOST_EXE_SUFFIX));
 }
 
-QString AndroidConfigurations::getDeployDeviceSerialNumber(int *apiLevel, const QString &abi) const
+QString AndroidConfigurations::getDeployDeviceSerialNumber(int *apiLevel, const QString &abi, QString *error) const
 {
-    QVector<AndroidDeviceInfo> devices = connectedDevices();
+    QVector<AndroidDeviceInfo> devices = connectedDevices(error);
 
     foreach (AndroidDeviceInfo device, devices) {
-        if (device.sdk >= *apiLevel && device.cpuAbi.contains(abi)) {
+        if (!device.cpuAbi.contains(abi)) {
+            if (error) {
+                *error += tr("Skipping %1: ABI is incompatible, device supports ABIs: %2.")
+                    .arg(getProductModel(device.serialNumber))
+                    .arg(device.cpuAbi.join(QLatin1String(" ")));
+                *error += QLatin1Char('\n');
+            }
+        } else if (device.sdk < *apiLevel) {
+            if (error) {
+                *error += tr("Skipping %1: API Level of device is: %2.")
+                        .arg(getProductModel(device.serialNumber))
+                        .arg(device.sdk);
+                *error += QLatin1Char('\n');
+            }
+        } else {
+            if (error)
+                error->clear(); // no errors if we found a device
             *apiLevel = device.sdk;
             return device.serialNumber;
         }
@@ -391,13 +407,15 @@ QString AndroidConfigurations::getDeployDeviceSerialNumber(int *apiLevel, const
     return QString();
 }
 
-QVector<AndroidDeviceInfo> AndroidConfigurations::connectedDevices() const
+QVector<AndroidDeviceInfo> AndroidConfigurations::connectedDevices(QString *error) const
 {
     QVector<AndroidDeviceInfo> devices;
     QProcess adbProc;
     adbProc.start(adbToolPath().toString(), QStringList() << QLatin1String("devices"));
     if (!adbProc.waitForFinished(-1)) {
         adbProc.kill();
+        if (error)
+            *error = tr("Could not run: %1").arg(adbToolPath().toString() + QLatin1String(" devices"));
         return devices;
     }
     QList<QByteArray> adbDevs = adbProc.readAll().trimmed().split('\n');
@@ -425,6 +443,8 @@ QVector<AndroidDeviceInfo> AndroidConfigurations::connectedDevices() const
         devices.push_back(dev);
     }
     qSort(devices.begin(), devices.end(), androidDevicesLessThan);
+    if (devices.isEmpty() && error)
+        *error = tr("No devices found in output of: %1").arg(adbToolPath().toString() + QLatin1String(" devices"));
     return devices;
 }
 
@@ -603,6 +623,30 @@ int AndroidConfigurations::getSDKVersion(const QString &device) const
     return adbProc.readAll().trimmed().toInt();
 }
 
+//!
+//! \brief AndroidConfigurations::getProductModel
+//! \param device serial number
+//! \return the produce model of the device or if that cannot be read the serial number
+//!
+QString AndroidConfigurations::getProductModel(const QString &device) const
+{
+    // workaround for '????????????' serial numbers
+    QStringList arguments = AndroidDeviceInfo::adbSelector(device);
+    arguments << QLatin1String("shell") << QLatin1String("getprop")
+              << QLatin1String("ro.product.model");
+
+    QProcess adbProc;
+    adbProc.start(adbToolPath().toString(), arguments);
+    if (!adbProc.waitForFinished(-1)) {
+        adbProc.kill();
+        return device;
+    }
+    QString model = QString::fromLocal8Bit(adbProc.readAll().trimmed());
+    if (model.isEmpty())
+        return device;
+    return model;
+}
+
 QStringList AndroidConfigurations::getAbis(const QString &device) const
 {
     QStringList result;
diff --git a/src/plugins/android/androidconfigurations.h b/src/plugins/android/androidconfigurations.h
index 0fae8c711a4..0531e323ab1 100644
--- a/src/plugins/android/androidconfigurations.h
+++ b/src/plugins/android/androidconfigurations.h
@@ -92,10 +92,10 @@ public:
     Utils::FileName zipalignPath() const;
     Utils::FileName stripPath(ProjectExplorer::Abi::Architecture architecture, const QString &ndkToolChainVersion) const;
     Utils::FileName readelfPath(ProjectExplorer::Abi::Architecture architecture, const QString &ndkToolChainVersion) const;
-    QString getDeployDeviceSerialNumber(int *apiLevel, const QString &abi) const;
+    QString getDeployDeviceSerialNumber(int *apiLevel, const QString &abi, QString *error = 0) const;
     bool createAVD(const QString &target, const QString &name, int sdcardSize) const;
     bool removeAVD(const QString &name) const;
-    QVector<AndroidDeviceInfo> connectedDevices() const;
+    QVector<AndroidDeviceInfo> connectedDevices(QString *error = 0) const;
     QVector<AndroidDeviceInfo> androidVirtualDevices() const;
     QString startAVD(int *apiLevel, const QString &name = QString()) const;
     QString bestMatch(const QString &targetAPI) const;
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ public:
     // called from AndroidPlugin
     void updateAndroidDevice();
 
+    QString getProductModel(const QString &device) const;
+
 signals:
     void updated();
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/android/androiddeploystep.cpp b/src/plugins/android/androiddeploystep.cpp
index 76f1975c92e..e3d50641e1e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/android/androiddeploystep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/android/androiddeploystep.cpp
@@ -99,11 +99,18 @@ bool AndroidDeployStep::init()
     const QString targetSDK = AndroidManager::targetSDK(target());
     const QString targetArch = AndroidManager::targetArch(target());
 
-    writeOutput(tr("Please wait, searching for a suitable device for target:%1.").arg(targetSDK));
+    writeOutput(tr("Please wait, searching for a suitable device for target:%1, ABI:%2").arg(targetSDK).arg(targetArch));
     m_deviceAPILevel = targetSDK.mid(targetSDK.indexOf(QLatin1Char('-')) + 1).toInt();
-    m_deviceSerialNumber = AndroidConfigurations::instance().getDeployDeviceSerialNumber(&m_deviceAPILevel, targetArch);
-    if (m_deviceSerialNumber.isEmpty())
+    QString error;
+    m_deviceSerialNumber = AndroidConfigurations::instance().getDeployDeviceSerialNumber(&m_deviceAPILevel, targetArch, &error);
+    if (!error.isEmpty())
+        writeOutput(error);
+
+    if (m_deviceSerialNumber.isEmpty()) {
+        writeOutput(tr("Falling back to android virtual machine device."));
         m_deviceSerialNumber = AndroidConfigurations::instance().startAVD(&m_deviceAPILevel);
+    }
+
     if (!m_deviceSerialNumber.length()) {
         m_deviceSerialNumber.clear();
         raiseError(tr("Cannot deploy: no devices or emulators found for your package."));