diff --git a/cli/format_test.go b/cli/format_test.go
index 7a4b8e8..0d86cba 100644
--- a/cli/format_test.go
+++ b/cli/format_test.go
@@ -65,44 +65,58 @@ func TestAllowMissingFormatter(t *testing.T) {
 func TestSpecifyingFormatters(t *testing.T) {
 	as := require.New(t)
 
-	tempDir := test.TempExamples(t)
-	configPath := tempDir + "/treefmt.toml"
-
-	test.WriteConfig(t, configPath, config2.Config{
+	cfg := config2.Config{
 		Formatters: map[string]*config2.Formatter{
 			"elm": {
 				Command:  "touch",
+				Options:  []string{"-m"},
 				Includes: []string{"*.elm"},
 			},
 			"nix": {
 				Command:  "touch",
+				Options:  []string{"-m"},
 				Includes: []string{"*.nix"},
 			},
 			"ruby": {
 				Command:  "touch",
+				Options:  []string{"-m"},
 				Includes: []string{"*.rb"},
 			},
 		},
-	})
+	}
 
+	var tempDir, configPath string
+
+	// we reset the temp dir between successive runs as it appears that touching the file and modifying the mtime can
+	// is not granular enough between assertions in quick succession
+	setup := func() {
+		tempDir = test.TempExamples(t)
+		configPath = tempDir + "/treefmt.toml"
+		test.WriteConfig(t, configPath, cfg)
+	}
+
+	setup()
 	_, err := cmd(t, "-c", "--config-file", configPath, "--tree-root", tempDir)
 	as.NoError(err)
 	assertStats(t, as, 31, 31, 3, 3)
 
+	setup()
 	_, err = cmd(t, "-c", "--config-file", configPath, "--tree-root", tempDir, "--formatters", "elm,nix")
 	as.NoError(err)
 	assertStats(t, as, 31, 31, 2, 2)
 
+	setup()
 	_, err = cmd(t, "-c", "--config-file", configPath, "--tree-root", tempDir, "--formatters", "ruby,nix")
 	as.NoError(err)
 	assertStats(t, as, 31, 31, 2, 2)
 
+	setup()
 	_, err = cmd(t, "-c", "--config-file", configPath, "--tree-root", tempDir, "--formatters", "nix")
 	as.NoError(err)
 	assertStats(t, as, 31, 31, 1, 1)
 
 	// test bad names
-
+	setup()
 	_, err = cmd(t, "-c", "--config-file", configPath, "--tree-root", tempDir, "--formatters", "foo")
 	as.Errorf(err, "formatter not found in config: foo")
 
diff --git a/format/formatter.go b/format/formatter.go
index 477f88b..cb70ca1 100644
--- a/format/formatter.go
+++ b/format/formatter.go
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func (f *Formatter) Apply(ctx context.Context, files []*walk.File, filter bool)
 		if len(out) > 0 {
 			_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%s error:\n%s\n", f.name, out)
 		}
-		return fmt.Errorf("formatter %s failed to apply: %w", f.name, err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("formatter '%s' with options '%v' failed to apply: %w", f.config.Command, f.config.Options, err)
 	}
 
 	//
diff --git a/test/examples/touch.toml b/test/examples/touch.toml
index e1db694..3938e1f 100644
--- a/test/examples/touch.toml
+++ b/test/examples/touch.toml
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 [formatter.echo]
 command = "touch"
+# only change mtime
+options = ["-m"]
 includes = [ "*.*" ]
\ No newline at end of file