diff --git a/src/riemannpp/attribute.cpp b/src/riemannpp/attribute.cpp
index a948462..031e3d7 100644
--- a/src/riemannpp/attribute.cpp
+++ b/src/riemannpp/attribute.cpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ attribute::set(const std::string& key, const std::string& value) {
 	int result = riemann_attribute_set(d_attribute.get(), 
 		key.c_str(), value.c_str());
 	if (-1 == result) {
-		throw internal_exception();
+		throw internal_exception(errno, "failed to set attribute for key: " + key + ", with value: " + value);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ void
 attribute::set_key(const std::string& key) {
 	int result = riemann_attribute_set_key(d_attribute.get(), key.c_str());
 	if (-1 == result) {
-		throw internal_exception();
+		throw internal_exception(errno, "failed to set attribute key " + key);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ void
 attribute::set_value(const std::string& value) {
 	int result = riemann_attribute_set_value(d_attribute.get(), value.c_str());
 	if (-1 == result) {
-		throw internal_exception();
+		throw internal_exception(errno, "failed to set attribute value " + value);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/riemannpp/client.cpp b/src/riemannpp/client.cpp
index 6ace0e8..f4705a5 100644
--- a/src/riemannpp/client.cpp
+++ b/src/riemannpp/client.cpp
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ client::client(client_type type, const std::string& host, int port) {
 	d_client = riemann_client_create(riemann_client_type_t(type), 
 		host.c_str(), port);
 	if (!d_client) {
-		throw internal_exception();
+		throw internal_exception(errno, "failed to create riemann client");
 	}
 }
 
@@ -64,7 +64,12 @@ client::connect(client_type type, const std::string& host, int port) {
 	int result = riemann_client_connect(d_client, riemann_client_type_t(type), 
 		host.c_str(), port);
 	if (0 != result) {
-		throw internal_exception();
+		std::string message;
+		message += "failed to connect client to ";
+		message += host;
+		message += ":";
+		message += std::to_string(port);
+		throw internal_exception(errno, message);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -72,7 +77,7 @@ void
 client::disconnect() {
 	int result = riemann_client_disconnect(d_client);
 	if (0 != result) {
-		throw internal_exception();
+		throw internal_exception(errno, "failed to disconnect client");
 	}
 }
 
@@ -80,7 +85,7 @@ void
 client::send(message&& m) {
 	int result = riemann_client_send_message(d_client, m.release());
 	if (0 != result) {
-		throw internal_exception();
+		throw internal_exception(errno, "failed to send message");
 	}
 }
 
@@ -99,7 +104,7 @@ void
 client::send_oneshot(message&& m) {
 	int result = riemann_client_send_message_oneshot(d_client, m.release());
 	if (0 != result) {
-		throw internal_exception();
+		throw internal_exception(errno, "failed to send oneshot message");
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/riemannpp/event.cpp b/src/riemannpp/event.cpp
index ffc6c92..207d20f 100644
--- a/src/riemannpp/event.cpp
+++ b/src/riemannpp/event.cpp
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ void
 event::tag_add(const std::string& tag) {
 	int result = riemann_event_tag_add(d_event.get(), tag.c_str());
 	if (0 != result) {
-		throw internal_exception();
+		throw internal_exception(errno, "failed to add event tag: " + tag);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ void
 event::attribute_add(attribute&& a) {
 	int result = riemann_event_attribute_add(d_event.get(), a.release());
 	if (0 != result) {
-		throw internal_exception();
+		throw internal_exception(errno, "failed to add event attribute");
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/riemannpp/event.hpp b/src/riemannpp/event.hpp
index 196c2ed..986f948 100644
--- a/src/riemannpp/event.hpp
+++ b/src/riemannpp/event.hpp
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ namespace riemannpp {
 	void event::set(const event_field field, const T& value) {
 		int result = riemann_event_set(d_event.get(), field, value, RIEMANN_EVENT_FIELD_NONE);
 		if (0 != result) {
-			throw internal_exception();
+			throw internal_exception(errno, "failed to set event field");
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/riemannpp/exception.hpp b/src/riemannpp/exception.hpp
index baa2852..8340353 100644
--- a/src/riemannpp/exception.hpp
+++ b/src/riemannpp/exception.hpp
@@ -49,19 +49,14 @@ namespace riemannpp {
 		int         d_error;
 		std::string d_reason;
 	public:
-		// Default constructor. Will construct the base exception class with
-		// the string error deduced by strerror, and store errno.
-		internal_exception()
-			: exception(strerror(errno))
-			, d_error(errno)
-			, d_reason(strerror(errno)) {}
-
 		// Construct an internal exception with the given reason. Behaves the
 		// same as the default constructor, with the exception being that the
 		// reason string is overridden by the given parameter.
-		internal_exception(const std::string& reason)
-			: exception(strerror(errno))
-			, d_error(errno)
+		internal_exception(int error, std::string const & reason)
+			: exception(
+					reason + ", error: " + strerror(error)
+				)
+			, d_error(error)
 			, d_reason(reason) {}
 
 		// Destructor.
diff --git a/src/riemannpp/message.cpp b/src/riemannpp/message.cpp
index 421a5a9..b568063 100644
--- a/src/riemannpp/message.cpp
+++ b/src/riemannpp/message.cpp
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ void
 message::set_event(event& e) {
 	int result = riemann_message_set_events(d_message.get(), e.release(), nullptr);
 	if (0 != result) {
-		throw internal_exception();
+		throw internal_exception(errno, "failed to set event");
 	}
 }
 
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ void
 message::set_query(query& q) {
 	int result = riemann_message_set_query(d_message.get(), q.release());
 	if (0 != result) {
-		throw internal_exception();
+		throw internal_exception(errno, "failed to set query");
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/riemannpp/query.cpp b/src/riemannpp/query.cpp
index dbca351..5632dd8 100644
--- a/src/riemannpp/query.cpp
+++ b/src/riemannpp/query.cpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ void
 query::set_string(const std::string& query) {
 	int result = riemann_query_set_string(d_query.get(), query.c_str());
 	if (0 != result) {
-		throw internal_exception();
+		throw internal_exception(errno, "failed to set query string: " + query);
 	}
 }