diff --git a/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/kafka/LoggingProducerListener.java b/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/kafka/LoggingProducerListener.java
index 69a8b8bbe3d..edbb749bba4 100644
--- a/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/kafka/LoggingProducerListener.java
+++ b/modules/dcache/src/main/java/org/dcache/kafka/LoggingProducerListener.java
@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@
  */
 package org.dcache.kafka;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Throwables;
 import org.apache.kafka.clients.producer.ProducerRecord;
 import org.apache.kafka.clients.producer.RecordMetadata;
+import org.apache.kafka.common.errors.TimeoutException;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import org.springframework.kafka.support.ProducerListener;
@@ -35,7 +37,13 @@ public void onSuccess(ProducerRecord<K, V> record, RecordMetadata recordMetadata
     @Override
     public void onError(ProducerRecord<K, V> producerRecord,
           @Nullable RecordMetadata recordMetadata, Exception exception) {
-        LOGGER.error("Producer exception occurred while publishing message : {}, exception : {}",
-              producerRecord, exception.toString());
+        if (exception instanceof TimeoutException && exception.getCause() == null) {
+            LOGGER.error("Producer failed to send the message,"
+                  + " the broker is down or the connection was refused ");
+        } else {
+            LOGGER.error(
+                  "Producer exception occurred while publishing message : {}, exception : {}",
+                  producerRecord, Throwables.getRootCause(exception).getMessage());
+        }
     }
 }