diff --git a/client/hotrod-client/src/main/java/org/infinispan/client/hotrod/exceptions/HotRodClientException.java b/client/hotrod-client/src/main/java/org/infinispan/client/hotrod/exceptions/HotRodClientException.java
index 0adc41b91e20..461da7f649c4 100644
--- a/client/hotrod-client/src/main/java/org/infinispan/client/hotrod/exceptions/HotRodClientException.java
+++ b/client/hotrod-client/src/main/java/org/infinispan/client/hotrod/exceptions/HotRodClientException.java
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
  * @since 4.1
  */
 public class HotRodClientException extends RuntimeException {
-   private long messageId;
-   private int errorStatusCode;
+   private long messageId = -1;
+   private int errorStatusCode = -1;
 
    public HotRodClientException() {
    }
@@ -34,9 +34,12 @@ public HotRodClientException(String remoteMessage, long messageId, int errorStat
 
    @Override
    public String toString() {
-      return "HotRodServerException{" +
-            "messageId=" + messageId +
-            ", errorStatusCode=" + errorStatusCode +
-            "} " + super.toString();
+      StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(getClass().getName());
+      sb.append(":");
+      if (messageId != -1) sb.append(" id [").append(messageId).append("]");
+      if (errorStatusCode != -1) sb.append(" code [").append(errorStatusCode).append("]");
+      String message = getLocalizedMessage();
+      if (message != null) sb.append(" ").append(message);
+      return sb.toString();
    }
 }
diff --git a/client/hotrod-client/src/main/java/org/infinispan/client/hotrod/exceptions/HotRodTimeoutException.java b/client/hotrod-client/src/main/java/org/infinispan/client/hotrod/exceptions/HotRodTimeoutException.java
index 3bb5ce83a34c..fe00461ee8f3 100644
--- a/client/hotrod-client/src/main/java/org/infinispan/client/hotrod/exceptions/HotRodTimeoutException.java
+++ b/client/hotrod-client/src/main/java/org/infinispan/client/hotrod/exceptions/HotRodTimeoutException.java
@@ -7,4 +7,22 @@
  * @since 4.1
  */
 public class HotRodTimeoutException extends HotRodClientException {
+   public HotRodTimeoutException() {
+   }
+
+   public HotRodTimeoutException(String message) {
+      super(message);
+   }
+
+   public HotRodTimeoutException(Throwable cause) {
+      super(cause);
+   }
+
+   public HotRodTimeoutException(String message, Throwable cause) {
+      super(message, cause);
+   }
+
+   public HotRodTimeoutException(String remoteMessage, long messageId, int errorStatusCode) {
+      super(remoteMessage, messageId, errorStatusCode);
+   }
 }
diff --git a/client/hotrod-client/src/main/java/org/infinispan/client/hotrod/impl/operations/HotRodOperation.java b/client/hotrod-client/src/main/java/org/infinispan/client/hotrod/impl/operations/HotRodOperation.java
index 50d13aed6252..93e0a810cd7d 100644
--- a/client/hotrod-client/src/main/java/org/infinispan/client/hotrod/impl/operations/HotRodOperation.java
+++ b/client/hotrod-client/src/main/java/org/infinispan/client/hotrod/impl/operations/HotRodOperation.java
@@ -129,10 +129,11 @@ protected void checkForErrorsInResponseStatus(short status, long messageId, Tran
             throw new HotRodClientException(msgFromServer, messageId, status);
          }
          case HotRodConstants.COMMAND_TIMEOUT_STATUS: {
+            String msg = transport.readString();
             if (log.isTraceEnabled()) {
-               log.trace("timeout message received from the server");
+               log.trace("Server-side timeout performing operation: " + msg);
             }
-            throw new HotRodTimeoutException();
+            throw new HotRodTimeoutException(msg, messageId, status);
          }
          case HotRodConstants.NO_ERROR_STATUS:
          case HotRodConstants.KEY_DOES_NOT_EXIST_STATUS: