diff --git a/packages/core/database/src/database.ts b/packages/core/database/src/database.ts
index d52db3b6488fa..c28e8bb1c9fe2 100644
--- a/packages/core/database/src/database.ts
+++ b/packages/core/database/src/database.ts
@@ -801,7 +801,7 @@ export class Database extends EventEmitter implements AsyncEmitter {
 
   /* istanbul ignore next -- @preserve */
   async auth(options: Omit<QueryOptions, 'retry'> & { retry?: number | Pick<QueryOptions, 'retry'> } = {}) {
-    const { retry = 10, ...others } = options;
+    const { retry = 5, ...others } = options;
     const startingDelay = 50;
     const timeMultiple = 2;
 
@@ -831,7 +831,7 @@ export class Database extends EventEmitter implements AsyncEmitter {
         timeMultiple: timeMultiple,
       });
     } catch (error) {
-      throw new Error('Connection failed, please check your database connection credentials and try again.');
+      throw new Error(`Unable to connect to the database`, { cause: error });
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/server/src/gateway/errors.ts b/packages/core/server/src/gateway/errors.ts
index be316245f707d..b3292f42cd69a 100644
--- a/packages/core/server/src/gateway/errors.ts
+++ b/packages/core/server/src/gateway/errors.ts
@@ -34,8 +34,20 @@ export const errors: AppErrors = {
   APP_ERROR: {
     status: 503,
     message: ({ app }) => {
-      return AppSupervisor.getInstance().appErrors[app.name]?.message;
+      const error = AppSupervisor.getInstance().appErrors[app.name];
+      if (!error) {
+        return '';
+      }
+
+      let message = error.message;
+
+      if ((error as any).cause) {
+        message = `${message}: ${(error as any).cause.message}`;
+      }
+
+      return message;
     },
+
     code: ({ app }): string => {
       const error = AppSupervisor.getInstance().appErrors[app.name];
       return error['code'] || 'APP_ERROR';