diff --git a/src/fitnesse/testsystems/CommandRunner.java b/src/fitnesse/testsystems/CommandRunner.java
index 4e72d58161..93ec64b284 100644
--- a/src/fitnesse/testsystems/CommandRunner.java
+++ b/src/fitnesse/testsystems/CommandRunner.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ public class CommandRunner {
   private Map<String, String> environmentVariables;
   private final int timeout;
   private final ExecutionLogListener executionLogListener;
+  private String commandErrorMessage = "";
 
   /**
    *
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ public void write(String output) {
       @Override
       public void write(String output) {
         executionLogListener.stdErr(output);
+        commandErrorMessage = output;
       }
     }), "CommandRunner stdErr").start();
 
@@ -231,4 +233,8 @@ public int waitForCommandToFinish() throws InterruptedException {
   private interface OutputWriter {
     void write(String output);
   }
+
+  public String getCommandErrorMessage() {
+	return commandErrorMessage;
+  }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/fitnesse/testsystems/slim/SlimCommandRunningClient.java b/src/fitnesse/testsystems/slim/SlimCommandRunningClient.java
index 3183543832..0820ea048f 100644
--- a/src/fitnesse/testsystems/slim/SlimCommandRunningClient.java
+++ b/src/fitnesse/testsystems/slim/SlimCommandRunningClient.java
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ public void connect() throws IOException {
     LOG.finest("Trying to connect to host: " + hostName + " on port: " + port + " SSL=" + useSSL + " timeout setting: " + connectionTimeout);
     while (client == null) {
       if (slimRunner != null && slimRunner.isDead()) {
-        throw new SlimError("Error SLiM server died before a connection could be established.");
+      	final String slimErrorMessage = "Error SLiM server died before a connection could be established. "+slimRunner.getCommandErrorMessage();
+      	throw new SlimError("Error SLiM server died before a connection could be established.");
       }
       try {
         client = SocketFactory.tryCreateClientSocket(hostName, port, useSSL, sslParameterClassName);