diff --git a/cate/core/ds.py b/cate/core/ds.py
index 55070fcec..62274c4ef 100644
--- a/cate/core/ds.py
+++ b/cate/core/ds.py
@@ -463,18 +463,30 @@ class DataAccessError(Exception):
     Exceptions produced by Cate's data stores and data sources instances, used to report any problems handling data.
     """
     def __init__(self, source, cause, *args, **kwargs):
-        if isinstance(source, DataSource) or isinstance(source, DataStore):
+        self._source = source
+        if isinstance(source, DataSource):
+            source_name = 'DataSource'
+        elif isinstance(source, DataStore):
+            source_name = 'DataStore'
+        else:
+            source_name = ""
+
+        if source_name:
             if isinstance(cause, Exception):
-                super(DataAccessError, self).__init__("{}({}): {}".format(source.__class__, source.id, str(cause)),
-                                                      *args, **kwargs)
+                super(DataAccessError, self).__init__("{} '{}' returned error: {}".format(source_name, source.id,
+                                                                                          str(cause)), *args, **kwargs)
             elif isinstance(cause, str):
-                super(DataAccessError, self).__init__("{}({}): {}".format(source.__class__, source.id, cause),
-                                                      *args, **kwargs)
+                super(DataAccessError, self).__init__("{} '{}' returned error: {}".format(source_name, source.id,
+                                                                                          cause), *args, **kwargs)
+            else:
+                super(DataAccessError, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
         else:
             if isinstance(cause, Exception):
                 super(DataAccessError, self).__init__(str(cause), *args, **kwargs)
-            else:
+            elif isinstance(cause, str):
                 super(DataAccessError, self).__init__(cause, *args, **kwargs)
+            else:
+                super(DataAccessError, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
     @property
     def cause(self):
diff --git a/cate/ds/esa_cci_odp.py b/cate/ds/esa_cci_odp.py
index 5bab8ee26..ae3301755 100644
--- a/cate/ds/esa_cci_odp.py
+++ b/cate/ds/esa_cci_odp.py
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ def _repr_html_(self) -> str:
         return '<p>Contents of FileSetFileStore</p><table>%s</table>' % ('\n'.join(rows))
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
-        return "EsaCciOdpDataStore"
+        return "EsaCciOdpDataStore (%s)" % self.id
 
     def _init_data_sources(self):
         if self._data_sources:
diff --git a/test/ds/test_esa_cci_odp.py b/test/ds/test_esa_cci_odp.py
index e9477e295..3c08f35a6 100644
--- a/test/ds/test_esa_cci_odp.py
+++ b/test/ds/test_esa_cci_odp.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 import urllib.request
 import shutil
 
-from cate.core.ds import DATA_STORE_REGISTRY, format_variables_info_string
+from cate.core.ds import DATA_STORE_REGISTRY, DataAccessError, format_variables_info_string
 from cate.core.types import PolygonLike, TimeRangeLike, VarNamesLike
 from cate.ds.esa_cci_odp import EsaCciOdpDataStore, find_datetime_format
 from cate.ds.local import LocalDataStore
@@ -203,10 +203,13 @@ def build_file_item(item_name: str, date_from: datetime, date_to: datetime, size
 
                 self.assertSetEqual(set(data_set.variables), set(new_ds_w_region_var_names))
 
-                no_data = soilmoisture_data_source.make_local('empty_ds',
-                                                              time_range=(datetime.datetime(2017, 12, 1, 0, 0),
-                                                                          datetime.datetime(2017, 12, 31, 23, 59)))
-                self.assertIsNone(no_data)
+                empty_ds_timerange = (datetime.datetime(2017, 12, 1, 0, 0), datetime.datetime(2017, 12, 31, 23, 59))
+                with self.assertRaises(DataAccessError) as cm:
+                    soilmoisture_data_source.make_local('empty_ds', time_range=empty_ds_timerange)
+                self.assertEqual("Open Data Portal's data source '{}' does not seem to have any data sets in given "
+                                 "time range {}".format(soilmoisture_data_source.id,
+                                                        TimeRangeLike.format(empty_ds_timerange)),
+                                 str(cm.exception))
 
                 new_ds_time_range = TimeRangeLike.convert((datetime.datetime(1978, 11, 14, 0, 0),
                                                            datetime.datetime(1978, 11, 14, 23, 59)))
diff --git a/test/ds/test_local.py b/test/ds/test_local.py
index 100a060c0..b540c36b4 100644
--- a/test/ds/test_local.py
+++ b/test/ds/test_local.py
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ def test_add_pattern(self):
 
         with self.assertRaises(DataAccessError) as cm:
             self.data_store.add_pattern("a_name", "a_pat2")
-        self.assertEqual("{}: Data source '{}.{}' already exists.".format(
-            self.data_store, self.data_store.id, new_ds_name), str(cm.exception))
+        self.assertEqual("DataStore '{}' returned error: Data source '{}.{}' already exists.".format(
+            self.data_store.id, self.data_store.id, new_ds_name), str(cm.exception))
 
         data_sources = self.data_store.query()
         self.assertEqual(len(data_sources), 3)