diff --git a/src/ui/public/courier/fetch/request/_error_handler.js b/src/ui/public/courier/fetch/request/_error_handler.js
index 85516b5d04d42..b4f8deba1823d 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/courier/fetch/request/_error_handler.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/courier/fetch/request/_error_handler.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ define(function (require) {
       });
 
       if (!myHandlers.length) {
-        notify.fatal(new Error('unhandled error ' + (error.stack || error.message)));
+        notify.fatal(new Error(`unhandled courier request error: ${ notify.describeError(error) }`));
       } else {
         myHandlers.forEach(function (handler) {
           handler.defer.resolve(error);
diff --git a/src/ui/public/notify/lib/_format_msg.js b/src/ui/public/notify/lib/_format_msg.js
index 87f75e7e37c03..e0458816836d9 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/notify/lib/_format_msg.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/notify/lib/_format_msg.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ define(function (require) {
    * @param  {String} from - Prefix for message indicating source (optional)
    * @returns {string}
    */
-  return function formatMsg(err, from) {
+  function formatMsg(err, from) {
     var rtn = '';
     if (from) {
       rtn += from + ': ';
@@ -21,9 +21,18 @@ define(function (require) {
     } else if (esMsg) {
       rtn += esMsg;
     } else if (err instanceof Error) {
-      rtn += err.message;
+      rtn += formatMsg.describeError(err);
     }
 
     return rtn;
   };
+
+  formatMsg.describeError = function (err) {
+    if (!err) return undefined;
+    if (err.body && err.body.message) return err.body.message;
+    if (err.message) return err.message;
+    return '' + err;
+  };
+
+  return formatMsg;
 });
diff --git a/src/ui/public/notify/notifier.js b/src/ui/public/notify/notifier.js
index 66203e35f5c2f..bf9269d683aca 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/notify/notifier.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/notify/notifier.js
@@ -267,6 +267,8 @@ define(function (require) {
     }, cb);
   };
 
+  Notifier.prototype.describeError = formatMsg.describeError;
+
   if (log === _.noop) {
     Notifier.prototype.log = _.noop;
   } else {