diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/ConfigSetService.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/ConfigSetService.java
index 1065a866f2f..071f31602f4 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/ConfigSetService.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/ConfigSetService.java
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ public abstract class ConfigSetService {
     }
     catch (Exception e) {
       throw new SolrException(SolrException.ErrorCode.SERVER_ERROR,
-          "Could not load core configuration for core " + dcore.getName(), e);
+                              "Could not load conf for core " + dcore.getName() + 
+                              ": " + e.getMessage(), e);
     }
 
   }
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/CoreContainer.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/CoreContainer.java
index f82a7137a9e..d5e1ec55666 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/CoreContainer.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/CoreContainer.java
@@ -499,6 +499,7 @@ public class CoreContainer {
     }
     catch (Exception e) {
       coreInitFailures.put(dcore.getName(), new CoreLoadFailure(dcore, e));
+      log.error("Error creating core [{}]: {}", dcore.getName(), e.getMessage(), e);
       throw new SolrException(ErrorCode.SERVER_ERROR, "Unable to create core [" + dcore.getName() + "]", e);
     }