diff --git a/maven-artifact-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/DefaultArtifactResolver.java b/maven-artifact-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/DefaultArtifactResolver.java
index e5757c3182..18cece89e2 100644
--- a/maven-artifact-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/DefaultArtifactResolver.java
+++ b/maven-artifact-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/DefaultArtifactResolver.java
@@ -162,8 +162,9 @@ public class DefaultArtifactResolver
                         }
                         catch ( IOException e )
                         {
-                            throw new ArtifactResolutionException( "Unable to copy resolved artifact for local use",
-                                                                   artifact, remoteRepositories, e );
+                            throw new ArtifactResolutionException(
+                                "Unable to copy resolved artifact for local use: " + e.getMessage(), artifact,
+                                remoteRepositories, e );
                         }
                     }
                     artifact.setFile( copy );
diff --git a/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultMavenProjectBuilder.java b/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultMavenProjectBuilder.java
index 250cf4f066..c1a7edd4d6 100644
--- a/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultMavenProjectBuilder.java
+++ b/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultMavenProjectBuilder.java
@@ -408,7 +408,8 @@ public class DefaultMavenProjectBuilder
             }
             catch ( ArtifactResolutionException e )
             {
-                throw new ProjectBuildingException( projectId, "Error getting the POM in the repository", e );
+                throw new ProjectBuildingException( projectId, "Error getting POM for '" + projectId +
+                    "' from the repository: " + e.getMessage(), e );
             }
             catch ( ArtifactNotFoundException e )
             {
@@ -419,7 +420,8 @@ public class DefaultMavenProjectBuilder
                 }
                 else
                 {
-                    throw new ProjectBuildingException( projectId, "POM not found in repository", e );
+                    throw new ProjectBuildingException( projectId, "POM '" + projectId + "' not found in repository: " +
+                        e.getMessage(), e );
                 }
             }
         }