diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/env/NodeEnvironment.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/env/NodeEnvironment.java
index 6f084684b0d..81396934756 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/env/NodeEnvironment.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/env/NodeEnvironment.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.CheckedFunction;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Randomness;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.SuppressForbidden;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.UUIDs;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.collect.Tuple;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.FileSystemUtils;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.lease.Releasable;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Setting;
@@ -698,6 +699,11 @@ public final class NodeEnvironment  implements Closeable {
                 shardLock.release();
                 logger.trace("released shard lock for [{}]", shardId);
             }
+
+            @Override
+            public void setDetails(String details) {
+                shardLock.setDetails(details);
+            }
         };
     }
 
@@ -729,13 +735,13 @@ public final class NodeEnvironment  implements Closeable {
          */
         private final Semaphore mutex = new Semaphore(1);
         private int waitCount = 1; // guarded by shardLocks
-        private String lockDetails;
         private final ShardId shardId;
+        private volatile Tuple<Long, String> lockDetails;
 
         InternalShardLock(final ShardId shardId, final String details) {
             this.shardId = shardId;
             mutex.acquireUninterruptibly();
-            lockDetails = details;
+            lockDetails = Tuple.tuple(System.nanoTime(), details);
         }
 
         protected void release() {
@@ -766,17 +772,23 @@ public final class NodeEnvironment  implements Closeable {
         void acquire(long timeoutInMillis, final String details) throws ShardLockObtainFailedException {
             try {
                 if (mutex.tryAcquire(timeoutInMillis, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)) {
-                    lockDetails = details;
+                    setDetails(details);
                 } else {
+                    final Tuple<Long, String> lockDetails = this.lockDetails; // single volatile read
                     throw new ShardLockObtainFailedException(shardId,
-                        "obtaining shard lock timed out after " + timeoutInMillis + "ms, previous lock details: [" + lockDetails +
-                            "] trying to lock for [" + details + "]");
+                        "obtaining shard lock for [" + details + "] timed out after [" + timeoutInMillis +
+                        "ms], lock already held for [" + lockDetails.v2() + "] with age [" +
+                        TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS.toMillis(System.nanoTime() - lockDetails.v1()) + "ms]");
                 }
             } catch (InterruptedException e) {
                 Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
                 throw new ShardLockObtainFailedException(shardId, "thread interrupted while trying to obtain shard lock", e);
             }
         }
+
+        public void setDetails(String details) {
+            lockDetails = Tuple.tuple(System.nanoTime(), details);
+        }
     }
 
     public boolean hasNodeFile() {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/env/ShardLock.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/env/ShardLock.java
index dfb9d4c6359..8ea5aabde32 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/env/ShardLock.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/env/ShardLock.java
@@ -54,7 +54,14 @@ public abstract class ShardLock implements Closeable {
         }
     }
 
-    protected  abstract void closeInternal();
+    protected abstract void closeInternal();
+
+    /**
+     * Update the details of the holder of this lock. These details are displayed alongside a {@link ShardLockObtainFailedException}. Must
+     * only be called by the holder of this lock.
+     */
+    public void setDetails(String details) {
+    }
 
     @Override
     public String toString() {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/IndexService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/IndexService.java
index 387c0867035..5aa382f883c 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/IndexService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/IndexService.java
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ public class IndexService extends AbstractIndexComponent implements IndicesClust
         IndexShard indexShard = null;
         ShardLock lock = null;
         try {
-            lock = nodeEnv.shardLock(shardId, "shard creation", TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(5));
+            lock = nodeEnv.shardLock(shardId, "starting shard", TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(5));
             eventListener.beforeIndexShardCreated(shardId, indexSettings);
             ShardPath path;
             try {
@@ -516,6 +516,9 @@ public class IndexService extends AbstractIndexComponent implements IndicesClust
     private void closeShard(String reason, ShardId sId, IndexShard indexShard, Store store, IndexEventListener listener) {
         final int shardId = sId.id();
         final Settings indexSettings = this.getIndexSettings().getSettings();
+        if (store != null) {
+            store.beforeClose();
+        }
         try {
             try {
                 listener.beforeIndexShardClosed(sId, indexShard, indexSettings);
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/store/Store.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/store/Store.java
index 79a4e440ee0..de30d564198 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/store/Store.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/store/Store.java
@@ -686,6 +686,10 @@ public class Store extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implements Closeable, Ref
         return refCounter.refCount();
     }
 
+    public void beforeClose() {
+        shardLock.setDetails("closing shard");
+    }
+
     static final class StoreDirectory extends FilterDirectory {
 
         private final Logger deletesLogger;