diff --git a/gerrit-common/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/common/errors/NoSuchEntityException.java b/gerrit-common/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/common/errors/NoSuchEntityException.java
index c47cf07cc0..1829c8b175 100644
--- a/gerrit-common/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/common/errors/NoSuchEntityException.java
+++ b/gerrit-common/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/common/errors/NoSuchEntityException.java
@@ -23,4 +23,8 @@ public class NoSuchEntityException extends Exception {
   public NoSuchEntityException() {
     super(MESSAGE);
   }
+
+  public NoSuchEntityException(String message) {
+    super(message);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/gerrit-httpd/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/rpc/BaseServiceImplementation.java b/gerrit-httpd/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/rpc/BaseServiceImplementation.java
index b124824445..327799247f 100644
--- a/gerrit-httpd/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/rpc/BaseServiceImplementation.java
+++ b/gerrit-httpd/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/httpd/rpc/BaseServiceImplementation.java
@@ -72,7 +72,11 @@ public class BaseServiceImplementation {
     } catch (InvalidQueryException e) {
       callback.onFailure(e);
     } catch (NoSuchProjectException e) {
-      callback.onFailure(new NoSuchEntityException());
+      if (e.getMessage() != null) {
+        callback.onFailure(new NoSuchEntityException(e.getMessage()));
+      } else {
+        callback.onFailure(new NoSuchEntityException());
+      }
     } catch (NoSuchGroupException e) {
       callback.onFailure(new NoSuchEntityException());
     } catch (OrmRuntimeException e) {