diff --git a/ceilometerclient/common/http.py b/ceilometerclient/common/http.py
index a02c8812..23353e03 100644
--- a/ceilometerclient/common/http.py
+++ b/ceilometerclient/common/http.py
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ class HTTPClient(object):
 
         if 400 <= resp.status < 600:
             LOG.warn("Request returned failure status.")
-            raise exc.from_response(resp)
+            raise exc.from_response(resp, ''.join(body_iter))
         elif resp.status in (301, 302, 305):
             # Redirected. Reissue the request to the new location.
             return self._http_request(resp['location'], method, **kwargs)
diff --git a/ceilometerclient/exc.py b/ceilometerclient/exc.py
index 83e182d8..57c60c01 100644
--- a/ceilometerclient/exc.py
+++ b/ceilometerclient/exc.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
+import json
 import sys
 
 
@@ -65,7 +66,17 @@ class BadRequest(HTTPException):
 
 
 class HTTPBadRequest(BadRequest):
-    pass
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        try:
+            data = json.loads(self.details)
+            message = data.get("error_message", {}).get("faultstring")
+            if message:
+                return "%s (HTTP %s) ERROR %s" % (
+                    self.__class__.__name__, self.code, message)
+        except (ValueError, TypeError, AttributeError):
+            pass
+        return super(HTTPBadRequest, self).__str__()
 
 
 class Unauthorized(HTTPException):
@@ -147,10 +158,10 @@ for obj_name in dir(sys.modules[__name__]):
         _code_map[obj.code] = obj
 
 
-def from_response(response):
+def from_response(response, details=None):
     """Return an instance of an HTTPException based on httplib response."""
     cls = _code_map.get(response.status, HTTPException)
-    return cls()
+    return cls(details)
 
 
 class NoTokenLookupException(Exception):
diff --git a/ceilometerclient/tests/test_exc.py b/ceilometerclient/tests/test_exc.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..53ae5124
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ceilometerclient/tests/test_exc.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# Copyright 2013 eNovance
+# All Rights Reserved.
+#
+#    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+#    not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+#    a copy of the License at
+#
+#         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+#    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#    distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+#    WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+#    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+#    under the License.
+
+import json
+
+from ceilometerclient import exc
+
+from ceilometerclient.tests import utils
+
+
+class HTTPBadRequestTest(utils.BaseTestCase):
+
+    def test_str_no_details(self):
+        exception = exc.HTTPBadRequest()
+        self.assertEqual("HTTPBadRequest (HTTP 400)", str(exception))
+
+    def test_str_no_json(self):
+        exception = exc.HTTPBadRequest(details="foo")
+        self.assertEqual("HTTPBadRequest (HTTP 400)", str(exception))
+
+    def test_str_no_error_message(self):
+        exception = exc.HTTPBadRequest(details=json.dumps({}))
+        self.assertEqual("HTTPBadRequest (HTTP 400)", str(exception))
+
+    def test_str_no_faultstring(self):
+        exception = exc.HTTPBadRequest(
+            details=json.dumps({"error_message": {"foo": "bar"}}))
+        self.assertEqual("HTTPBadRequest (HTTP 400)", str(exception))
+
+    def test_str_error_message_unknown_format(self):
+        exception = exc.HTTPBadRequest(
+            details=json.dumps({"error_message": "oops"}))
+        self.assertEqual("HTTPBadRequest (HTTP 400)", str(exception))
+
+    def test_str_faultstring(self):
+        exception = exc.HTTPBadRequest(
+            details=json.dumps({"error_message": {"faultstring": "oops"}}))
+        self.assertEqual("HTTPBadRequest (HTTP 400) ERROR oops",
+                         str(exception))