diff --git a/test/__init__.py b/test/__init__.py
index 98d0b42ecd..72dff139bf 100644
--- a/test/__init__.py
+++ b/test/__init__.py
@@ -18,6 +18,20 @@
 
 import sys
 import os
+try:
+    from unittest.util import safe_repr
+except ImportError:
+    # Probably py26
+    _MAX_LENGTH = 80
+
+    def safe_repr(obj, short=False):
+        try:
+            result = repr(obj)
+        except Exception:
+            result = object.__repr__(obj)
+        if not short or len(result) < _MAX_LENGTH:
+            return result
+        return result[:_MAX_LENGTH] + ' [truncated]...'
 
 # make unittests pass on all locale
 import swift
diff --git a/test/functional/swift_test_client.py b/test/functional/swift_test_client.py
index f9e031b67b..061497a0b7 100644
--- a/test/functional/swift_test_client.py
+++ b/test/functional/swift_test_client.py
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ from nose import SkipTest
 from xml.dom import minidom
 from swiftclient import get_auth
 
+from test import safe_repr
+
 
 class AuthenticationFailed(Exception):
     pass
@@ -216,18 +218,22 @@ class Connection(object):
 
         self.response = None
         try_count = 0
+        fail_messages = []
         while try_count < 5:
             try_count += 1
 
             try:
                 self.response = try_request()
-            except httplib.HTTPException:
+            except httplib.HTTPException as e:
+                fail_messages.append(safe_repr(e))
                 continue
 
             if self.response.status == 401:
+                fail_messages.append("Response 401")
                 self.authenticate()
                 continue
             elif self.response.status == 503:
+                fail_messages.append("Response 503")
                 if try_count != 5:
                     time.sleep(5)
                 continue
@@ -237,7 +243,11 @@ class Connection(object):
         if self.response:
             return self.response.status
 
-        raise RequestError('Unable to complete http request')
+        request = "{method} {path} headers: {headers} data: {data}".format(
+            method=method, path=path, headers=headers, data=data)
+        raise RequestError('Unable to complete http request: %s. '
+                           'Attempts: %s, Failures: %s' %
+                           (request, len(fail_messages), fail_messages))
 
     def put_start(self, path, hdrs={}, parms={}, cfg={}, chunked=False):
         self.http_connect()
diff --git a/test/unit/common/test_constraints.py b/test/unit/common/test_constraints.py
index 80f5ff7736..9d62b5968e 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/test_constraints.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/test_constraints.py
@@ -14,23 +14,9 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 import unittest
-try:
-    from unittest.util import safe_repr
-except ImportError:
-    # Probably py26
-    _MAX_LENGTH = 80
-
-    def safe_repr(obj, short=False):
-        try:
-            result = repr(obj)
-        except Exception:
-            result = object.__repr__(obj)
-        if not short or len(result) < _MAX_LENGTH:
-            return result
-        return result[:_MAX_LENGTH] + ' [truncated]...'
-
 import mock
 
+from test import safe_repr
 from test.unit import MockTrue
 
 from swift.common.swob import HTTPBadRequest, Request