diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/exceptions/HyracksException.java b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/exceptions/HyracksException.java
index 428e643..99747fa 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/exceptions/HyracksException.java
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/exceptions/HyracksException.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
      */
     @Deprecated
     protected HyracksException(Throwable cause) {
-        this(ErrorMessageUtil.NONE, UNKNOWN, String.valueOf(cause), cause, (Serializable[]) null);
+        this(ErrorMessageUtil.NONE, UNKNOWN, ErrorMessageUtil.getCauseMessage(cause), cause, (Serializable[]) null);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@
     }
 
     public HyracksException(Throwable cause, int errorCode, Serializable... params) {
-        this(ErrorMessageUtil.NONE, errorCode, String.valueOf(cause), cause, null, params);
+        this(ErrorMessageUtil.NONE, errorCode, ErrorMessageUtil.getCauseMessage(cause), cause, null, params);
     }
 
     public HyracksException(String component, int errorCode, String message, Serializable... params) {
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
     }
 
     public HyracksException(String component, int errorCode, Throwable cause, Serializable... params) {
-        this(component, errorCode, String.valueOf(cause), cause, null, params);
+        this(component, errorCode, ErrorMessageUtil.getCauseMessage(cause), cause, null, params);
     }
 
     public HyracksException(String component, int errorCode, String message, Throwable cause, Serializable... params) {
diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/util/ErrorMessageUtil.java b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/util/ErrorMessageUtil.java
index 56dfe3f..8758ef7 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/util/ErrorMessageUtil.java
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/util/ErrorMessageUtil.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
+import org.apache.hyracks.api.exceptions.IFormattedException;
 import org.apache.hyracks.api.exceptions.SourceLocation;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.Level;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
@@ -113,4 +114,11 @@
             return e.getMessage();
         }
     }
+
+    public static String getCauseMessage(Throwable t) {
+        if (t instanceof IFormattedException) {
+            return t.getMessage();
+        }
+        return String.valueOf(t);
+    }
 }