diff --git a/swh/core/statsd.py b/swh/core/statsd.py
--- a/swh/core/statsd.py
+++ b/swh/core/statsd.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
         self.statsd = statsd
         self.metric = metric
         self.error_metric = error_metric
-        self.tags = tags
+        self.tags = tags or {}
         self.sample_rate = sample_rate
         self.elapsed = None  # this is for testing purpose
 
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@
                 start = monotonic()
                 try:
                     result = await func(*args, **kwargs)
-                except:  # noqa
-                    self._send_error()
+                except BaseException as e:
+                    self._send_error(error_type=type(e).__name__)
                     raise
                 self._send(start)
                 return result
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@
             start = monotonic()
             try:
                 result = func(*args, **kwargs)
-            except:  # noqa
-                self._send_error()
+            except BaseException as e:
+                self._send_error(error_type=type(e).__name__)
                 raise
             self._send(start)
             return result
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@
         if type is None:
             self._send(self._start)
         else:
-            self._send_error()
+            self._send_error(error_type=type.__name__)
 
     def _send(self, start):
         elapsed = (monotonic() - start) * 1000
@@ -146,10 +146,14 @@
         )
         self.elapsed = elapsed
 
-    def _send_error(self):
+    def _send_error(self, error_type=None):
         if self.error_metric is None:
             self.error_metric = self.metric + "_error_count"
-        self.statsd.increment(self.error_metric, tags=self.tags)
+        if error_type is not None:
+            tags = {**self.tags, "error_type": error_type}
+        else:
+            tags = self.tags
+        self.statsd.increment(self.error_metric, tags=tags)
 
     def start(self):
         """Start the timer"""
diff --git a/swh/core/tests/test_statsd.py b/swh/core/tests/test_statsd.py
--- a/swh/core/tests/test_statsd.py
+++ b/swh/core/tests/test_statsd.py
@@ -219,12 +219,13 @@
         func(1, 0)
 
     packet = statsd.socket.recv()
-    name_value, type_ = packet.split("|")
+    name_value, type_, tags = packet.split("|")
     name, value = name_value.split(":")
 
     assert type_ == "c"
     assert name == "timed.test_error_count"
     assert int(value) == 1
+    assert tags == "#error_type:ZeroDivisionError"
 
 
 def test_timed_no_metric(statsd):
@@ -322,12 +323,13 @@
 
     # Ensure the timing was recorded.
     packet = statsd.socket.recv()
-    name_value, type_ = packet.split("|")
+    name_value, type_, tags = packet.split("|")
     name, value = name_value.split(":")
 
     assert type_ == "c"
     assert name == "timed_context.test_error_count"
     assert int(value) == 1
+    assert tags == "#error_type:ContextException"
 
 
 def test_timed_context_no_metric_name_exception(statsd):