diff --git a/swh/web/common/exc.py b/swh/web/common/exc.py
index 27e4137c3..61fa81ca9 100644
--- a/swh/web/common/exc.py
+++ b/swh/web/common/exc.py
@@ -1,122 +1,122 @@
 # Copyright (C) 2015-2018  The Software Heritage developers
 # See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
 # License: GNU Affero General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
 
 import traceback
 
 from django.http import HttpResponse
 from django.shortcuts import render
 from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
 
 from swh.web.config import get_config
 
 
 class BadInputExc(ValueError):
     """Wrong request to the api.
 
     Example: Asking a content with the wrong identifier format.
 
     """
     pass
 
 
 class NotFoundExc(Exception):
     """Good request to the api but no result were found.
 
     Example: Asking a content with the right identifier format but
     that content does not exist.
 
     """
     pass
 
 
 class ForbiddenExc(Exception):
     """Good request to the api, forbidden result to return due to enforce
        policy.
 
     Example: Asking for a raw content which exists but whose mimetype
     is not text.
 
     """
     pass
 
 
 http_status_code_message = {
     400: 'Bad Request',
     401: 'Unauthorized',
     403: 'Access Denied',
     404: 'Resource not found',
     500: 'Internal Server Error',
     501: 'Not Implemented',
     502: 'Bad Gateway',
     503: 'Service unavailable'
 }
 
 
 def _generate_error_page(request, error_code, error_description):
     return render(request, 'error.html',
                   {'error_code': error_code,
                    'error_message': http_status_code_message[error_code],
                    'error_description': mark_safe(error_description)},
                   status=error_code)
 
 
 def swh_handle400(request):
     """
     Custom Django HTTP error 400 handler for swh-web.
     """
     error_description = 'The server cannot process the request to %s due to '\
                         'something that is perceived to be a client error.' %\
                         request.META['PATH_INFO']
     return _generate_error_page(request, 400, error_description)
 
 
 def swh_handle403(request):
     """
     Custom Django HTTP error 403 handler for swh-web.
     """
     error_description = 'The resource %s requires an authentication.' %\
                         request.META['PATH_INFO']
     return _generate_error_page(request, 403, error_description)
 
 
 def swh_handle404(request):
     """
     Custom Django HTTP error 404 handler for swh-web.
     """
     error_description = 'The resource %s could not be found on the server.' %\
                         request.META['PATH_INFO']
     return _generate_error_page(request, 404, error_description)
 
 
 def swh_handle500(request):
     """
     Custom Django HTTP error 500 handler for swh-web.
     """
     error_description = 'An unexpected condition was encountered when '\
                         'requesting resource %s.' %\
                         request.META['PATH_INFO']
     return _generate_error_page(request, 500, error_description)
 
 
 def handle_view_exception(request, exc, html_response=True):
     """
     Function used to generate an error page when an exception
     was raised inside a swh-web browse view.
     """
     error_code = 500
-    error_description = str(exc)
+    error_description = '%s: %s' % (type(exc).__name__, str(exc))
     if get_config()['debug']:
         error_description = traceback.format_exc()
     if isinstance(exc, BadInputExc):
         error_code = 400
     if isinstance(exc, ForbiddenExc):
         error_code = 403
     if isinstance(exc, NotFoundExc):
         error_code = 404
     if html_response:
         return _generate_error_page(request, error_code, error_description)
     else:
         return HttpResponse(error_description, content_type='text/plain',
                             status=error_code)