diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/meta/VersionedMetaData.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/meta/VersionedMetaData.java
index bcd3bea..66482a9 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/meta/VersionedMetaData.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/meta/VersionedMetaData.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.server.logging.TraceContext;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.logging.TraceContext.TraceTimer;
 import java.io.BufferedReader;
+import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.StringReader;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -416,14 +417,7 @@
             update.fireGitRefUpdatedEvent(ru);
             return revision;
           case LOCK_FAILURE:
-            throw new LockFailureException(
-                "Cannot update "
-                    + ru.getName()
-                    + " in "
-                    + db.getDirectory()
-                    + ": "
-                    + ru.getResult(),
-                ru);
+            throw new LockFailureException(errorMsg(ru, db.getDirectory()), ru);
           case FORCED:
           case IO_FAILURE:
           case NOT_ATTEMPTED:
@@ -434,19 +428,18 @@
           case REJECTED_MISSING_OBJECT:
           case REJECTED_OTHER_REASON:
           default:
-            throw new GitUpdateFailureException(
-                "Cannot update "
-                    + ru.getName()
-                    + " in "
-                    + db.getDirectory()
-                    + ": "
-                    + ru.getResult(),
-                ru);
+            throw new GitUpdateFailureException(errorMsg(ru, db.getDirectory()), ru);
         }
       }
     };
   }
 
+  private String errorMsg(RefUpdate ru, File location) {
+    return String.format(
+        "Cannot update %s in %s : %s (%s)",
+        ru.getName(), location, ru.getResult(), ru.getRefLogMessage());
+  }
+
   protected DirCache readTree(RevTree tree)
       throws IOException, MissingObjectException, IncorrectObjectTypeException {
     DirCache dc = DirCache.newInCore();
diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/styles/themes/app-theme.html b/polygerrit-ui/app/styles/themes/app-theme.html
index 3aa1251..0dec63f 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/styles/themes/app-theme.html
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/styles/themes/app-theme.html
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@
   /* background colors */
   /* primary background colors */
   --background-color-primary: #ffffff;
-  --background-color-secondary: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.025);
-  --background-color-tertiary: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);
+  --background-color-secondary: #f8f9fa;
+  --background-color-tertiary: #f1f3f4;
   /* directly derived from primary background colors */
   --chip-background-color: var(--background-color-tertiary);
   --default-button-background-color: var(--background-color-primary);
diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/styles/themes/dark-theme.html b/polygerrit-ui/app/styles/themes/dark-theme.html
index c0b7f9f..57ceb32 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/styles/themes/dark-theme.html
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/styles/themes/dark-theme.html
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@
       /* background colors */
       /* primary background colors */
       --background-color-primary: #202124;
-      --background-color-secondary: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.05);
-      --background-color-tertiary: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1);
+      --background-color-secondary: #2f3034;
+      --background-color-tertiary: #3b3d3f;
       /* directly derived from primary background colors */
       /*   empty, because inheriting from app-theme is just fine
       /* unique background colors */