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();