diff --git a/test/basetest/exceptions.py b/test/basetest/exceptions.py
index abfcdb8ae..a281ecc44 100644
--- a/test/basetest/exceptions.py
+++ b/test/basetest/exceptions.py
@@ -5,13 +5,18 @@ import signal
 class CommandError(Exception):
     def __init__(self, cmd, code, out, err, msg=None):
         if msg is None:
+            msg_suffix = (
+                "\n*** Start STDOUT ***\n{2}\n*** End STDOUT ***\n"
+                "\n*** Start STDERR ***\n{3}\n*** End STDERR ***\n"
+                )
             if code == signal.SIGABRT:
                 self.msg = ("Command '{0}' was aborted, likely due to not "
-                            "finishing in due time. The exit code was "
-                            "'{1}':\nStdout: '{2}'\nStderr: '{3}'")
+                            "finishing in due time. The exit code was '{1}'.\n"
+                            ) + msg_suffix
             else:
-                self.msg = ("Command '{0}' finished with unexpected exit code "
-                            "'{1}':\nStdout: '{2}'\nStderr: '{3}'")
+                self.msg = ("Command '{0}' finished with unexpected exit "
+                            "code '{1}'.\n"
+                            ) + msg_suffix
         else:
             self.msg = msg
 
diff --git a/test/simpletap/__init__.py b/test/simpletap/__init__.py
index 7dd4cfc18..75de31719 100644
--- a/test/simpletap/__init__.py
+++ b/test/simpletap/__init__.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 import sys
 import unittest
 import warnings
+import traceback
 
 
 class TAPTestResult(unittest.result.TestResult):
@@ -106,21 +107,34 @@ class TAPTestResult(unittest.result.TestResult):
         try:
             exception, msg, _ = err
         except (TypeError, ValueError):
-            exception = ""
+            exception_name = ""
             msg = err
+            trace_msg = None
         else:
-            exception = exception.__name__
+            exception_name = exception.__name__
             msg = str(msg)
 
+            # Extract line where error happened for easier debugging
+            _, _, tb = sys.exc_info()
+            trace = traceback.extract_tb(tb)
+            for t in trace:
+                # t = (filename, line_number, function_name, raw_line)
+                if t[2].startswith("test"):
+                    trace_msg = "on file {0} line {1} in {2}: '{3}'".format(*t)
+                    break
+
         if status:
             if status == "SKIP":
-                self.stream.writeln("skip {0} - {1}".format(self.testsRun,
-                                                            desc))
+                self.stream.writeln("skip {0} - {1}".format(
+                    self.testsRun, desc))
             else:
-                self.stream.writeln("not ok {0} - {1}".format(self.testsRun,
-                                                              desc))
-            self.stream.writeln("# {0}: {1}".format(status, exception))
+                self.stream.writeln("not ok {0} - {1}".format(
+                    self.testsRun, desc))
+            self.stream.writeln("# {0}: {1} {2}:".format(
+                status, exception_name, trace_msg))
+
             padding = " " * (len(status) + 3)
+
             for line in msg.splitlines():
                 # Force displaying new-line characters as literal new lines
                 line = line.replace("\\n", "\n# ")