diff --git a/PENDING.md b/PENDING.md
index cf68b69b5780..307d39c59bb0 100644
--- a/PENDING.md
+++ b/PENDING.md
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ BREAKING CHANGES
 * SDK
     * [core] \#1807 Switch from use of rational to decimal
     * [types] \#1901 Validator interface's GetOwner() renamed to GetOperator()
+    * [types] \#2119 Parsed error messages and ABCI log errors to make them more human readable.
 
 * Tendermint
 
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ IMPROVEMENTS
     * [cli] #2060 removed `--select` from `block` command
 
 * Gaia
-    * [x/stake] [#2023](https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/pull/2023) Terminate iteration loop in `UpdateBondedValidators` and `UpdateBondedValidatorsFull` when the first revoked validator is encountered and perform a sanity check. 
+    * [x/stake] [#2023](https://github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/pull/2023) Terminate iteration loop in `UpdateBondedValidators` and `UpdateBondedValidatorsFull` when the first revoked validator is encountered and perform a sanity check.
     * [x/auth] Signature verification's gas cost now accounts for pubkey type. [#2046](https://github.com/tendermint/tendermint/pull/2046)
 
 * SDK
diff --git a/types/errors.go b/types/errors.go
index 58541dfea979..45ef79f56a6e 100644
--- a/types/errors.go
+++ b/types/errors.go
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@ package types
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	cmn "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/common"
 
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/wire"
 	abci "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/abci/types"
 )
 
@@ -225,7 +227,11 @@ func (err *sdkError) TraceSDK(format string, args ...interface{}) Error {
 // Implements ABCIError.
 // Overrides err.Error.Error().
 func (err *sdkError) Error() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("Error{%d:%d,%#v}", err.codespace, err.code, err.cmnError)
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`ERROR:
+Codespace: %d
+Code: %d
+Message: %#v
+`, err.codespace, err.code, parseCmnError(err.cmnError.Error()))
 }
 
 // Implements ABCIError.
@@ -245,13 +251,20 @@ func (err *sdkError) Code() CodeType {
 
 // Implements ABCIError.
 func (err *sdkError) ABCILog() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf(`=== ABCI Log ===
-Codespace: %v
-Code:      %v
-ABCICode:  %v
-Error:     %#v
-=== /ABCI Log ===
-`, err.codespace, err.code, err.ABCICode(), err.cmnError)
+	cdc := wire.NewCodec()
+	parsedErrMsg := parseCmnError(err.cmnError.Error())
+	jsonErr := humanReadableError{
+		Codespace: err.codespace,
+		Code:      err.code,
+		ABCICode:  err.ABCICode(),
+		Message:   parsedErrMsg,
+	}
+	bz, er := cdc.MarshalJSON(jsonErr)
+	if er != nil {
+		panic(er)
+	}
+	stringifiedJSON := string(bz)
+	return stringifiedJSON
 }
 
 func (err *sdkError) Result() Result {
@@ -268,3 +281,18 @@ func (err *sdkError) QueryResult() abci.ResponseQuery {
 		Log:  err.ABCILog(),
 	}
 }
+
+func parseCmnError(err string) string {
+	if idx := strings.Index(err, "{"); idx != -1 {
+		err = err[idx+1 : len(err)-1]
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
+// nolint
+type humanReadableError struct {
+	Codespace CodespaceType `json:"codespace"`
+	Code      CodeType      `json:"code"`
+	ABCICode  ABCICodeType  `json:"abci_code"`
+	Message   string        `json:"message"`
+}
diff --git a/types/errors_test.go b/types/errors_test.go
index e7625e96f853..f00b2600ca85 100644
--- a/types/errors_test.go
+++ b/types/errors_test.go
@@ -57,7 +57,10 @@ func TestErrFn(t *testing.T) {
 		err := errFn("")
 		codeType := codeTypes[i]
 		require.Equal(t, err.Code(), codeType, "Err function expected to return proper code. tc #%d", i)
+		require.Equal(t, err.Codespace(), CodespaceRoot, "Err function expected to return proper codespace. tc #%d", i)
 		require.Equal(t, err.Result().Code, ToABCICode(CodespaceRoot, codeType), "Err function expected to return proper ABCICode. tc #%d")
+		require.Equal(t, err.QueryResult().Code, uint32(err.ABCICode()), "Err function expected to return proper ABCICode from QueryResult. tc #%d")
+		require.Equal(t, err.QueryResult().Log, err.ABCILog(), "Err function expected to return proper ABCILog from QueryResult. tc #%d")
 	}
 
 	require.Equal(t, ABCICodeOK, ToABCICode(CodespaceRoot, CodeOK))