diff --git a/dbt/node_runners.py b/dbt/node_runners.py
index 8440809411a..4946aae7f0d 100644
--- a/dbt/node_runners.py
+++ b/dbt/node_runners.py
@@ -167,21 +167,20 @@ def run(self, compiled_node, manifest):
     def after_execute(self, result):
         raise NotImplementedException()
 
+    def _skip_caused_by_ephemeral_failure(self):
+        if self.skip_cause is None or self.skip_cause.node is None:
+            return False
+        return self.is_ephemeral_model(self.skip_cause.node)
+
     def on_skip(self):
         schema_name = self.node.schema
         node_name = self.node.name
 
         error = None
         if not self.is_ephemeral_model(self.node):
-            if self.skip_cause is None:
-                dbt.ui.printer.print_skip_line(
-                    self.node,
-                    schema_name,
-                    node_name,
-                    self.node_index,
-                    self.num_nodes
-                )
-            else:
+            # if this model was skipped due to an upstream ephemeral model
+            # failure, print a special 'error skip' message.
+            if self._skip_caused_by_ephemeral_failure():
                 dbt.ui.printer.print_skip_caused_by_error(
                     self.node,
                     schema_name,
@@ -192,9 +191,18 @@ def on_skip(self):
                 )
                 # set an error so dbt will exit with an error code
                 error = (
-                    'Compilation Error in referenced ephemeral model {}.{}'
-                    .format(self.skip_cause.node.schema,
-                            self.skip_cause.node.name)
+                    'Compilation Error in {}, caused by compilation error '
+                    'in referenced ephemeral model {}'
+                    .format(self.node.unique_id,
+                            self.skip_cause.node.unique_id)
+                )
+            else:
+                dbt.ui.printer.print_skip_line(
+                    self.node,
+                    schema_name,
+                    node_name,
+                    self.node_index,
+                    self.num_nodes
                 )
 
         node_result = RunModelResult(self.node, skip=True, error=error)