diff --git a/src/cli/commands/publish.js b/src/cli/commands/publish.js
index 0cf87b3564..1435ea7edb 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/publish.js
+++ b/src/cli/commands/publish.js
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ async function publish(config: Config, pkg: any, flags: Object, dir: string): Pr
       body: root,
     });
   } catch (error) {
-    throw new MessageError(config.reporter.lang('publishFail'));
+    throw new MessageError(config.reporter.lang('publishFail', error.message));
   }
 
   await config.executeLifecycleScript('publish');
diff --git a/src/reporters/lang/en.js b/src/reporters/lang/en.js
index f6f585f07e..d402e27a7c 100644
--- a/src/reporters/lang/en.js
+++ b/src/reporters/lang/en.js
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ const messages = {
   incorrectCredentials: 'Incorrect username or password.',
   clearedCredentials: 'Cleared login credentials.',
 
-  publishFail: "Couldn't publish package.",
+  publishFail: "Couldn't publish package: $0",
   publishPrivate: 'Package marked as private, not publishing.',
   published: 'Published.',
   publishing: 'Publishing',