diff --git a/endpoints/v2/manifest.py b/endpoints/v2/manifest.py
index ff3987620..941f73567 100644
--- a/endpoints/v2/manifest.py
+++ b/endpoints/v2/manifest.py
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def write_manifest_by_tagname(namespace_name, repo_name, manifest_ref):
   try:
     manifest = DockerSchema1Manifest(request.data)
   except ManifestException as me:
-    raise ManifestInvalid(detail={'message': me.message})
+    raise ManifestInvalid(detail={'message': 'failed to parse manifest: %s' % me.message})
 
   if manifest.tag != manifest_ref:
     raise TagInvalid()
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def write_manifest_by_digest(namespace_name, repo_name, manifest_ref):
   try:
     manifest = DockerSchema1Manifest(request.data)
   except ManifestException as me:
-    raise ManifestInvalid(detail={'message': me.message})
+    raise ManifestInvalid(detail={'message': 'failed to parse manifest: %s' % me.message})
 
   if manifest.digest != manifest_ref:
     raise ManifestInvalid(detail={'message': 'manifest digest mismatch'})
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ def _write_manifest(namespace_name, repo_name, manifest):
         rewritten_image.parent_image_id,
       )
   except ManifestException as me:
-    raise ManifestInvalid(detail={'message': me.message})
+    raise ManifestInvalid(detail={'message': 'failed synthesizing v1 metadata: %s' % me.message})
 
   # Store the manifest pointing to the tag.
   leaf_layer_id = rewritten_images[-1].image_id