diff --git a/include/maxscale/dcb.h b/include/maxscale/dcb.h
index 21933b795..411ab8bb3 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/dcb.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/dcb.h
@@ -229,7 +229,8 @@ typedef struct dcb
     uint32_t n_close;           /** How many times dcb_close has been called. */
     char*    path;              /** If a Unix socket, the path it was bound to. */
 
-    uint64_t m_uid; /**< Unique identifier for this DCB */
+    uint64_t m_uid;     /**< Unique identifier for this DCB */
+    bool     is_fake_event;
 } DCB;
 
 /**
diff --git a/server/core/dcb.cc b/server/core/dcb.cc
index 456b081cf..d6828cd3f 100644
--- a/server/core/dcb.cc
+++ b/server/core/dcb.cc
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ DCB* dcb_alloc(dcb_role_t role, SERV_LISTENER* listener)
     newdcb->low_water = config_writeq_low_water();
     newdcb->high_water = config_writeq_high_water();
     newdcb->m_uid = this_unit.uid_generator.fetch_add(1, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+    newdcb->is_fake_event = false;
 
     if (role == DCB_ROLE_SERVICE_LISTENER)
     {
@@ -2062,7 +2063,9 @@ static void dcb_hangup_foreach_worker(MXB_WORKER* worker, struct server* server)
         {
             this_thread.current_dcb = dcb;
             dcb->flags |= DCBF_HUNG;
+            dcb->is_fake_event = true;
             dcb->func.hangup(dcb);
+            dcb->is_fake_event = false;
         }
     }
 
@@ -3249,7 +3252,9 @@ static uint32_t dcb_handler(DCB* dcb, uint32_t events)
         events = dcb->fake_event;
         dcb->fake_event = 0;
 
+        dcb->is_fake_event = true;
         rv |= dcb_process_poll_events(dcb, events);
+        dcb->is_fake_event = false;
     }
 
     this_thread.current_dcb = NULL;
diff --git a/server/modules/protocol/MySQL/mariadbbackend/mysql_backend.cc b/server/modules/protocol/MySQL/mariadbbackend/mysql_backend.cc
index d00eef6b7..ef904c4f4 100644
--- a/server/modules/protocol/MySQL/mariadbbackend/mysql_backend.cc
+++ b/server/modules/protocol/MySQL/mariadbbackend/mysql_backend.cc
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 #include <maxscale/server.hh>
 #include <maxscale/utils.h>
 
+#include <sstream>
+
 /*
  * MySQL Protocol module for handling the protocol between the gateway
  * and the backend MySQL database.
@@ -585,6 +587,23 @@ static int gw_read_backend_event(DCB* dcb)
     return rc;
 }
 
+static std::string get_detailed_error(DCB* dcb)
+{
+    std::ostringstream ss;
+
+    if (int err = gw_getsockerrno(dcb->fd))
+    {
+        ss << " (" << err << ", " << mxs_strerror(err) << ")";
+    }
+    else if (dcb->is_fake_event)
+    {
+        // Fake events should not have TCP socket errors
+        ss << " (Generated event)";
+    }
+
+    return ss.str();
+}
+
 static void do_handle_error(DCB* dcb, mxs_error_action_t action, const char* errmsg)
 {
     bool succp = true;
@@ -592,7 +611,7 @@ static void do_handle_error(DCB* dcb, mxs_error_action_t action, const char* err
 
     if (!dcb->dcb_errhandle_called)
     {
-        GWBUF* errbuf = mysql_create_custom_error(1, 0, errmsg);
+        GWBUF* errbuf = mysql_create_custom_error(1, 0, (errmsg + get_detailed_error(dcb)).c_str());
         MXS_ROUTER_SESSION* rsession = static_cast<MXS_ROUTER_SESSION*>(session->router_session);
         MXS_ROUTER_OBJECT* router = session->service->router;
         MXS_ROUTER* router_instance = session->service->router_instance;
@@ -1340,7 +1359,7 @@ static int gw_error_backend_event(DCB* dcb)
     }
     else
     {
-        do_handle_error(dcb, ERRACT_NEW_CONNECTION, "Lost connection to backend server.");
+        do_handle_error(dcb, ERRACT_NEW_CONNECTION, "Lost connection to backend server: network error");
     }
 
     return 1;
@@ -1381,7 +1400,8 @@ static int gw_backend_hangup(DCB* dcb)
     }
     else
     {
-        do_handle_error(dcb, ERRACT_NEW_CONNECTION, "Lost connection to backend server.");
+        do_handle_error(dcb, ERRACT_NEW_CONNECTION,
+                        "Lost connection to backend server: connection closed by peer");
     }
 
     return 1;