diff --git a/lib/load_gen/common.js b/lib/load_gen/common.js
index cd31954fb5ec5d3fe24e5eeedf18ac8a385a8b73..a02e599ea4bb8355863cdaaa3c4119ba0e543510 100644
--- a/lib/load_gen/common.js
+++ b/lib/load_gen/common.js
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ exports.authAndKey = function(cfg, user, ctx, email, cb) {
           pubkey: keypair.publicKey.serialize()
         }, function(resp) {
           try {
-            if (resp.code !== 200) throw "non-200 status: " + resp.code;
+            if (resp.code !== 200) throw "non-200 status: " + resp.code +
+              + " - " + resp.body;
             if (typeof resp.body !== 'string') throw cb("no response body");
             userdb.addCertToUserCtx(ctx, email, resp.body);
             cb();
@@ -83,7 +84,8 @@ exports.genAssertionAndVerify = function(cfg, user, ctx, email, audience, cb) {
     }, function (r) {
       try {
         if (r.code !== 200) throw "non-200 status: " + resp.code;
-        cb(JSON.parse(r.body).status === 'okay' ? undefined : "verification failed");
+        if (!JSON.parse(r.body).status === 'okay') throw "verification failed with: " + r.reason;
+        cb(undefined);
       } catch(e) {
         return cb("can't verify: " + e.toString());
       }