diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/messages.py b/confluent_server/confluent/messages.py
index 161edfeb..1d792d9e 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/messages.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/messages.py
@@ -238,10 +238,14 @@ class ConfluentMessage(object):
 
 class ConfluentNodeError(object):
     apicode = 500
+    # What to say when the caller had no text to offer.  An error that reads
+    # "None" tells a user nothing, and every route out of here, the api body,
+    # the html and the exception strip_node raises, wants something to print.
+    defaulterror = 'Unknown error'
 
-    def __init__(self, node, errorstr):
+    def __init__(self, node, errorstr=None):
         self.node = node
-        self.error = errorstr
+        self.error = errorstr if errorstr else self.defaulterror
 
     def serialize(self):
         return msgpack.packb(
@@ -267,10 +271,7 @@ class ConfluentNodeError(object):
 
 class NotImplemented(ConfluentNodeError):
     apicode = 501
-
-    def __init__(self, node, errorstr='Not implemented'):
-        self.node = node
-        self.error = errorstr
+    defaulterror = 'Not implemented'
 
 class Generic(ConfluentMessage):
 
@@ -289,10 +290,7 @@ class Generic(ConfluentMessage):
 
 class ConfluentResourceUnavailable(ConfluentNodeError):
     apicode = 503
-
-    def __init__(self, node, errstr='Unavailable'):
-        self.node = node
-        self.error = errstr
+    defaulterror = 'Unavailable'
 
     def strip_node(self, node):
         raise exc.TargetResourceUnavailable()
@@ -300,11 +298,7 @@ class ConfluentResourceUnavailable(ConfluentNodeError):
 
 class ConfluentTargetTimeout(ConfluentNodeError):
     apicode = 504
-
-    def __init__(self, node, errstr='timeout'):
-        self.node = node
-        self.error = errstr
-
+    defaulterror = 'timeout'
 
     def strip_node(self, node):
         raise exc.TargetEndpointUnreachable(self.error)
@@ -312,10 +306,7 @@ class ConfluentTargetTimeout(ConfluentNodeError):
 
 class ConfluentTargetNotFound(ConfluentNodeError):
     apicode = 404
-
-    def __init__(self, node, errorstr='not found'):
-        self.node = node
-        self.error = errorstr
+    defaulterror = 'not found'
 
     def strip_node(self, node):
         raise exc.NotFoundException(self.error)
@@ -323,9 +314,7 @@ class ConfluentTargetNotFound(ConfluentNodeError):
 
 class ConfluentTargetInvalidCredentials(ConfluentNodeError):
     apicode = 502
-    def __init__(self, node, errstr='bad credentials'):
-        self.node = node
-        self.error = errstr
+    defaulterror = 'bad credentials'
 
     def strip_node(self, node):
         raise exc.TargetEndpointBadCredentials
diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/affluent.py b/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/affluent.py
index d7c4383f..5222c030 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/affluent.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/affluent.py
@@ -46,13 +46,15 @@ class WebClient(object):
                 'pubkeys.tls_hardwaremanager attribute'))
             return {}
         except (socket.gaierror, socket.herror, TimeoutError) as e:
-            results.put_nowait(msg.ConfluentTargetTimeout(self.node, str(e)))
+            results.put_nowait(
+                msg.ConfluentTargetTimeout(self.node, exc.exc_text(e)))
             return {}
         except OSError as e:
             if e.errno == 113:
                 results.put_nowait(msg.ConfluentTargetTimeout(self.node))
             else:
-                results.put_nowait(msg.ConfluentTargetTimeout(self.node), str(e))
+                results.put_nowait(
+                    msg.ConfluentTargetTimeout(self.node, exc.exc_text(e)))
             return {}
         except Exception as e:
             results.put_nowait(msg.ConfluentNodeError(self.node,
diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/ipmi.py b/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/ipmi.py
index b7916362..db40e941 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/ipmi.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/ipmi.py
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ async def perform_request(operator, node, element,
             await results.put(msg.ConfluentNodeError(node, excmsg))
             #raise
     except exc.TargetEndpointUnreachable as tu:
-        await results.put(msg.ConfluentTargetTimeout(node, str(tu)))
+        await results.put(msg.ConfluentTargetTimeout(node, exc_text(tu)))
     except ssl.SSLEOFError:
         await results.put(msg.ConfluentNodeError(
             node, 'Unable to communicate with the https server on '
diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/redfish.py b/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/redfish.py
index 89c5a13e..f3bdc132 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/redfish.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/plugins/hardwaremanagement/redfish.py
@@ -334,10 +334,9 @@ async def perform_request(operator, node, element,
             realop)
         return await ih.handle_request()
     except socket.error as se:
-        if hasattr(se, 'strerror'):
-            await results.put(msg.ConfluentTargetTimeout(node, se.strerror))
-        else:
-            await results.put(msg.ConfluentTargetTimeout(node, str(se)))
+        # Every OSError has a strerror, but it is None on plenty of them, so
+        # ask for the text the same way as everywhere else rather than trust it
+        await results.put(msg.ConfluentTargetTimeout(node, exc_text(se)))
     except pygexc.IpmiException as ipmiexc:
         excmsg = exc_text(ipmiexc)
         if excmsg in ('Session no longer connected', 'timeout'):
@@ -346,7 +345,7 @@ async def perform_request(operator, node, element,
             await results.put(msg.ConfluentNodeError(node, excmsg))
             raise
     except exc.TargetEndpointUnreachable as tu:
-        await results.put(msg.ConfluentTargetTimeout(node, str(tu)))
+        await results.put(msg.ConfluentTargetTimeout(node, exc_text(tu)))
     except exc.TargetEndpointBadCredentials:
         await results.put(msg.ConfluentTargetInvalidCredentials(node))
     except ssl.SSLEOFError: