diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 2ed61a5..dc629aa 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func (cli *client) Register(ctx context.Context, ns string, ttl int) error {
 
 	status := res.GetRegisterResponse().GetStatus()
 	if status != pb.Message_OK {
-		return RegistrationError(status)
+		return RendezvousError{Status: status, Text: res.GetRegisterResponse().GetStatusText()}
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -142,6 +142,11 @@ func discoverQuery(ns string, limit int, cookie []byte, r ggio.Reader, w ggio.Wr
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("Unexpected response: %s", res.GetType().String())
 	}
 
+	status := res.GetDiscoverResponse().GetStatus()
+	if status != pb.Message_OK {
+		return nil, nil, RendezvousError{Status: status, Text: res.GetDiscoverResponse().GetStatusText()}
+	}
+
 	regs := res.GetDiscoverResponse().GetRegistrations()
 	pinfos := make([]pstore.PeerInfo, 0, len(regs))
 	for _, reg := range regs {
diff --git a/proto.go b/proto.go
index 1b1ae0e..ae3941d 100644
--- a/proto.go
+++ b/proto.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package rendezvous
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+
 	pb "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-rendezvous/pb"
 
 	peer "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p-peer"
@@ -13,10 +15,13 @@ const (
 	RendezvousProto = protocol.ID("/rendezvous/1.0.0")
 )
 
-type RegistrationError pb.Message_RegisterStatus
+type RendezvousError struct {
+	Status pb.Message_ResponseStatus
+	Text   string
+}
 
-func (e RegistrationError) Error() string {
-	return "Registration error: " + pb.Message_RegisterStatus(e).String()
+func (e RendezvousError) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("Rendezvous error: %s (%s)", e.Text, pb.Message_ResponseStatus(e.Status).String())
 }
 
 func newRegisterMessage(ns string, pi pstore.PeerInfo, ttl int) *pb.Message {