diff --git a/runtime/src/main/scala/com/soundcloud/twinagle/TwinagleException.scala b/runtime/src/main/scala/com/soundcloud/twinagle/TwinagleException.scala
index 7b8e1741..46bf61cd 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/scala/com/soundcloud/twinagle/TwinagleException.scala
+++ b/runtime/src/main/scala/com/soundcloud/twinagle/TwinagleException.scala
@@ -79,12 +79,16 @@ object ErrorCode {
   }
 }
 
+object TwinagleException {
+  private def mkMessage(code: ErrorCode, msg: String): String = s"$msg [${code.desc}]"
+}
+
 case class TwinagleException(
     code: ErrorCode,
     msg: String,
     meta: Map[String, String] = Map.empty,
     cause: Throwable = null
-) extends RuntimeException(msg, cause) {
+) extends RuntimeException(TwinagleException.mkMessage(code, msg), cause) {
   def this(cause: Throwable) =
     this(ErrorCode.Internal, cause.toString, Map.empty, cause)
 }
diff --git a/runtime/src/test/scala/com/soundcloud/twinagle/TwinagleExceptionSpec.scala b/runtime/src/test/scala/com/soundcloud/twinagle/TwinagleExceptionSpec.scala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2d663ce6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/src/test/scala/com/soundcloud/twinagle/TwinagleExceptionSpec.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+package com.soundcloud.twinagle
+
+import org.specs2.matcher.ResultMatchers.beFailing
+import org.specs2.mutable.Specification
+
+class TwinagleExceptionSpec extends Specification {
+
+  "TwinagleException when seen as a RuntimeException, message should contain the error code" in {
+    val twinagleException = TwinagleException(ErrorCode.Internal, "something went wrong")
+    twinagleException.getMessage ==== "something went wrong [internal]"
+  }
+
+  "specs2 throwsA(someTwinagleException) fails if someTwinagleException has different error code" in {
+    val internalTwinagleException = TwinagleException(ErrorCode.Internal, "my error message")
+    val expectedException         = TwinagleException(ErrorCode.NotFound, "my error message")
+    def myFunction(): Unit        = throw internalTwinagleException
+    (myFunction() must throwA(expectedException)) must beFailing
+  }
+
+}