diff --git a/acme/db/nosql/authz_test.go b/acme/db/nosql/authz_test.go
index 2e5dd3ea..c41fabb5 100644
--- a/acme/db/nosql/authz_test.go
+++ b/acme/db/nosql/authz_test.go
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ func TestDB_getDBAuthz(t *testing.T) {
 				Token:        "token",
 				CreatedAt:    now,
 				ExpiresAt:    now.Add(5 * time.Minute),
-				Error:        acme.NewErrorISE("force"),
+				Error:        acme.NewErrorISE("The server experienced an internal error"),
 				ChallengeIDs: []string{"foo", "bar"},
 				Wildcard:     true,
 			}
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ func TestDB_GetAuthorization(t *testing.T) {
 				Token:        "token",
 				CreatedAt:    now,
 				ExpiresAt:    now.Add(5 * time.Minute),
-				Error:        acme.NewErrorISE("force"),
+				Error:        acme.NewErrorISE("The server experienced an internal error"),
 				ChallengeIDs: []string{"foo", "bar"},
 				Wildcard:     true,
 			}
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ func TestDB_UpdateAuthorization(t *testing.T) {
 						assert.Equals(t, dbNew.Wildcard, dbaz.Wildcard)
 						assert.Equals(t, dbNew.CreatedAt, dbaz.CreatedAt)
 						assert.Equals(t, dbNew.ExpiresAt, dbaz.ExpiresAt)
-						assert.Equals(t, dbNew.Error.Error(), acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "malformed").Error())
+						assert.Equals(t, dbNew.Error.Error(), acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "The request message was malformed").Error())
 						return nil, false, errors.New("force")
 					},
 				},
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ func TestDB_UpdateAuthorization(t *testing.T) {
 						assert.Equals(t, dbNew.Wildcard, dbaz.Wildcard)
 						assert.Equals(t, dbNew.CreatedAt, dbaz.CreatedAt)
 						assert.Equals(t, dbNew.ExpiresAt, dbaz.ExpiresAt)
-						assert.Equals(t, dbNew.Error.Error(), acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "malformed").Error())
+						assert.Equals(t, dbNew.Error.Error(), acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "The request message was malformed").Error())
 						return nu, true, nil
 					},
 				},
diff --git a/acme/db/nosql/challenge_test.go b/acme/db/nosql/challenge_test.go
index 4da5679b..08c5a608 100644
--- a/acme/db/nosql/challenge_test.go
+++ b/acme/db/nosql/challenge_test.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func TestDB_getDBChallenge(t *testing.T) {
 				Value:       "test.ca.smallstep.com",
 				CreatedAt:   clock.Now(),
 				ValidatedAt: "foobar",
-				Error:       acme.NewErrorISE("force"),
+				Error:       acme.NewErrorISE("The server experienced an internal error"),
 			}
 			b, err := json.Marshal(dbc)
 			assert.FatalError(t, err)
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ func TestDB_GetChallenge(t *testing.T) {
 				Value:       "test.ca.smallstep.com",
 				CreatedAt:   clock.Now(),
 				ValidatedAt: "foobar",
-				Error:       acme.NewErrorISE("force"),
+				Error:       acme.NewErrorISE("The server experienced an internal error"),
 			}
 			b, err := json.Marshal(dbc)
 			assert.FatalError(t, err)
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ func TestDB_UpdateChallenge(t *testing.T) {
 				ID:          chID,
 				Status:      acme.StatusValid,
 				ValidatedAt: "foobar",
-				Error:       acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "malformed"),
+				Error:       acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "The request message was malformed"),
 			}
 			return test{
 				ch: updCh,
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ func TestDB_UpdateChallenge(t *testing.T) {
 						assert.Equals(t, dbNew.CreatedAt, dbc.CreatedAt)
 						assert.Equals(t, dbNew.Status, acme.StatusValid)
 						assert.Equals(t, dbNew.ValidatedAt, "foobar")
-						assert.Equals(t, dbNew.Error.Error(), acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "malformed").Error())
+						assert.Equals(t, dbNew.Error.Error(), acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "The request message was malformed").Error())
 						return nu, true, nil
 					},
 				},
diff --git a/acme/db/nosql/order_test.go b/acme/db/nosql/order_test.go
index e92eb684..ff9396bd 100644
--- a/acme/db/nosql/order_test.go
+++ b/acme/db/nosql/order_test.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func TestDB_getDBOrder(t *testing.T) {
 					{Type: "dns", Value: "example.foo.com"},
 				},
 				AuthorizationIDs: []string{"foo", "bar"},
-				Error:            acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "force"),
+				Error:            acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "The request message was malformed"),
 			}
 			b, err := json.Marshal(dbo)
 			assert.FatalError(t, err)
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ func TestDB_GetOrder(t *testing.T) {
 					{Type: "dns", Value: "example.foo.com"},
 				},
 				AuthorizationIDs: []string{"foo", "bar"},
-				Error:            acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "force"),
+				Error:            acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "The request message was malformed"),
 			}
 			b, err := json.Marshal(dbo)
 			assert.FatalError(t, err)
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ func TestDB_UpdateOrder(t *testing.T) {
 				ID:            orderID,
 				Status:        acme.StatusValid,
 				CertificateID: "certID",
-				Error:         acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "force"),
+				Error:         acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "The request message was malformed"),
 			}
 			return test{
 				o: o,
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ func TestDB_UpdateOrder(t *testing.T) {
 				ID:            orderID,
 				Status:        acme.StatusValid,
 				CertificateID: "certID",
-				Error:         acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "force"),
+				Error:         acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "The request message was malformed"),
 			}
 			return test{
 				o: o,
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ func TestDB_UpdateOrder(t *testing.T) {
 					assert.Equals(t, tc.o.ID, dbo.ID)
 					assert.Equals(t, tc.o.CertificateID, "certID")
 					assert.Equals(t, tc.o.Status, acme.StatusValid)
-					assert.Equals(t, tc.o.Error.Error(), acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "force").Error())
+					assert.Equals(t, tc.o.Error.Error(), acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "The request message was malformed").Error())
 				}
 			}
 		})
@@ -659,7 +659,7 @@ func TestDB_updateAddOrderIDs(t *testing.T) {
 						assert.Equals(t, newdbo.ID, "foo")
 						assert.Equals(t, newdbo.Status, acme.StatusInvalid)
 						assert.Equals(t, newdbo.ExpiresAt, expiry)
-						assert.Equals(t, newdbo.Error.Error(), acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "order has expired").Error())
+						assert.Equals(t, newdbo.Error.Error(), acme.NewError(acme.ErrorMalformedType, "The request message was malformed").Error())
 						return nil, false, errors.New("force")
 					},
 				},
diff --git a/acme/errors.go b/acme/errors.go
index 95c006b7..34421500 100644
--- a/acme/errors.go
+++ b/acme/errors.go
@@ -335,9 +335,12 @@ func (e *Error) StatusCode() int {
 	return e.Status
 }
 
-// Error allows AError to implement the error interface.
+// Error implements the error interface.
 func (e *Error) Error() string {
-	return e.Detail
+	if e.Err == nil {
+		return e.Detail
+	}
+	return e.Err.Error()
 }
 
 // Cause returns the internal error and implements the Causer interface.