diff --git a/lib/requestwrapper.ts b/lib/requestwrapper.ts
index dc08fa162..519106281 100644
--- a/lib/requestwrapper.ts
+++ b/lib/requestwrapper.ts
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ export class RequestWrapper {
       } catch (e) {
         // ignore the error, use the object, and tack on a warning
         errorBody = axiosError.data;
-        errorBody.warning = 'body contains circular reference';
+        errorBody.warning = 'Body contains circular reference';
       }
 
       error.body = errorBody;
@@ -270,14 +270,20 @@ export class RequestWrapper {
       if (isAuthenticationError(axiosError)) {
         error.message = 'Access is denied due to invalid credentials.';
       }
-
     } else if (axiosError.request) {
       // The request was made but no response was received
       // `error.request` is an instance of XMLHttpRequest in the browser and an instance of
       // http.ClientRequest in node.js
-      error.message = 'Response not received. Body of error is HTTP ClientRequest object';
-      error.body = axiosError.request;
-
+      error.message = axiosError.message;
+      error.statusText = axiosError.code;
+      error.body = 'Response not received - no connection was made to the service.';
+
+      // when a request to a private cloud instance has an ssl problem, it never connects and follows this branch of the error handling
+      if (isSelfSignedCertificateError(axiosError)) {
+        error.message = `If you're trying to call a service on ICP or Cloud Pak for Data, you ` +
+          `may not have a valid SSL certificate. If you need to access the service without setting that up, try using ` +
+          `the disableSslVerification option in your client configuration and your authentication configuration if applicable.`;
+      }
     } else {
       // Something happened in setting up the request that triggered an Error
       error.message = axiosError.message;
@@ -311,11 +317,11 @@ function parsePath(path: string, params: Object): string {
  */
 function isAuthenticationError(error: any): boolean {
   let isAuthErr = false;
-  const code = error.status;
-  const body = error.data;
+  const code: number = error.status || null;
+  const body: any = error.data || {};
 
   // handle specific error from iam service, should be relevant across platforms
-  const isIamServiceError = body.context &&
+  const isIamServiceError: boolean = body.context &&
     body.context.url &&
     body.context.url.indexOf('iam') > -1;
 
@@ -326,6 +332,28 @@ function isAuthenticationError(error: any): boolean {
   return isAuthErr;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Determine if the error is due to a bad self signed certificate
+ * @private
+ * @param {Object} error - error object returned from axios
+ * @returns {boolean} true if error is due to an SSL error
+ */
+function isSelfSignedCertificateError(error: any): boolean {
+  let result = false;
+
+  const sslCode = 'DEPTH_ZERO_SELF_SIGNED_CERT';
+  const sslMessage = 'self signed certificate';
+
+  const hasSslCode = error.code === sslCode;
+  const hasSslMessage = hasStringProperty(error, 'message') && error.message.includes(sslMessage);
+
+  if (hasSslCode || hasSslMessage) {
+    result = true;
+  }
+
+  return result;
+}
+
 /**
  * Return true if object has a specified property that is a string
  * @private
diff --git a/test/unit/requestWrapper.test.js b/test/unit/requestWrapper.test.js
index fbaa3ec9a..178632a26 100644
--- a/test/unit/requestWrapper.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/requestWrapper.test.js
@@ -384,10 +384,9 @@ describe('formatError', () => {
         'x-global-transaction-id': 'fhd7s8hfudj9ksoo0wpnd78a',
       },
     },
-    request: {
-      message: 'request was made but no response was received',
-    },
+    request: 'fake-http-request-object',
     message: 'error in building the request',
+    code: 'SOME_STATUS_KEY',
   };
 
   it('should get the message from errors[0].message', () => {
@@ -486,8 +485,37 @@ describe('formatError', () => {
     delete basicAxiosError.response;
     const error = requestWrapperInstance.formatError(basicAxiosError);
     expect(error instanceof Error).toBe(true);
-    expect(error.message).toBe('Response not received. Body of error is HTTP ClientRequest object');
-    expect(error.body).toEqual(basicAxiosError.request);
+    expect(error.message).toBe('error in building the request');
+    expect(error.statusText).toBe('SOME_STATUS_KEY');
+    expect(error.body).toBe('Response not received - no connection was made to the service.');
+  });
+
+  it('check the SSL error handler - message condition', () => {
+    // save the original message
+    const originalMessage = basicAxiosError.message;
+
+    basicAxiosError.message = 'request has self signed certificate';
+    const error = requestWrapperInstance.formatError(basicAxiosError);
+
+    // put the original message back in, before expectations in case they fail
+    basicAxiosError.message = originalMessage;
+
+    expect(error instanceof Error).toBe(true);
+    expect(error.message).toMatch(/may not have a valid SSL certificate/);
+  });
+
+  it('check the SSL error handler - code condition', () => {
+    // save the original code
+    const originalCode = basicAxiosError.code;
+
+    basicAxiosError.code = 'DEPTH_ZERO_SELF_SIGNED_CERT';
+    const error = requestWrapperInstance.formatError(basicAxiosError);
+
+    // put the original message back in, before expectations in case they fail
+    basicAxiosError.code = originalCode;
+
+    expect(error instanceof Error).toBe(true);
+    expect(error.message).toMatch(/may not have a valid SSL certificate/);
   });
 
   it('check the message flow', () => {