diff --git a/lib/assert.js b/lib/assert.js
index 50ab6b39b161bb..0b256e604eeb0e 100644
--- a/lib/assert.js
+++ b/lib/assert.js
@@ -620,8 +620,13 @@ function expectedException(actual, expected, message, fn) {
       generatedMessage = true;
       message = 'The error is expected to be an instance of ' +
         `"${expected.name}". Received `;
+      // TODO: Special handle identical names.
       if (isError(actual)) {
-        message += `"${actual.name}"`;
+        const name = actual.constructor && actual.constructor.name;
+        message += `"${name || actual.name}"`;
+        if (actual.message) {
+          message += `\n\nError message:\n\n${actual.message}`;
+        }
       } else {
         message += `"${inspect(actual, { depth: -1 })}"`;
       }
@@ -636,6 +641,10 @@ function expectedException(actual, expected, message, fn) {
         const name = expected.name ? `"${expected.name}" ` : '';
         message = `The ${name}validation function is expected to return` +
           ` "true". Received ${inspect(res)}`;
+
+        if (isError(actual)) {
+          message += `\n\nCaught error:\n\n${actual}`;
+        }
       }
       throwError = true;
     }
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-assert-async.js b/test/parallel/test-assert-async.js
index 45447d456379e1..cbb4431f1952df 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-assert-async.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-assert-async.js
@@ -73,7 +73,8 @@ const invalidThenableFunc = () => {
     () => assert.rejects(Promise.reject(err), validate),
     {
       message: 'The "validate" validation function is expected to ' +
-               "return \"true\". Received 'baz'",
+               "return \"true\". Received 'baz'\n\nCaught error:\n\n" +
+               'Error: foobar',
       code: 'ERR_ASSERTION',
       actual: err,
       expected: validate,
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-assert.js b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
index 9c59227a78492e..07cf3746965870 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-assert.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-assert.js
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ assert.throws(
     name: 'AssertionError',
     operator: 'throws',
     message: 'The error is expected to be an instance of "AssertionError". ' +
-             'Received "TypeError"'
+             'Received "TypeError"\n\nError message:\n\n[object Object]'
   }
 );
 
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ a.throws(() => thrower(TypeError), (err) => {
       assert.strictEqual(
         err.message,
         'The error is expected to be an instance of "ES6Error". ' +
-          'Received "Error"'
+          'Received "AnotherErrorType"\n\nError message:\n\nfoo'
       );
       assert.strictEqual(err.actual, actual);
       return true;
@@ -1334,7 +1334,8 @@ assert.throws(
     () => assert.throws(() => { throw err; }, validate),
     {
       message: 'The validation function is expected to ' +
-              `return "true". Received ${inspect(validate())}`,
+              `return "true". Received ${inspect(validate())}\n\nCaught ` +
+              `error:\n\n${err}`,
       code: 'ERR_ASSERTION',
       actual: err,
       expected: validate,