diff --git a/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/batching/BatcherStats.java b/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/batching/BatcherStats.java
index 784af6f599..20b0f95954 100644
--- a/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/batching/BatcherStats.java
+++ b/gax-java/gax/src/main/java/com/google/api/gax/batching/BatcherStats.java
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@
 
 import com.google.api.gax.rpc.ApiException;
 import com.google.api.gax.rpc.StatusCode.Code;
+import com.google.common.base.Joiner;
 import com.google.common.base.MoreObjects;
+import com.google.common.collect.EvictingQueue;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -52,6 +54,21 @@ class BatcherStats {
   private final Map<Class, Integer> entryExceptionCounts = new HashMap<>();
   private final Map<Code, Integer> entryStatusCounts = new HashMap<>();
 
+  /**
+   * The maximum number of error messages that a Batcher instance will retain. By default, a Batcher
+   * instance will retain 50 entry error messages and 50 RPC error messages. This limit can be
+   * temporarily increased by setting the {@code com.google.api.gax.batching.errors.max-samples}
+   * system property. This should only be needed in very rare situations and should not be
+   * considered part of the public api.
+   */
+  private final int MAX_ERROR_MSG_SAMPLES =
+      Integer.getInteger("com.google.api.gax.batching.errors.max-samples", 50);
+
+  private final EvictingQueue<String> sampleOfRpcErrors =
+      EvictingQueue.create(MAX_ERROR_MSG_SAMPLES);
+  private final EvictingQueue<String> sampleOfEntryErrors =
+      EvictingQueue.create(MAX_ERROR_MSG_SAMPLES);
+
   /**
    * Records the count of the exception and it's type when a complete batch failed to apply.
    *
@@ -69,6 +86,8 @@ synchronized void recordBatchFailure(Throwable throwable) {
       requestStatusCounts.put(code, oldStatusCount + 1);
     }
 
+    sampleOfRpcErrors.add(throwable.toString());
+
     int oldExceptionCount = MoreObjects.firstNonNull(requestExceptionCounts.get(exceptionClass), 0);
     requestExceptionCounts.put(exceptionClass, oldExceptionCount + 1);
   }
@@ -96,6 +115,8 @@ synchronized <T extends BatchEntry> void recordBatchElementsCompletion(
         Throwable actualCause = throwable.getCause();
         Class exceptionClass = actualCause.getClass();
 
+        sampleOfEntryErrors.add(actualCause.toString());
+
         if (actualCause instanceof ApiException) {
           Code code = ((ApiException) actualCause).getStatusCode().getCode();
           exceptionClass = ApiException.class;
@@ -144,6 +165,17 @@ synchronized BatchingException asException() {
           .append(buildExceptionList(entryExceptionCounts, entryStatusCounts))
           .append(".");
     }
+
+    if (!sampleOfRpcErrors.isEmpty()) {
+      messageBuilder.append(" Sample of RPC errors: ");
+      messageBuilder.append(Joiner.on(", ").join(sampleOfRpcErrors));
+      messageBuilder.append(".");
+    }
+    if (!sampleOfEntryErrors.isEmpty()) {
+      messageBuilder.append(" Sample of entry errors: ");
+      messageBuilder.append(Joiner.on(", ").join(sampleOfEntryErrors));
+      messageBuilder.append(".");
+    }
     return new BatchingException(messageBuilder.toString());
   }
 
diff --git a/gax-java/gax/src/test/java/com/google/api/gax/batching/BatcherStatsTest.java b/gax-java/gax/src/test/java/com/google/api/gax/batching/BatcherStatsTest.java
index 1a95e4d3cb..1d10917aeb 100644
--- a/gax-java/gax/src/test/java/com/google/api/gax/batching/BatcherStatsTest.java
+++ b/gax-java/gax/src/test/java/com/google/api/gax/batching/BatcherStatsTest.java
@@ -55,7 +55,10 @@ public void testRequestFailuresOnly() {
 
     batcherStats.recordBatchFailure(
         ApiExceptionFactory.createException(
-            new RuntimeException(), FakeStatusCode.of(StatusCode.Code.INVALID_ARGUMENT), false));
+            "fake api error",
+            new RuntimeException(),
+            FakeStatusCode.of(StatusCode.Code.INVALID_ARGUMENT),
+            false));
 
     batcherStats.recordBatchFailure(new RuntimeException("Request failed"));
 
@@ -65,6 +68,10 @@ public void testRequestFailuresOnly() {
     assertThat(exception).hasMessageThat().contains("1 RuntimeException");
     assertThat(exception).hasMessageThat().contains("1 ApiException(1 INVALID_ARGUMENT)");
     assertThat(exception).hasMessageThat().contains("and 0 partial failures.");
+    assertThat(exception)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .contains(
+            "com.google.api.gax.rpc.InvalidArgumentException: fake api error, java.lang.RuntimeException: Request failed.");
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -79,7 +86,10 @@ public void testEntryFailureOnly() {
     SettableApiFuture<Integer> batchTwoResult = SettableApiFuture.create();
     batchTwoResult.setException(
         ApiExceptionFactory.createException(
-            new RuntimeException(), FakeStatusCode.of(StatusCode.Code.UNAVAILABLE), false));
+            "fake entry error",
+            new RuntimeException(),
+            FakeStatusCode.of(StatusCode.Code.UNAVAILABLE),
+            false));
     batcherStats.recordBatchElementsCompletion(
         ImmutableList.of(BatchEntry.create(2, batchTwoResult)));
 
@@ -89,6 +99,10 @@ public void testEntryFailureOnly() {
         .contains("The 2 partial failures contained 2 entries that failed with:");
     assertThat(ex).hasMessageThat().contains("1 ApiException(1 UNAVAILABLE)");
     assertThat(ex).hasMessageThat().contains("1 IllegalStateException");
+    assertThat(ex)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .contains(
+            "Sample of entry errors: java.lang.IllegalStateException: local element failure, com.google.api.gax.rpc.UnavailableException: fake entry error.");
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -110,6 +124,8 @@ public void testRequestAndEntryFailures() {
         .contains(
             "Batching finished with 1 batches failed to apply due to: 1 RuntimeException and 1 "
                 + "partial failures. The 1 partial failures contained 1 entries that failed with:"
-                + " 1 ApiException(1 ALREADY_EXISTS).");
+                + " 1 ApiException(1 ALREADY_EXISTS)."
+                + " Sample of RPC errors: java.lang.RuntimeException: Batch failure."
+                + " Sample of entry errors: com.google.api.gax.rpc.AlreadyExistsException: java.lang.RuntimeException.");
   }
 }