diff --git a/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/service/api/ServiceResult.java b/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/service/api/ServiceResult.java
index 6e0753cd7..478b5e221 100644
--- a/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/service/api/ServiceResult.java
+++ b/li.strolch.agent/src/main/java/li/strolch/service/api/ServiceResult.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package li.strolch.service.api;
 
 import static li.strolch.utils.helper.ExceptionHelper.formatException;
+import static li.strolch.utils.helper.ExceptionHelper.getExceptionMessageWithCauses;
 import static li.strolch.utils.helper.StringHelper.isEmpty;
 
 import java.util.ResourceBundle;
@@ -23,7 +24,6 @@ import java.util.ResourceBundle;
 import com.google.gson.JsonObject;
 import li.strolch.model.i18n.I18nMessageToJsonVisitor;
 import li.strolch.utils.I18nMessage;
-import li.strolch.utils.helper.ExceptionHelper;
 
 /**
  * @author Robert von Burg <eitch@eitchnet.ch>
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ public class ServiceResult {
 		json.addProperty("msg", isEmpty(this.message) ? "-" : this.message);
 
 		if (this.throwable != null) {
-			json.addProperty("exceptionMsg", ExceptionHelper.getExceptionMessageWithCauses(this.throwable));
+			json.addProperty("exceptionMsg", getExceptionMessageWithCauses(this.throwable, false));
 			json.addProperty("throwable", formatException(this.throwable));
 		}
 
diff --git a/li.strolch.rest/src/main/java/li/strolch/rest/helper/ResponseUtil.java b/li.strolch.rest/src/main/java/li/strolch/rest/helper/ResponseUtil.java
index 3139ddbe1..e5fe58c0f 100644
--- a/li.strolch.rest/src/main/java/li/strolch/rest/helper/ResponseUtil.java
+++ b/li.strolch.rest/src/main/java/li/strolch/rest/helper/ResponseUtil.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package li.strolch.rest.helper;
 
 import static li.strolch.rest.StrolchRestfulConstants.*;
+import static li.strolch.utils.helper.ExceptionHelper.getExceptionMessageWithCauses;
 
 import javax.ws.rs.core.MediaType;
 import javax.ws.rs.core.Response;
@@ -20,7 +21,6 @@ import li.strolch.privilege.base.PrivilegeModelException;
 import li.strolch.service.JsonServiceResult;
 import li.strolch.service.api.ServiceResult;
 import li.strolch.utils.collections.Paging;
-import li.strolch.utils.helper.ExceptionHelper;
 import li.strolch.utils.helper.StringHelper;
 
 /**
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ public class ResponseUtil {
 
 	public static Response toResponse(Status status, Throwable t) {
 		JsonObject response = new JsonObject();
-		response.addProperty(MSG, ExceptionHelper.getExceptionMessageWithCauses(t));
+		response.addProperty(MSG, getExceptionMessageWithCauses(t, false));
 		String json = new Gson().toJson(response);
 
 		return Response.status(status).entity(json).type(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON).build();
diff --git a/li.strolch.utils/src/main/java/li/strolch/utils/helper/ExceptionHelper.java b/li.strolch.utils/src/main/java/li/strolch/utils/helper/ExceptionHelper.java
index 5da62203d..aa5812202 100644
--- a/li.strolch.utils/src/main/java/li/strolch/utils/helper/ExceptionHelper.java
+++ b/li.strolch.utils/src/main/java/li/strolch/utils/helper/ExceptionHelper.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package li.strolch.utils.helper;
 
+import static li.strolch.utils.helper.StringHelper.isEmpty;
 import static li.strolch.utils.helper.XmlHelper.PROP_LINE_SEPARATOR;
 import static li.strolch.utils.helper.XmlHelper.UNIX_LINE_SEP;
 
@@ -44,7 +45,31 @@ public class ExceptionHelper {
 	 * @return the exception as string
 	 */
 	public static String getExceptionMessage(Throwable t) {
-		return t.getClass().getName() + ": " + t.getMessage();
+		return getExceptionMessage(t, true);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * <p>
+	 * Returns a message for the given {@link Throwable}
+	 * </p>
+	 *
+	 * <p>
+	 * A {@link NullPointerException} only has <code>null</code> as the message so this methods returns the class name
+	 * in such a case
+	 * </p>
+	 *
+	 * @param t
+	 * 		the {@link Throwable}
+	 * @param withClassName
+	 * 		if true, then exception class name is prepended to the exception message, if the exception message is null,
+	 * 		then this param is ignored
+	 *
+	 * @return the exception as string
+	 */
+	public static String getExceptionMessage(Throwable t, boolean withClassName) {
+		if (withClassName || isEmpty(t.getMessage()))
+			return t.getClass().getName() + ": " + t.getMessage();
+		return t.getMessage();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -63,11 +88,33 @@ public class ExceptionHelper {
 	 * @return the exception as string
 	 */
 	public static String getExceptionMessageWithCauses(Throwable t) {
-		if (t.getCause() == null)
-			return getExceptionMessage(t);
+		return getExceptionMessageWithCauses(t, true);
+	}
 
-		String root = getExceptionMessageWithCauses(t.getCause());
-		return getExceptionMessage(t) + "\n" + root;
+	/**
+	 * <p>
+	 * Returns a message for the given {@link Throwable}
+	 * </p>
+	 *
+	 * <p>
+	 * A {@link NullPointerException} only has <code>null</code> as the message so this methods returns the class name
+	 * in such a case
+	 * </p>
+	 *
+	 * @param t
+	 * 		the {@link Throwable}
+	 * @param withClassName
+	 * 		if true, then exception class name is prepended to the exception message, if the exception message is null,
+	 * 		then this param is ignored
+	 *
+	 * @return the exception as string
+	 */
+	public static String getExceptionMessageWithCauses(Throwable t, boolean withClassName) {
+		if (t.getCause() == null)
+			return getExceptionMessage(t, withClassName);
+
+		String root = getExceptionMessageWithCauses(t.getCause(), withClassName);
+		return getExceptionMessage(t, withClassName) + "\n" + root;
 	}
 
 	/**