diff --git a/src/requester.cpp b/src/requester.cpp
index 01424f6..f080cf1 100644
--- a/src/requester.cpp
+++ b/src/requester.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <cstring>
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <utility>
+#include <sstream>
 
 using namespace sc;
 
@@ -47,10 +48,18 @@ std::string requester::get(const std::string &url) {
     curl_easy_setopt(_h.get(), CURLOPT_URL, url.c_str());
     curl_easy_setopt(_h.get(), CURLOPT_WRITEDATA, this);
     auto success = curl_easy_perform(_h.get());
-    if (success != CURLE_OK) throw std::runtime_error("could not get remote data");
+    if (success != CURLE_OK) {
+        std::ostringstream oss;
+        oss << "could not get remote data: " << curl_easy_strerror(success);
+        throw std::runtime_error {oss.str()};
+    }
     long status;
     success = curl_easy_getinfo(_h.get(), CURLINFO_RESPONSE_CODE, &status);
-    if (success != CURLE_OK || status != 200) throw std::runtime_error("could not get remote data");
+    if (success != CURLE_OK || status != 200) {
+        std::ostringstream oss;
+        oss << "could not get remote data (" << status << ")";
+        throw std::runtime_error {oss.str()};
+    }
     return _text;
 }
 
@@ -69,6 +78,10 @@ std::string requester::post(const std::string& url, const std::string& json) {
     curl_easy_setopt(_h.get(), CURLOPT_WRITEDATA, &response);
 
     auto success = curl_easy_perform(_h.get());
-    if (success != CURLE_OK) throw std::runtime_error("could not post data");
+    if (success != CURLE_OK) {
+        std::ostringstream oss;
+        oss << "could not post data: " << curl_easy_strerror(success);
+        throw std::runtime_error {oss.str()};
+    }
     return response;
 }