diff --git a/internal/pkg/gateway/api.go b/internal/pkg/gateway/api.go
index f5218817d6e..67ef16f1735 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/gateway/api.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/gateway/api.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func (gs *Server) Evaluate(ctx context.Context, request *gp.EvaluateRequest) (*g
 	endorser, err := gs.registry.evaluator(channel, chaincodeID, targetOrgs)
 	if err != nil {
 		if transientProtected {
-			return nil, status.Error(codes.Unavailable, "no endorsers found in the gateway's organization; retry specifying target organization(s) to protect transient data")
+			return nil, status.Errorf(codes.Unavailable, "no endorsers found in the gateway's organization; retry specifying target organization(s) to protect transient data: %s", err)
 		}
 		return nil, status.Errorf(codes.Unavailable, "%s", err)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/pkg/gateway/api_test.go b/internal/pkg/gateway/api_test.go
index 0883cf11cfe..0f0c61e0c72 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/gateway/api_test.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/gateway/api_test.go
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ func TestEvaluate(t *testing.T) {
 			name:      "no endorsers",
 			plan:      endorsementPlan{},
 			members:   []networkMember{},
-			errString: "rpc error: code = Unavailable desc = no endorsing peers found for channel: test_channel",
+			errString: "rpc error: code = Unavailable desc = no endorsing peers found for chaincode test_chaincode in channel test_channel",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "five endorsers, prefer local org",
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ func TestEvaluate(t *testing.T) {
 				{"id5", "peer4:11051", "msp3", 7},
 			},
 			transientData: map[string][]byte{"transient-key": []byte("transient-value")},
-			errString:     "rpc error: code = Unavailable desc = no endorsers found in the gateway's organization; retry specifying target organization(s) to protect transient data",
+			errString:     "rpc error: code = Unavailable desc = no endorsers found in the gateway's organization; retry specifying target organization(s) to protect transient data: no endorsing peers found for chaincode test_chaincode in channel test_channel",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "evaluate with transient data and target (non-local) orgs should select the highest block height peer",
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ func TestEvaluate(t *testing.T) {
 					PKIid:    []byte("ill-defined"),
 				}})
 			},
-			errString: "rpc error: code = Unavailable desc = no endorsing peers found for channel: test_channel",
+			errString: "rpc error: code = Unavailable desc = no endorsing peers found for chaincode test_chaincode in channel test_channel",
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ func TestEndorse(t *testing.T) {
 			postSetup: func(t *testing.T, def *preparedTest) {
 				def.discovery.PeersForEndorsementReturns(nil, fmt.Errorf("peach-melba"))
 			},
-			errString: "rpc error: code = Unavailable desc = discovery service failed to build endorsement plan: peach-melba",
+			errString: "rpc error: code = Unavailable desc = no combination of peers can be derived which satisfy the endorsement policy: peach-melba",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "discovery returns incomplete protos - nil layout",
diff --git a/internal/pkg/gateway/registry.go b/internal/pkg/gateway/registry.go
index cc810ece2b7..ea20a269827 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/gateway/registry.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/gateway/registry.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func (reg *registry) endorsers(channel string, interest *peer.ChaincodeInterest,
 	descriptor, err := reg.discovery.PeersForEndorsement(gossipcommon.ChannelID(channel), interest)
 	if err != nil {
 		logger.Errorw("PeersForEndorsement failed.", "error", err, "channel", channel, "ChaincodeInterest", proto.MarshalTextString(interest))
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("discovery service failed to build endorsement plan: %s", err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no combination of peers can be derived which satisfy the endorsement policy: %s", err)
 	}
 
 	layouts := descriptor.GetLayouts()
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ func (reg *registry) evaluator(channel string, chaincode string, targetOrgs []st
 	if evaluator != nil {
 		return evaluator, nil
 	}
-	return nil, fmt.Errorf("no endorsing peers found for channel: %s", channel)
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("no endorsing peers found for chaincode %s in channel %s", chaincode, channel)
 }
 
 func sorter(e []*endorserState, host string) func(i, j int) bool {