diff --git a/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/CompilationErrorHandler.java b/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/CompilationErrorHandler.java
index 61fe7a02cc8..fa94905612b 100644
--- a/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/CompilationErrorHandler.java
+++ b/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/CompilationErrorHandler.java
@@ -18,8 +18,19 @@ package org.jetbrains.kotlin.codegen;
 
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.util.ExceptionUtilKt;
 
+import static org.jetbrains.kotlin.utils.ExceptionUtilsKt.rethrow;
+
 public interface CompilationErrorHandler {
     CompilationErrorHandler THROW_EXCEPTION = (exception, fileUrl) -> {
+        // CompilationException is already supposed to have all information about the context
+        if (exception instanceof CompilationException) {
+            try {
+                throw exception;
+            } catch (Throwable t) {
+                throw rethrow(t);
+            }
+        }
+
         throw new IllegalStateException(
                 ExceptionUtilKt.getExceptionMessage("Backend", "Exception during code generation", exception, fileUrl),
                 exception
diff --git a/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/ExpressionCodegen.java b/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/ExpressionCodegen.java
index a88ab2a0bc3..6430d55ed69 100644
--- a/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/ExpressionCodegen.java
+++ b/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/ExpressionCodegen.java
@@ -317,9 +317,8 @@ public class ExpressionCodegen extends KtVisitor<StackValue, StackValue> impleme
         catch (ProcessCanceledException | CompilationException e) {
             throw e;
         }
-        catch (Throwable error) {
-            String message = error.getMessage();
-            throw new CompilationException(message != null ? message : "null", error, selector);
+        catch (Throwable e) {
+            throw new CompilationException("Failed to generate expression: " + selector.getClass().getSimpleName(), e, selector);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/FunctionCodegen.java b/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/FunctionCodegen.java
index d0f96f5a2e6..32e2a34f3c0 100644
--- a/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/FunctionCodegen.java
+++ b/compiler/backend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/codegen/FunctionCodegen.java
@@ -985,16 +985,14 @@ public class FunctionCodegen {
         catch (ProcessCanceledException e) {
             throw e;
         }
-        catch (Throwable t) {
+        catch (Throwable e) {
             String bytecode = renderByteCodeIfAvailable(mv);
             throw new CompilationException(
-                    "wrong code generated\n" +
-                    (description != null ? " for " + description : "") +
-                    t.getClass().getName() +
-                    " " +
-                    t.getMessage() +
-                    (bytecode != null ? "\nbytecode:\n" + bytecode : ""),
-                    t, method);
+                    "wrong bytecode generated" +
+                    (description != null ? " for " + description : "") + "\n" +
+                    (bytecode != null ? bytecode : "<no bytecode>"),
+                    e, method
+            );
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/util/exceptionUtil.kt b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/util/exceptionUtil.kt
index 9613202561d..41be20f3439 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/util/exceptionUtil.kt
+++ b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/util/exceptionUtil.kt
@@ -13,29 +13,18 @@ fun getExceptionMessage(
     cause: Throwable?,
     location: String?
 ): String = ApplicationManager.getApplication().runReadAction<String> {
-    val result = StringBuilder(subsystemName + " Internal error: ").append(message).append("\n")
-    if (cause != null) {
-        val causeMessage = cause.message
-        result.append("Cause: ").append(causeMessage ?: cause.toString()).append("\n")
-    }
+    buildString {
+        append(subsystemName).append(" Internal error: ").appendln(message)
 
-    if (location != null) {
-        result.append("File being compiled at position: ").append(location).append("\n")
-    } else {
-        result.append("Element is unknown")
-    }
+        if (location != null) {
+            append("File being compiled at position: ").appendln(location)
+        } else {
+            append("Element is unknown")
+        }
 
-    if (cause != null) {
-        result.append("The root cause was thrown at: ").append(where(cause))
+        if (cause != null) {
+            append("The root cause ${cause::class.java.name} was thrown at: ")
+            append(cause.stackTrace?.firstOrNull()?.toString() ?: "unknown")
+        }
     }
-
-    result.toString()
-}
-
-private fun where(cause: Throwable): String {
-    val stackTrace = cause.stackTrace
-    if (stackTrace != null && stackTrace.size > 0) {
-        return stackTrace[0].fileName + ":" + stackTrace[0].lineNumber
-    }
-    return "unknown"
 }