diff --git a/base/src/main/java/org/mozilla/jss/ssl/SSLSocket.java b/base/src/main/java/org/mozilla/jss/ssl/SSLSocket.java
index 8c036d1e9..427e9fab2 100644
--- a/base/src/main/java/org/mozilla/jss/ssl/SSLSocket.java
+++ b/base/src/main/java/org/mozilla/jss/ssl/SSLSocket.java
@@ -1507,11 +1507,9 @@ int read(byte[] b, int off, int len)
             try {
                 iRet = socketRead(b, off, len, base.getTimeout());
             } catch (SocketTimeoutException ste) {
-                throw new SocketTimeoutException(
-                        "SocketTimeoutException cannot read on socket: " + ste);
+                throw new SocketTimeoutException("Unable to read from socket: " + ste);
             } catch (IOException ioe) {
-                throw new IOException(
-                        "SocketException cannot read on socket: " + ioe.getMessage(), ioe);
+                throw new IOException("Unable to read from socket: " + ioe.getMessage(), ioe);
             } finally {
                 synchronized (this) {
                     inRead = false;
@@ -1534,11 +1532,9 @@ void write(byte[] b, int off, int len)
             try {
                 socketWrite(b, off, len, base.getTimeout());
             } catch (SocketTimeoutException ste) {
-                throw new SocketTimeoutException(
-                        "SocketTimeoutException cannot write on socket: " + ste);
+                throw new SocketTimeoutException("Unable to write to socket: " + ste);
             } catch (IOException ioe) {
-                throw new IOException(
-                        "SocketException cannot write on socket: " + ioe.getMessage(), ioe);
+                throw new IOException("Unable to write to socket: " + ioe.getMessage(), ioe);
             } finally {
                 synchronized (this) {
                     inWrite = false;