diff --git a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/AbstractSimpleRepositoryHandler.java b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/AbstractSimpleRepositoryHandler.java
index fac29c5d63..ebc9f9aa44 100644
--- a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/AbstractSimpleRepositoryHandler.java
+++ b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/AbstractSimpleRepositoryHandler.java
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractSimpleRepositoryHandler<C extends SimpleRepository
 
     if (directory.exists())
     {
-      throw new RepositoryAlreadyExistsException();
+      throw RepositoryAlreadyExistsException.create(repository);
     }
 
     checkPath(directory);
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractSimpleRepositoryHandler<C extends SimpleRepository
         content = Resources.toString(url, Charsets.UTF_8);
       }
     }
-    catch (Exception ex)
+    catch (IOException ex)
     {
       logger.error("could not read resource", ex);
     }
@@ -432,7 +432,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractSimpleRepositoryHandler<C extends SimpleRepository
           logger.error("parent path {} is a repository", parent);
         }
 
-        throw new RepositoryAlreadyExistsException();
+        StringBuilder buffer = new StringBuilder("repository with name ");
+        buffer.append(directory.getName()).append(" already exists");
+        throw new RepositoryAlreadyExistsException(buffer.toString());
       }
 
       parent = parent.getParentFile();
diff --git a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryAlreadyExistsException.java b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryAlreadyExistsException.java
index 5691ee768f..c439b2d0f4 100644
--- a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryAlreadyExistsException.java
+++ b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/RepositoryAlreadyExistsException.java
@@ -34,12 +34,35 @@
 package sonia.scm.repository;
 
 /**
- *
+ * This {@link Exception} is thrown when trying to create a repository with 
+ * the same name and type already exists.
+ * 
  * @author Sebastian Sdorra
  */
 public class RepositoryAlreadyExistsException extends RepositoryException
 {
-
-  /** Field description */
   private static final long serialVersionUID = -774929917214137675L;
+
+  /**
+   * Creates a new instance.
+   * 
+   * @param message exception message
+   */
+  public RepositoryAlreadyExistsException(String message) {
+    super(message);
+  }
+  
+  /**
+   * Creates a new {@link RepositoryAlreadyExistsException} with an appropriate message.
+   * 
+   * @param repository repository that already exists
+   * 
+   * @return new exception with appropriate message
+   */
+  public static RepositoryAlreadyExistsException create(Repository repository){
+      StringBuilder buffer = new StringBuilder("repository with name ");
+      buffer.append(repository.getName()).append(" of type ");
+      buffer.append(repository.getType()).append("already exists");
+      return new RepositoryAlreadyExistsException(buffer.toString()); 
+  }
 }
diff --git a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/user/UserAlreadyExistsException.java b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/user/UserAlreadyExistsException.java
index e640953480..8c8f2542f0 100644
--- a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/user/UserAlreadyExistsException.java
+++ b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/user/UserAlreadyExistsException.java
@@ -33,12 +33,9 @@
 
 package sonia.scm.user;
 
-//~--- non-JDK imports --------------------------------------------------------
-
-import sonia.scm.util.Util;
-
 /**
- *
+ * This {@link Exception} is thrown when trying to create a user that already exists.
+ * 
  * @author Sebastian Sdorra
  */
 public class UserAlreadyExistsException extends UserException
@@ -50,21 +47,13 @@ public class UserAlreadyExistsException extends UserException
   //~--- constructors ---------------------------------------------------------
 
   /**
-   * Constructs ...
+   * Constructs a new instance.
    *
-   */
-  public UserAlreadyExistsException() {}
-
-  /**
-   * Constructs ...
-   *
-   *
-   * @param username
+   * @param message message of exception
    * @since 1.5
    */
-  public UserAlreadyExistsException(String username)
+  public UserAlreadyExistsException(String message)
   {
-    super("user \"".concat(Util.nonNull(username)).concat(
-      "\" allready exists"));
+    super(message);
   }
 }
diff --git a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/DefaultRepositoryManager.java b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/DefaultRepositoryManager.java
index b47508b33d..901b27f78f 100644
--- a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/DefaultRepositoryManager.java
+++ b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/DefaultRepositoryManager.java
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ public class DefaultRepositoryManager extends AbstractRepositoryManager
 
     if (repositoryDAO.contains(repository))
     {
-      throw new RepositoryAlreadyExistsException();
+      throw RepositoryAlreadyExistsException.create(repository);
     }
 
     repository.setId(keyGenerator.createKey());
diff --git a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/user/DefaultUserManager.java b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/user/DefaultUserManager.java
index 79d34a14d9..89048efeaa 100644
--- a/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/user/DefaultUserManager.java
+++ b/scm-webapp/src/main/java/sonia/scm/user/DefaultUserManager.java
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ public class DefaultUserManager extends AbstractUserManager
 
     if (userDAO.contains(user.getName()))
     {
-      throw new UserAlreadyExistsException(user.getName());
+      throw new UserAlreadyExistsException(user.getName().concat(" user already exists"));
     }
 
     AssertUtil.assertIsValid(user);