diff --git a/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyClientHandler.java b/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyClientHandler.java
index fd94e8f328..8ff1ecad0b 100644
--- a/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyClientHandler.java
+++ b/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyClientHandler.java
@@ -224,8 +224,7 @@ class NettyClientHandler extends AbstractNettyHandler {
     }
   }
 
-  private void onHeadersRead(int streamId, Http2Headers headers, boolean endStream)
-      throws Http2Exception {
+  private void onHeadersRead(int streamId, Http2Headers headers, boolean endStream) {
     NettyClientStream stream = clientStream(requireHttp2Stream(streamId));
     stream.transportHeadersReceived(headers, endStream);
   }
@@ -233,7 +232,7 @@ class NettyClientHandler extends AbstractNettyHandler {
   /**
    * Handler for an inbound HTTP/2 DATA frame.
    */
-  private void onDataRead(int streamId, ByteBuf data, boolean endOfStream) throws Http2Exception {
+  private void onDataRead(int streamId, ByteBuf data, boolean endOfStream) {
     NettyClientStream stream = clientStream(requireHttp2Stream(streamId));
     stream.transportDataReceived(data, endOfStream);
   }
@@ -241,10 +240,11 @@ class NettyClientHandler extends AbstractNettyHandler {
   /**
    * Handler for an inbound HTTP/2 RST_STREAM frame, terminating a stream.
    */
-  private void onRstStreamRead(int streamId, long errorCode) throws Http2Exception {
+  private void onRstStreamRead(int streamId, long errorCode) {
     NettyClientStream stream = clientStream(connection().stream(streamId));
     if (stream != null) {
-      Status status = GrpcUtil.Http2Error.statusForCode((int) errorCode);
+      Status status = GrpcUtil.Http2Error.statusForCode((int) errorCode)
+          .augmentDescription("Received Rst Stream");
       stream.transportReportStatus(status, false /*stop delivery*/, new Metadata());
     }
   }
@@ -500,6 +500,7 @@ class NettyClientHandler extends AbstractNettyHandler {
 
   private Status statusFromGoAway(long errorCode, byte[] debugData) {
     Status status = GrpcUtil.Http2Error.statusForCode((int) errorCode);
+    status.augmentDescription("Received Goaway");
     if (debugData != null && debugData.length > 0) {
       // If a debug message was provided, use it.
       String msg = new String(debugData, UTF_8);
diff --git a/okhttp/src/main/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpClientTransport.java b/okhttp/src/main/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpClientTransport.java
index bd21b1e49c..4be195a525 100644
--- a/okhttp/src/main/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpClientTransport.java
+++ b/okhttp/src/main/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpClientTransport.java
@@ -480,9 +480,13 @@ class OkHttpClientTransport implements ManagedClientTransport {
   /**
    * Finish all active streams due to an IOException, then close the transport.
    */
-  void onException(Throwable failureCause) {
-    log.log(Level.WARNING, "Transport failed", failureCause);
-    startGoAway(0, Status.UNAVAILABLE.withCause(failureCause));
+  void onException(Throwable cause) {
+    log.log(Level.WARNING, "Transport failed", cause);
+    Status status = Status.UNAVAILABLE.withCause(cause);
+    if (cause != null) {
+      status = status.augmentDescription("No provided cause");
+    }
+    startGoAway(0, status);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -721,7 +725,7 @@ class OkHttpClientTransport implements ManagedClientTransport {
 
     @Override
     public void rstStream(int streamId, ErrorCode errorCode) {
-      finishStream(streamId, toGrpcStatus(errorCode), null);
+      finishStream(streamId, toGrpcStatus(errorCode).augmentDescription("Rst Stream"), null);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -782,6 +786,7 @@ class OkHttpClientTransport implements ManagedClientTransport {
     @Override
     public void goAway(int lastGoodStreamId, ErrorCode errorCode, ByteString debugData) {
       Status status = GrpcUtil.Http2Error.statusForCode(errorCode.httpCode);
+      status.augmentDescription("Received Goaway");
       if (debugData != null && debugData.size() > 0) {
         // If a debug message was provided, use it.
         status.augmentDescription(debugData.utf8());
diff --git a/okhttp/src/test/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpClientTransportTest.java b/okhttp/src/test/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpClientTransportTest.java
index 659c145678..267aa405fb 100644
--- a/okhttp/src/test/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpClientTransportTest.java
+++ b/okhttp/src/test/java/io/grpc/okhttp/OkHttpClientTransportTest.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 package io.grpc.okhttp;
 
 import static com.google.common.base.Charsets.UTF_8;
+import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
 import static io.grpc.Status.Code.INTERNAL;
 import static io.grpc.internal.GrpcUtil.DEFAULT_MAX_MESSAGE_SIZE;
 import static io.grpc.okhttp.Headers.CONTENT_TYPE_HEADER;
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@ import io.grpc.Metadata;
 import io.grpc.MethodDescriptor;
 import io.grpc.MethodDescriptor.MethodType;
 import io.grpc.Status;
+import io.grpc.Status.Code;
 import io.grpc.StatusException;
 import io.grpc.internal.AbstractStream;
 import io.grpc.internal.ClientStreamListener;
@@ -382,7 +384,9 @@ public class OkHttpClientTransportTest {
     assertContainStream(3);
     frameHandler().rstStream(3, ErrorCode.PROTOCOL_ERROR);
     listener.waitUntilStreamClosed();
-    assertEquals(OkHttpClientTransport.toGrpcStatus(ErrorCode.PROTOCOL_ERROR), listener.status);
+
+    assertThat(listener.status.getDescription()).contains("Rst Stream");
+    assertThat(listener.status.getCode()).isEqualTo(Code.INTERNAL);
     shutdownAndVerify();
   }