diff --git a/src/externalldap.js b/src/externalldap.js
index 17309734b..9a579a76d 100644
--- a/src/externalldap.js
+++ b/src/externalldap.js
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ async function getClient(config, options) {
         client = ldap.createClient(ldapConfig);
     } catch (e) {
         if (e instanceof ldap.ProtocolError) throw new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_FIELD, 'url protocol is invalid');
-        throw new BoxError(BoxError.INTERNAL_ERROR, e);
+        throw new BoxError(BoxError.INTERNAL_ERROR, `Client creation error: ${e.message}`);
     }
 
     return await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ async function getClient(config, options) {
 
         client.bind(config.bindDn, config.bindPassword, function (error) {
             if (error instanceof ldap.InvalidCredentialsError) return reject(new BoxError(BoxError.INVALID_CREDENTIALS, 'Incorrect bind password'));
-            if (error) return reject(new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error));
+            if (error) return reject(new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, `Bind error: ${error.message}`));
 
             resolve(client);
         });
@@ -154,12 +154,12 @@ async function clientSearch(client, dn, searchOptions) {
     return await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
         client.search(dn, searchOptions, function (error, result) {
             if (error instanceof ldap.NoSuchObjectError) return reject(new BoxError(BoxError.NOT_FOUND, `dn not found ${dn}`));
-            if (error) return reject(new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error));
+            if (error) return reject(new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, `search error: ${error.message}`));
 
             const ldapObjects = [];
 
             result.on('searchEntry', entry => ldapObjects.push(entry.object));
-            result.on('error', error => reject(new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error)));
+            result.on('error', error => reject(new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, `search error: ${error.message}`)));
 
             result.on('end', function (result) {
                 if (result.status !== 0) return reject(new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, 'Server returned status ' + result.status));
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ async function verifyPassword(username, password, options) {
     const [error] = await safe(util.promisify(client.bind.bind(client))(userAuthDn, password));
     client.unbind();
     if (error instanceof ldap.InvalidCredentialsError) throw new BoxError(BoxError.INVALID_CREDENTIALS, error.lde_message);
-    if (error) throw new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error);
+    if (error) throw new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, `Bind error: ${error.message}`);
 
     const user = translateUser(config, ldapUsers[0]);
     if (!user) throw new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_FIELD, 'could not translate user');