diff --git a/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/io/HoodieMergeHandle.java b/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/io/HoodieMergeHandle.java
index faa7ff67b2693..8df6a212cbdd3 100644
--- a/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/io/HoodieMergeHandle.java
+++ b/hudi-client/hudi-client-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hudi/io/HoodieMergeHandle.java
@@ -241,14 +241,11 @@ public void write(GenericRecord oldRecord) {
 
     if (copyOldRecord) {
       // this should work as it is, since this is an existing record
-      String errMsg = "Failed to merge old record into new file for key " + key + " from old file " + getOldFilePath()
-          + " to new file " + newFilePath + " with writerSchema " + writerSchemaWithMetafields.toString(true);
       try {
         fileWriter.writeAvro(key, oldRecord);
-      } catch (ClassCastException e) {
-        LOG.debug("Old record is " + oldRecord);
-        throw new HoodieUpsertException(errMsg, e);
       } catch (IOException | RuntimeException e) {
+        String errMsg = String.format("Failed to merge old record into new file for key %s from old file %s to new file %s with writerSchema %s",
+                key, getOldFilePath(), newFilePath, writerSchemaWithMetafields.toString(true));
         LOG.debug("Old record is " + oldRecord);
         throw new HoodieUpsertException(errMsg, e);
       }