diff --git a/crates/goose/src/providers/utils.rs b/crates/goose/src/providers/utils.rs
index 777750415531..c227b4ddf1c7 100644
--- a/crates/goose/src/providers/utils.rs
+++ b/crates/goose/src/providers/utils.rs
@@ -68,6 +68,16 @@ fn check_context_length_exceeded(text: &str) -> bool {
         .any(|phrase| text_lower.contains(phrase))
 }
 
+fn format_server_error_message(status_code: StatusCode, payload: Option<&Value>) -> String {
+    match payload {
+        Some(Value::Null) | None => format!(
+            "HTTP {}: No response body received from server",
+            status_code.as_u16()
+        ),
+        Some(p) => format!("HTTP {}: {}", status_code.as_u16(), p),
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn map_http_error_to_provider_error(
     status: StatusCode,
     payload: Option<Value>,
@@ -79,7 +89,7 @@ pub fn map_http_error_to_provider_error(
                 "Authentication failed. Please ensure your API keys are valid and have the required permissions. \
         Status: {}{}",
                 status,
-                payload.as_ref().map(|p| format!(". Response: {:?}", p)).unwrap_or_default()
+                payload.as_ref().map(|p| format!(". Response: {}", p)).unwrap_or_default()
             );
             ProviderError::Authentication(message)
         }
@@ -116,7 +126,9 @@ pub fn map_http_error_to_provider_error(
             details: format!("{:?}", payload),
             retry_delay: None,
         },
-        _ if status.is_server_error() => ProviderError::ServerError(format!("{:?}", payload)),
+        _ if status.is_server_error() => {
+            ProviderError::ServerError(format_server_error_message(status, payload.as_ref()))
+        }
         _ => ProviderError::RequestFailed(format!("Request failed with status: {}", status)),
     };
 
@@ -295,12 +307,9 @@ pub async fn handle_response_google_compat(response: Response) -> Result<Value,
                 retry_delay,
             })
         }
-        _ if final_status.is_server_error() => {
-            Err(ProviderError::ServerError(format!("{:?}", payload)))
-        }
-        StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR | StatusCode::SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE => {
-            Err(ProviderError::ServerError(format!("{:?}", payload)))
-        }
+        _ if final_status.is_server_error() => Err(ProviderError::ServerError(
+            format_server_error_message(final_status, payload.as_ref()),
+        )),
         _ => {
             tracing::debug!(
                 "{}", format!("Provider request failed with status: {}. Payload: {:?}", final_status, payload)
@@ -1059,15 +1068,13 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn test_map_http_error_to_provider_error() {
         let test_cases = vec![
-            // UNAUTHORIZED/FORBIDDEN - with payload
             (
                 StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED,
                 Some(json!({"error": "auth failed"})),
                 ProviderError::Authentication(
-                    "Authentication failed. Please ensure your API keys are valid and have the required permissions. Status: 401 Unauthorized. Response: Object {\"error\": String(\"auth failed\")}".to_string(),
+                    "Authentication failed. Please ensure your API keys are valid and have the required permissions. Status: 401 Unauthorized. Response: {\"error\":\"auth failed\"}".to_string(),
                 ),
             ),
-            // UNAUTHORIZED/FORBIDDEN - without payload
             (
                 StatusCode::FORBIDDEN,
                 None,
@@ -1075,7 +1082,6 @@ mod tests {
                     "Authentication failed. Please ensure your API keys are valid and have the required permissions. Status: 403 Forbidden".to_string(),
                 ),
             ),
-            // BAD_REQUEST - with context_length_exceeded detection
             (
                 StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST,
                 Some(json!({"error": {"message": "context_length_exceeded"}})),
@@ -1083,7 +1089,6 @@ mod tests {
                     "{\"error\":{\"message\":\"context_length_exceeded\"}}".to_string(),
                 ),
             ),
-            // BAD_REQUEST - with error.message extraction
             (
                 StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST,
                 Some(json!({"error": {"message": "Custom error"}})),
@@ -1091,7 +1096,6 @@ mod tests {
                     "Request failed with status: 400 Bad Request. Message: Custom error".to_string(),
                 ),
             ),
-            // BAD_REQUEST - without payload
             (
                 StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST,
                 None,
@@ -1099,7 +1103,6 @@ mod tests {
                     "Request failed with status: 400 Bad Request".to_string(),
                 ),
             ),
-            // TOO_MANY_REQUESTS
             (
                 StatusCode::TOO_MANY_REQUESTS,
                 Some(json!({"retry_after": 60})),
@@ -1108,17 +1111,29 @@ mod tests {
                     retry_delay: None,
                 },
             ),
-            // is_server_error() without payload
             (
                 StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
                 None,
-                ProviderError::ServerError("None".to_string()),
+                ProviderError::ServerError(format_server_error_message(
+                    StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+                    None,
+                )),
+            ),
+            (
+                StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+                Some(Value::Null),
+                ProviderError::ServerError(format_server_error_message(
+                    StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+                    Some(&Value::Null),
+                )),
             ),
-            // is_server_error() with payload
             (
                 StatusCode::BAD_GATEWAY,
                 Some(json!({"error": "upstream error"})),
-                ProviderError::ServerError("Some(Object {\"error\": String(\"upstream error\")})".to_string()),
+                ProviderError::ServerError(format_server_error_message(
+                    StatusCode::BAD_GATEWAY,
+                    Some(&json!({"error": "upstream error"})),
+                )),
             ),
             // Default - any other status code
             (