diff --git a/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_backup_db.c b/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_backup_db.c
index 8135e50ae19..b417128111f 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_backup_db.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_backup_db.c
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  *	Implements the basic DB functions used by the archiver.
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_backup_db.c,v 1.61.4.2 2006/02/05 20:59:06 tgl Exp $
+ *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_backup_db.c,v 1.61.4.3 2006/02/09 18:28:43 tgl Exp $
  *
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
@@ -407,7 +407,8 @@ _sendCopyLine(ArchiveHandle *AH, char *qry, char *eos)
 	 */
 
 	if (AH->pgCopyIn && PQputline(AH->connection, AH->pgCopyBuf->data) != 0)
-		die_horribly(AH, modulename, "error returned by PQputline\n");
+		die_horribly(AH, modulename, "error returned by PQputline: %s",
+					 PQerrorMessage(AH->connection));
 
 	resetPQExpBuffer(AH->pgCopyBuf);
 
@@ -418,7 +419,8 @@ _sendCopyLine(ArchiveHandle *AH, char *qry, char *eos)
 	if (isEnd)
 	{
 		if (AH->pgCopyIn && PQendcopy(AH->connection) != 0)
-			die_horribly(AH, modulename, "error returned by PQendcopy\n");
+			die_horribly(AH, modulename, "error returned by PQendcopy: %s",
+						 PQerrorMessage(AH->connection));
 
 		AH->pgCopyIn = false;
 	}