diff --git a/lib/go/thrift/application_exception.go b/lib/go/thrift/application_exception.go
index 6655cc5..525bce2 100644
--- a/lib/go/thrift/application_exception.go
+++ b/lib/go/thrift/application_exception.go
@@ -30,6 +30,17 @@
 	PROTOCOL_ERROR                 = 7
 )
 
+var defaultApplicationExceptionMessage = map[int32]string{
+	UNKNOWN_APPLICATION_EXCEPTION:  "unknown application exception",
+	UNKNOWN_METHOD:                 "unknown method",
+	INVALID_MESSAGE_TYPE_EXCEPTION: "invalid message type",
+	WRONG_METHOD_NAME:              "wrong method name",
+	BAD_SEQUENCE_ID:                "bad sequence ID",
+	MISSING_RESULT:                 "missing result",
+	INTERNAL_ERROR:                 "unknown internal error",
+	PROTOCOL_ERROR:                 "unknown protocol error",
+}
+
 // Application level Thrift exception
 type TApplicationException interface {
 	TException
@@ -44,7 +55,10 @@
 }
 
 func (e tApplicationException) Error() string {
-	return e.message
+	if e.message != "" {
+		return e.message
+	}
+	return defaultApplicationExceptionMessage[e.type_]
 }
 
 func NewTApplicationException(type_ int32, message string) TApplicationException {
diff --git a/lib/go/thrift/application_exception_test.go b/lib/go/thrift/application_exception_test.go
index 7010f86..b2687a6 100644
--- a/lib/go/thrift/application_exception_test.go
+++ b/lib/go/thrift/application_exception_test.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 
 func TestTApplicationException(t *testing.T) {
 	exc := NewTApplicationException(UNKNOWN_APPLICATION_EXCEPTION, "")
-	if exc.Error() != "" {
+	if exc.Error() != defaultApplicationExceptionMessage[UNKNOWN_APPLICATION_EXCEPTION] {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected empty string for exception but found '%s'", exc.Error())
 	}
 	if exc.TypeId() != UNKNOWN_APPLICATION_EXCEPTION {