diff --git a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/http/HttpResponseException.java b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/http/HttpResponseException.java
index 45ed8eee..67033a14 100644
--- a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/http/HttpResponseException.java
+++ b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/http/HttpResponseException.java
@@ -9,6 +9,25 @@ public class HttpResponseException extends RuntimeException {
   private final int status;
   private final Object jsonResponse;
 
+  /**
+   * Create with a status and use the default message for that status.
+   *
+   * @param status  the http status to send
+   */
+  public HttpResponseException(HttpStatus status) {
+    this(status, status.message());
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Create with a status and message.
+   *
+   * @param status  the http status to send
+   * @param message the exception message that will be sent back in the response
+   */
+  public HttpResponseException(HttpStatus status, String message) {
+    this(status.status(), message);
+  }
+  
   /**
    * Create with a status and message.
    *
diff --git a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/http/HttpStatus.java b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/http/HttpStatus.java
index d664fabe..b8787ae1 100644
--- a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/http/HttpStatus.java
+++ b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/http/HttpStatus.java
@@ -4,75 +4,86 @@
 public enum HttpStatus {
 
   // 1xx Informational
-  CONTINUE_100(100),
-  SWITCHING_PROTOCOLS_101(101),
+  CONTINUE_100(100, "Continue"),
+  SWITCHING_PROTOCOLS_101(101, "Switching Protocols"),
 
   // 2xx Success
-  OK_200(200),
-  CREATED_201(201),
-  ACCEPTED_202(202),
-  NON_AUTHORITATIVE_INFORMATION_203(203),
-  NO_CONTENT_204(204),
-  RESET_CONTENT_205(205),
-  PARTIAL_CONTENT_206(206),
-  MULTI_STATUS_207(207),
+  OK_200(200, "OK"),
+  CREATED_201(201, "Created"),
+  ACCEPTED_202(202, "Accepted"),
+  NON_AUTHORITATIVE_INFORMATION_203(203, "Non-Authoritative Information"),
+  NO_CONTENT_204(204, "No Content"),
+  RESET_CONTENT_205(205, "Reset Content"),
+  PARTIAL_CONTENT_206(206, "Partial Content"),
+  MULTI_STATUS_207(207, "Multi-Status"),
 
   // 3xx Redirection
-  MOVED_PERMANENTLY_301(301),
-  FOUND_302(302),
-  SEE_OTHER_303(303),
-  NOT_MODIFIED_304(304),
-  USE_PROXY_305(305),
-  TEMPORARY_REDIRECT_307(307),
-  PERMANENT_REDIRECT_308(308),
+  MOVED_PERMANENTLY_301(301, "Moved Permanently"),
+  FOUND_302(302, "Found"),
+  SEE_OTHER_303(303, "See Other"),
+  NOT_MODIFIED_304(304, "Not Modified"),
+  USE_PROXY_305(305, "Use Proxy"),
+  TEMPORARY_REDIRECT_307(307, "Temporary Redirect"),
+  PERMANENT_REDIRECT_308(308, "Permanent Redirect"),
 
   // 4xx Client Error
-  BAD_REQUEST_400(400),
-  UNAUTHORIZED_401(401),
-  PAYMENT_REQUIRED_402(402),
-  FORBIDDEN_403(403),
-  NOT_FOUND_404(404),
-  METHOD_NOT_ALLOWED_405(405),
-  NOT_ACCEPTABLE_406(406),
-  PROXY_AUTHENTICATION_REQUIRED_407(407),
-  REQUEST_TIMEOUT_408(408),
-  CONFLICT_409(409),
-  GONE_410(410),
-  LENGTH_REQUIRED_411(411),
-  PRECONDITION_FAILED_412(412),
-  REQUEST_ENTITY_TOO_LARGE_413(413),
-  REQUEST_URI_TOO_LONG_414(414),
-  UNSUPPORTED_MEDIA_TYPE_415(415),
-  REQUESTED_RANGE_NOT_SATISFIABLE_416(416),
-  EXPECTATION_FAILED_417(417),
-  I_AM_A_TEAPOT_418(418),
-  MISDIRECTED_REQUEST_421(421),
-  UNPROCESSABLE_CONTENT_422(422),
-  LOCKED_423(423),
-  FAILED_DEPENDENCY_424(424),
-  UPGRADE_REQUIRED_426(426),
-  PRECONDITION_REQUIRED_428(428),
-  TOO_MANY_REQUESTS_429(429),
+  BAD_REQUEST_400(400, "Bad Request"),
+  UNAUTHORIZED_401(401, "Unauthorized"),
+  PAYMENT_REQUIRED_402(402, "Payment Required"),
+  FORBIDDEN_403(403, "Forbidden"),
+  NOT_FOUND_404(404, "Not Found"),
+  METHOD_NOT_ALLOWED_405(405, "Method Not Allowed"),
+  NOT_ACCEPTABLE_406(406, "Not Acceptable"),
+  PROXY_AUTHENTICATION_REQUIRED_407(407, "Proxy Authentication Required"),
+  REQUEST_TIMEOUT_408(408, "Request Timeout"),
+  CONFLICT_409(409, "Conflict"),
+  GONE_410(410, "Gone"),
+  LENGTH_REQUIRED_411(411, "Length Required"),
+  PRECONDITION_FAILED_412(412, "Precondition Failed"),
+  REQUEST_ENTITY_TOO_LARGE_413(413, "Request Entity Too Large"),
+  REQUEST_URI_TOO_LONG_414(414, "Request-URI Too Long"),
+  UNSUPPORTED_MEDIA_TYPE_415(415, "Unsupported Media Type"),
+  REQUESTED_RANGE_NOT_SATISFIABLE_416(416, "Requested Range Not Satisfiable"),
+  EXPECTATION_FAILED_417(417, "Expectation Failed"),
+  I_AM_A_TEAPOT_418(418, "I'm A Teapot"),
+  MISDIRECTED_REQUEST_421(421, "Misdirected Request"),
+  UNPROCESSABLE_CONTENT_422(422, "Unprocessable Content"),
+  LOCKED_423(423, "Locked"),
+  FAILED_DEPENDENCY_424(424, "Failed Dependency"),
+  UPGRADE_REQUIRED_426(426, "Upgrade Required"),
+  PRECONDITION_REQUIRED_428(428, "Precondition Required"),
+  TOO_MANY_REQUESTS_429(429, "Too Many Requests"),
 
   // 5xx Server Error
-  INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR_500(500),
-  NOT_IMPLEMENTED_501(501),
-  BAD_GATEWAY_502(502),
-  SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE_503(503),
-  GATEWAY_TIMEOUT_504(504),
-  HTTP_VERSION_NOT_SUPPORTED_505(505),
-  INSUFFICIENT_STORAGE_507(507),
-  LOOP_DETECTED_508(508),
-  NOT_EXTENDED_510(510),
-  NETWORK_AUTHENTICATION_REQUIRED_511(511);
+  INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR_500(500, "Internal Server Error"),
+  NOT_IMPLEMENTED_501(501, "Not Implemented"),
+  BAD_GATEWAY_502(502, "Bad Gateway"),
+  SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE_503(503, "Service Unavailable"),
+  GATEWAY_TIMEOUT_504(504, "Gateway Timeout"),
+  HTTP_VERSION_NOT_SUPPORTED_505(505, "HTTP Version Not Supported"),
+  INSUFFICIENT_STORAGE_507(507, "Insufficient Storage"),
+  LOOP_DETECTED_508(508, "Loop Detected"),
+  NOT_EXTENDED_510(510, "Not Extended"),
+  NETWORK_AUTHENTICATION_REQUIRED_511(511, "Network Authentication Required");
 
   private final int status;
+  private final String message;
 
-  HttpStatus(int status) {
+  HttpStatus(int status, String message) {
     this.status = status;
+    this.message = message;
   }
 
   public int status() {
     return status;
   }
+
+  public String message() {
+    return message;
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public String toString() {
+    return status + " " + message;
+  }
 }