diff --git a/jbpm/jbpm-flow/src/main/java/org/jbpm/workflow/instance/impl/WorkflowProcessInstanceImpl.java b/jbpm/jbpm-flow/src/main/java/org/jbpm/workflow/instance/impl/WorkflowProcessInstanceImpl.java
index 7e972ac5267..d5b9c5e3483 100755
--- a/jbpm/jbpm-flow/src/main/java/org/jbpm/workflow/instance/impl/WorkflowProcessInstanceImpl.java
+++ b/jbpm/jbpm-flow/src/main/java/org/jbpm/workflow/instance/impl/WorkflowProcessInstanceImpl.java
@@ -1163,7 +1163,8 @@ public void setErrorState(NodeInstance nodeInstanceInError, Exception e) {
         this.nodeIdInError = nodeInstanceInError.getNodeDefinitionId();
         this.nodeInstanceIdInError = nodeInstanceInError.getId();
         this.errorCause = Optional.of(e);
-        this.errorMessage = getRootException(e).getMessage();
+        Throwable rootException = getRootException(e);
+        this.errorMessage = rootException.getMessage() == null ? rootException.getClass().getCanonicalName() : rootException.getMessage();
         setState(STATE_ERROR);
         logger.error("Unexpected error while executing node {} in process instance {}", nodeInstanceInError.getNode().getName(), this.getStringId(), e);
         ((InternalProcessRuntime) getKnowledgeRuntime().getProcessRuntime()).getProcessEventSupport().fireOnError(this, nodeInstanceInError, getKnowledgeRuntime(), e);