diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index 6eadfce7..b4e09ba9 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export async function verifySignedPayload (
   // Unmarshaling from PublicKey protobuf
   const payloadPeerId = await peerIdFromKeys(payload.identityKey)
   if (!payloadPeerId.equals(remotePeer)) {
-    throw new Error("Peer ID doesn't match libp2p public key.")
+    throw new Error(`Payload identity key ${payloadPeerId.toString()} does not match expected remote peer ${remotePeer.toString()}`)
   }
   const generatedPayload = getHandshakePayload(noiseStaticKey)
 
diff --git a/test/xx-handshake.spec.ts b/test/xx-handshake.spec.ts
index 5cfeab9f..16e8b740 100644
--- a/test/xx-handshake.spec.ts
+++ b/test/xx-handshake.spec.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ describe('XX Handshake', () => {
       assert(false, 'Should throw exception')
     } catch (e) {
       const err = e as Error
-      expect(err.message).equals("Error occurred while verifying signed payload: Peer ID doesn't match libp2p public key.")
+      expect(err.message).equals(`Error occurred while verifying signed payload: Payload identity key ${peerB.toString()} does not match expected remote peer ${fakePeer.toString()}`)
     }
   })
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ describe('XX Handshake', () => {
       assert(false, 'Should throw exception')
     } catch (e) {
       const err = e as Error
-      expect(err.message).equals("Error occurred while verifying signed payload: Peer ID doesn't match libp2p public key.")
+      expect(err.message).equals(`Error occurred while verifying signed payload: Payload identity key ${peerA.toString()} does not match expected remote peer ${fakePeer.toString()}`)
     }
   })
 })