diff --git a/packages/service-library/src/servicelib/aiohttp/rest_models.py b/packages/service-library/src/servicelib/aiohttp/rest_models.py
index f35cabe4394..36902f17b77 100644
--- a/packages/service-library/src/servicelib/aiohttp/rest_models.py
+++ b/packages/service-library/src/servicelib/aiohttp/rest_models.py
@@ -27,4 +27,4 @@ class ErrorType:
     logs: list[LogMessageType] = field(default_factory=list)
     errors: list[ErrorItemType] = field(default_factory=list)
     status: int = 400
-    message: str = "Unexpected client error"
+    message: str = "Unexpected error"
diff --git a/packages/service-library/src/servicelib/aiohttp/rest_responses.py b/packages/service-library/src/servicelib/aiohttp/rest_responses.py
index 150265b6f42..569ab56fbca 100644
--- a/packages/service-library/src/servicelib/aiohttp/rest_responses.py
+++ b/packages/service-library/src/servicelib/aiohttp/rest_responses.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 from servicelib.aiohttp.status import HTTP_200_OK
 
 from ..mimetype_constants import MIMETYPE_APPLICATION_JSON
+from ..status_utils import get_code_description
 from .rest_models import ErrorItemType, ErrorType
 
 _ENVELOPE_KEYS = ("data", "error")
@@ -96,16 +97,20 @@ def create_http_error(
     # TODO: guarantee no throw!
 
     is_internal_error: bool = http_error_cls == web.HTTPInternalServerError
+    default_message = reason or get_code_description(http_error_cls.status_code)
 
     if is_internal_error and skip_internal_error_details:
         error = ErrorType(
             errors=[],
             status=http_error_cls.status_code,
+            message=default_message,
         )
     else:
+        items = [ErrorItemType.from_error(err) for err in errors]
         error = ErrorType(
-            errors=[ErrorItemType.from_error(err) for err in errors],
+            errors=items,
             status=http_error_cls.status_code,
+            message=items[0].message if items else default_message,
         )
 
     assert not http_error_cls.empty_body  # nosec
diff --git a/packages/service-library/tests/aiohttp/test_rest_responses.py b/packages/service-library/tests/aiohttp/test_rest_responses.py
index ce47777cd4f..7077a93cb0f 100644
--- a/packages/service-library/tests/aiohttp/test_rest_responses.py
+++ b/packages/service-library/tests/aiohttp/test_rest_responses.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import itertools
 
 import pytest
+from aiohttp import web
 from aiohttp.web_exceptions import (
     HTTPBadRequest,
     HTTPError,
@@ -14,10 +15,14 @@
     HTTPNotModified,
     HTTPOk,
 )
+from servicelib.aiohttp import status
 from servicelib.aiohttp.rest_responses import (
     _STATUS_CODE_TO_HTTP_ERRORS,
+    create_http_error,
+    exception_to_response,
     get_http_error,
 )
+from servicelib.mimetype_constants import MIMETYPE_APPLICATION_JSON
 
 #
 
@@ -53,3 +58,29 @@ def test_collected_http_errors_map(status_code: int, http_error_cls: type[HTTPEr
 
     assert http_error_cls != HTTPError
     assert issubclass(http_error_cls, HTTPError)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("skip_details", [True, False])
+def tests_exception_to_response(skip_details: bool):
+    exception = create_http_error(
+        errors=[RuntimeError("foo")],
+        reason="Something whent wrong",
+        http_error_cls=web.HTTPInternalServerError,
+        skip_internal_error_details=skip_details,
+    )
+
+    # For now until deprecated SEE https://github.com/aio-libs/aiohttp/issues/2415
+    assert isinstance(exception, Exception)
+    assert isinstance(exception, web.Response)
+    assert hasattr(exception, "__http_exception__")
+
+    # until they have exception.make_response(), we user
+    response = exception_to_response(exception)
+    assert isinstance(response, web.Response)
+    assert not isinstance(response, Exception)
+    assert not hasattr(response, "__http_exception__")
+
+    assert response.content_type == MIMETYPE_APPLICATION_JSON
+    assert response.status == status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR
+    assert response.text
+    assert response.body