diff --git a/pkg/api/validation/validation.go b/pkg/api/validation/validation.go
index 771cad2c4e8..d1effcc8b2d 100644
--- a/pkg/api/validation/validation.go
+++ b/pkg/api/validation/validation.go
@@ -1081,7 +1081,7 @@ func ValidateService(service *api.Service) errs.ValidationErrorList {
 	if service.Spec.Type == api.ServiceTypeLoadBalancer {
 		for i := range service.Spec.Ports {
 			if service.Spec.Ports[i].Protocol != api.ProtocolTCP {
-				allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewFieldInvalid("spec.ports", service.Spec.Ports[i], "cannot create an external load balancer with non-TCP ports"))
+				allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewFieldInvalid(fmt.Sprintf("spec.ports[%d].protocol", i), service.Spec.Ports[i], "cannot create an external load balancer with non-TCP ports"))
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -1089,7 +1089,7 @@ func ValidateService(service *api.Service) errs.ValidationErrorList {
 	if service.Spec.Type == api.ServiceTypeClusterIP {
 		for i := range service.Spec.Ports {
 			if service.Spec.Ports[i].NodePort != 0 {
-				allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewFieldInvalid("spec.ports", service.Spec.Ports[i], "cannot specify a node port with cluster-visibility services"))
+				allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewFieldInvalid(fmt.Sprintf("spec.ports[%d].nodePort", i), service.Spec.Ports[i], "cannot specify a node port with services of type ClusterIP"))
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -1106,7 +1106,7 @@ func ValidateService(service *api.Service) errs.ValidationErrorList {
 		key.NodePort = port.NodePort
 		_, found := nodePorts[key]
 		if found {
-			allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewFieldInvalid("spec.ports", *port, "duplicate nodePort specified"))
+			allErrs = append(allErrs, errs.NewFieldInvalid(fmt.Sprintf("spec.ports[%d].nodePort", i), *port, "duplicate nodePort specified"))
 		}
 		nodePorts[key] = true
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/servicecontroller/servicecontroller.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/servicecontroller/servicecontroller.go
index a7474dd7c6f..31cec29e13d 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/servicecontroller/servicecontroller.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/servicecontroller/servicecontroller.go
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ func (s *ServiceController) createLoadBalancerIfNeeded(namespacedName types.Name
 		// the cloud provider for what it knows about it.
 		status, exists, err := s.balancer.GetTCPLoadBalancer(s.loadBalancerName(service), s.zone.Region)
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Error getting LB for service %s", namespacedName), retryable
+			return fmt.Errorf("Error getting LB for service %s: %v", namespacedName, err), retryable
 		}
 		if exists && api.LoadBalancerStatusEqual(status, &service.Status.LoadBalancer) {
 			glog.Infof("LB already exists with status %s for previously uncached service %s", status, namespacedName)