diff --git a/lib/request_errors.rb b/lib/request_errors.rb
index f0b6328..de592d3 100644
--- a/lib/request_errors.rb
+++ b/lib/request_errors.rb
@@ -19,16 +19,14 @@ module RestClient
 			@response.code.to_i
 		end
 
-		def message
+		def message(default = "Unknown error")
 			return "Resource not found" if http_code == 404
-			parse_error_xml
+			parse_error_xml rescue default
 		end
 
 		def parse_error_xml
 			xml_errors = REXML::Document.new(@response.body).elements.to_a("//errors/error")
 			xml_errors.empty? ? raise : xml_errors.map { |a| a.text }.join(" / ")
-		rescue
-			"Unknown error"
 		end
 	end
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spec/request_errors_spec.rb b/spec/request_errors_spec.rb
index 83e533a..ee0acaf 100644
--- a/spec/request_errors_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/request_errors_spec.rb
@@ -14,4 +14,14 @@ describe RestClient::RequestFailed do
 		@error.response = mock('response', :code => '500', :body => 'Syntax error in SQL query: SELECT * FROM ...')
 		@error.message.should == 'Unknown error'
 	end
+
+	it "accepts a default error message" do
+		@error.response = mock('response', :code => '500', :body => 'Internal Server Error')
+		@error.message('Custom default message').should == 'Custom default message'
+	end
+
+	it "doesn't show the default error message when there's something in the xml" do
+		@error.response = mock('response', :code => '422', :body => '<errors><error>Specific error message</error></errors>')
+		@error.message('Custom default message').should == 'Specific error message'
+	end
 end
\ No newline at end of file