diff --git a/spring-content-commons/src/main/java/org/springframework/content/commons/storeservice/Stores.java b/spring-content-commons/src/main/java/org/springframework/content/commons/storeservice/Stores.java
index db56e07c5..1b7a772ac 100644
--- a/spring-content-commons/src/main/java/org/springframework/content/commons/storeservice/Stores.java
+++ b/spring-content-commons/src/main/java/org/springframework/content/commons/storeservice/Stores.java
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ public boolean matches(StoreInfo info) {
     };
 
     static StoreFilter withDomainClass(Class<?> domainClass) {
-        Assert.notNull(domainClass);
+        Assert.notNull(domainClass, "domainClass must not be null");
 
         return new StoreFilter() {
             @Override
diff --git a/spring-content-fs/src/main/java/org/springframework/content/fs/io/FileSystemResourceLoader.java b/spring-content-fs/src/main/java/org/springframework/content/fs/io/FileSystemResourceLoader.java
index 450f14863..54e646606 100644
--- a/spring-content-fs/src/main/java/org/springframework/content/fs/io/FileSystemResourceLoader.java
+++ b/spring-content-fs/src/main/java/org/springframework/content/fs/io/FileSystemResourceLoader.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public class FileSystemResourceLoader
 	private FileService fileService = null;
 
 	public FileSystemResourceLoader(String root) {
-		Assert.notNull(root);
+		Assert.notNull(root, "root must not be null");
 		logger.info(String.format("Defaulting filesystem root to %s", root));
 		this.root = new FileSystemResource(suffixPath(cleanPath(root)));
 		this.fileService = new FileServiceImpl();
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ private String suffixPath(String path) {
 
 	@Override
 	public Resource getResource(String location) {
-		Assert.notNull(root);
+		Assert.notNull(root, "root must not be null");
 		Resource resource = root.createRelative(location);
 		if (resource instanceof FileSystemResource) {
 			resource = new FileSystemDeletableResource((FileSystemResource) resource, fileService);
diff --git a/spring-content-renditions/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/renditions/poi/POIServiceImpl.java b/spring-content-renditions/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/renditions/poi/POIServiceImpl.java
index e63dc6dbb..80a6716fc 100644
--- a/spring-content-renditions/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/renditions/poi/POIServiceImpl.java
+++ b/spring-content-renditions/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/renditions/poi/POIServiceImpl.java
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ public class POIServiceImpl implements org.springframework.renditions.poi.POISer
 
 	@Override
 	public XWPFDocument xwpfDocument(InputStream stream) throws IOException {
-		Assert.notNull(stream);
+		Assert.notNull(stream, "stream must not be null");
 		return new XWPFDocument(stream);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-content-rest/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/content/rest/contentservice/StoreContentService.java b/spring-content-rest/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/content/rest/contentservice/StoreContentService.java
index 13da1302f..0ff6f686b 100644
--- a/spring-content-rest/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/content/rest/contentservice/StoreContentService.java
+++ b/spring-content-rest/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/content/rest/contentservice/StoreContentService.java
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ public void setContent(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response,
     @Override
     public void unsetContent(Resource resource) {
 
-        Assert.notNull(resource);
+        Assert.notNull(resource, "resource must not be null");
         if (resource instanceof DeletableResource) {
             try {
                 ((DeletableResource) resource).delete();
diff --git a/spring-content-rest/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/content/rest/links/ContentLinksResourceProcessor.java b/spring-content-rest/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/content/rest/links/ContentLinksResourceProcessor.java
index 8e1183898..f92d713e6 100644
--- a/spring-content-rest/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/content/rest/links/ContentLinksResourceProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-content-rest/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/content/rest/links/ContentLinksResourceProcessor.java
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ private Link shortcutLink(URI baseUri, StoreInfo store, Object id, String defaul
 
 	private Link fullyQualifiedLink(URI baseUri, StoreInfo store, Object id, Map.Entry<String, ContentProperty> contentPropertyEntry) {
 
-        Assert.notNull(id);
+        Assert.notNull(id, "id must not be null");
 
         LinkBuilder builder = StoreLinkBuilder.linkTo(new BaseUri(baseUri), store);
 
diff --git a/spring-content-rest/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/content/rest/mappingcontext/ContentPropertyRequest.java b/spring-content-rest/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/content/rest/mappingcontext/ContentPropertyRequest.java
index 1adff0f8c..efec5fbca 100644
--- a/spring-content-rest/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/content/rest/mappingcontext/ContentPropertyRequest.java
+++ b/spring-content-rest/src/main/java/internal/org/springframework/content/rest/mappingcontext/ContentPropertyRequest.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public String getRequestURI() {
      * @return a ContentPropertyRequest
      */
     public static ContentPropertyRequest from(String storeLookupPath) {
-        Assert.notNull(storeLookupPath);
+        Assert.notNull(storeLookupPath, "storeLookupPath must not be null");
 
         String[] path = storeLookupPath.split("/");
         if (path.length < 3) {
diff --git a/spring-versions-jpa/src/main/java/org/springframework/versions/interceptors/OptimisticLockingInterceptor.java b/spring-versions-jpa/src/main/java/org/springframework/versions/interceptors/OptimisticLockingInterceptor.java
index 0335647d6..ab7e4c105 100644
--- a/spring-versions-jpa/src/main/java/org/springframework/versions/interceptors/OptimisticLockingInterceptor.java
+++ b/spring-versions-jpa/src/main/java/org/springframework/versions/interceptors/OptimisticLockingInterceptor.java
@@ -32,21 +32,21 @@ public class OptimisticLockingInterceptor implements MethodInterceptor {
 
     static {
         getContentMethod = ReflectionUtils.findMethod(ContentStore.class, "getContent", Object.class);
-        Assert.notNull(getContentMethod);
+        Assert.notNull(getContentMethod, "Unable to find getContent method");
         getContentPropertyPathMethod = ReflectionUtils.findMethod(ContentStore.class, "getContent", Object.class, PropertyPath.class);
-        Assert.notNull(getContentPropertyPathMethod);
+        Assert.notNull(getContentPropertyPathMethod, "Unable to find getContent method");
         setContentMethod = ReflectionUtils.findMethod(ContentStore.class, "setContent", Object.class, InputStream.class);
-        Assert.notNull(setContentMethod);
+        Assert.notNull(setContentMethod, "Unable to find setContent method");
         setContentPropertyPathMethod = ReflectionUtils.findMethod(ContentStore.class, "setContent", Object.class, PropertyPath.class, InputStream.class);
-        Assert.notNull(setContentPropertyPathMethod);
+        Assert.notNull(setContentPropertyPathMethod, "Unable to find setContent method");
         setContentMethodWithResource = ReflectionUtils.findMethod(ContentStore.class, "setContent", Object.class, Resource.class);
-        Assert.notNull(setContentMethodWithResource);
+        Assert.notNull(setContentMethodWithResource, "Unable to find setContent method");
         setContentMethodWithPropertyPathAndResource = ReflectionUtils.findMethod(ContentStore.class, "setContent", Object.class, PropertyPath.class, Resource.class);
-        Assert.notNull(setContentMethodWithPropertyPathAndResource);
+        Assert.notNull(setContentMethodWithPropertyPathAndResource, "Unable to find setContent method");
         unsetContentMethod = ReflectionUtils.findMethod(ContentStore.class,"unsetContent", Object.class);
-        Assert.notNull(unsetContentMethod);
+        Assert.notNull(unsetContentMethod, "Unable to find unsetContent method");
         unsetContentPropertyPathMethod = ReflectionUtils.findMethod(ContentStore.class,"unsetContent", Object.class, PropertyPath.class);
-        Assert.notNull(unsetContentPropertyPathMethod);
+        Assert.notNull(unsetContentPropertyPathMethod, "Unable to find unsetContent method");
     }
 
     private final EntityManager em;