diff --git a/src/main/java/org/zalando/nakadi/validation/MetadataValidator.java b/src/main/java/org/zalando/nakadi/validation/MetadataValidator.java
index 467c714738..15e6188aae 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/zalando/nakadi/validation/MetadataValidator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/zalando/nakadi/validation/MetadataValidator.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ public Optional<ValidationError> accepts(final JSONObject event) {
     }
 
     private Optional<ValidationError> checkDateTime(final String occurredAt) {
-        return validator.validate(occurredAt).map(ValidationError::new);
+        return validator.validate(occurredAt)
+                .map(e-> new ValidationError("#/metadata/occurred_at:" + e));
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/zalando/nakadi/validation/RFC3339DateTimeValidator.java b/src/main/java/org/zalando/nakadi/validation/RFC3339DateTimeValidator.java
index d7fb692d35..d6ceb8f16f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/zalando/nakadi/validation/RFC3339DateTimeValidator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/zalando/nakadi/validation/RFC3339DateTimeValidator.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public Optional<String> validate(final String dateTime) {
             }
 
         } catch (final DateTimeParseException e) {
-            return error;
+            return Optional.of(error.get() + " " + e.getMessage());
         }
     }
 }