diff --git a/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/MultiPathPaymentSplitter.java b/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/MultiPathPaymentSplitter.java
index cde3fe59..d84a5834 100644
--- a/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/MultiPathPaymentSplitter.java
+++ b/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/MultiPathPaymentSplitter.java
@@ -69,16 +69,16 @@ public class MultiPathPaymentSplitter {
         List<BasicRoute> basicRoutes = BasicRoutes.fromFlows(source, intermediateTarget, flows);
         List<BasicRoute> extendedBasicRoutes = extendBasicRoutes(basicRoutes, paymentOptions, target);
         if (extendedBasicRoutes.isEmpty()) {
-            return MultiPathPayment.FAILURE;
+            return MultiPathPayment.failure("Unable to extend channel back to own node");
         }
         List<Route> routes = getWithLiquidityInformation(extendedBasicRoutes);
         List<Route> fixedRoutes = Routes.getFixedWithTotalAmount(routes, amount);
         if (fixedRoutes.isEmpty()) {
-            return MultiPathPayment.FAILURE;
+            return MultiPathPayment.failure("Not enough liquidity for first hop (due to fees?)");
         }
 
         if (isTooExpensive(paymentOptions, fixedRoutes)) {
-            return MultiPathPayment.FAILURE;
+            return MultiPathPayment.failure("At least one route is too expensive (fee rate limit)");
         }
         return new MultiPathPayment(fixedRoutes);
     }
diff --git a/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoop.java b/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoop.java
index 8d834f24..1c05c253 100644
--- a/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoop.java
+++ b/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoop.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import de.cotto.lndmanagej.model.Route;
 import de.cotto.lndmanagej.pickhardtpayments.model.MultiPathPayment;
 import de.cotto.lndmanagej.pickhardtpayments.model.PaymentOptions;
 import de.cotto.lndmanagej.pickhardtpayments.model.PaymentStatus;
+import org.apache.logging.log4j.util.Strings;
 import org.springframework.scheduling.annotation.Async;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
 
@@ -81,9 +82,18 @@ public class PaymentLoop {
                 MultiPathPayment multiPathPayment =
                         multiPathPaymentSplitter.getMultiPathPaymentTo(destination, residualAmount, paymentOptions);
                 if (multiPathPayment.isFailure()) {
-                    paymentStatus.failed(
-                            "Unable to find route (trying to send %s)".formatted(residualAmount.toStringSat())
-                    );
+                    String information = multiPathPayment.getInformation();
+                    if (Strings.isNotEmpty(information)) {
+                        paymentStatus.failed(
+                                "Unable to find route (trying to send %s): %s"
+                                        .formatted(residualAmount.toStringSat(), information)
+                        );
+                    } else {
+                        paymentStatus.failed(
+                                "Unable to find route (trying to send %s)"
+                                        .formatted(residualAmount.toStringSat())
+                        );
+                    }
                     return;
                 }
                 List<Route> routes = multiPathPayment.routes();
diff --git a/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/model/MultiPathPayment.java b/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/model/MultiPathPayment.java
index b528baaa..f351b370 100644
--- a/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/model/MultiPathPayment.java
+++ b/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/model/MultiPathPayment.java
@@ -10,10 +10,11 @@ public record MultiPathPayment(
         Coins fees,
         Coins feesWithFirstHop,
         double probability,
-        List<Route> routes
+        List<Route> routes,
+        String information
 ) {
     public static final MultiPathPayment FAILURE =
-            new MultiPathPayment(Coins.NONE, Coins.NONE, Coins.NONE, 0.0, List.of());
+            new MultiPathPayment(Coins.NONE, Coins.NONE, Coins.NONE, 0.0, List.of(), "");
 
     public MultiPathPayment(List<Route> routes) {
         this(
@@ -21,12 +22,17 @@ public record MultiPathPayment(
                 routes.stream().map(Route::getFees).reduce(Coins.NONE, Coins::add),
                 routes.stream().map(Route::getFeesWithFirstHop).reduce(Coins.NONE, Coins::add),
                 routes.stream().mapToDouble(Route::getProbability).reduce(1.0, (a, b) -> a * b),
-                routes
+                routes,
+                ""
         );
     }
 
+    public static MultiPathPayment failure(String information) {
+        return new MultiPathPayment(Coins.NONE, Coins.NONE, Coins.NONE, 0.0, List.of(), information);
+    }
+
     public boolean isFailure() {
-        return equals(FAILURE);
+        return routes.isEmpty() && amount.equals(Coins.NONE);
     }
 
     public long getFeeRate() {
@@ -37,6 +43,10 @@ public record MultiPathPayment(
         return getFeeRateForFees(feesWithFirstHop);
     }
 
+    public String getInformation() {
+        return information;
+    }
+
     private long getFeeRateForFees(Coins feesToConsider) {
         if (amount.isPositive()) {
             return feesToConsider.milliSatoshis() * 1_000_000 / amount.milliSatoshis();
diff --git a/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoopTest.java b/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoopTest.java
index 30fb3c80..c5ca1a0a 100644
--- a/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoopTest.java
+++ b/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoopTest.java
@@ -82,6 +82,18 @@ class PaymentLoopTest {
         verifyNoInteractions(grpcSendToRoute);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void failure_with_information() {
+        when(multiPathPaymentSplitter.getMultiPathPaymentTo(any(), any(), any()))
+                .thenReturn(MultiPathPayment.failure("something"));
+        paymentLoop.start(DECODED_PAYMENT_REQUEST, PAYMENT_OPTIONS, paymentStatus);
+
+        assertThat(paymentStatus.isFailure()).isTrue();
+        assertThat(paymentStatus.getMessages().stream().map(InstantWithString::string))
+                .contains("Unable to find route (trying to send 123): something");
+        verifyNoInteractions(grpcSendToRoute);
+    }
+
     @Test
     void requests_route_with_expected_parameters() {
         mockSuccessOnFirstAttempt();
diff --git a/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/model/MultiPathPaymentTest.java b/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/model/MultiPathPaymentTest.java
index c993ea74..d375373c 100644
--- a/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/model/MultiPathPaymentTest.java
+++ b/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/model/MultiPathPaymentTest.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package de.cotto.lndmanagej.pickhardtpayments.model;
 
 import de.cotto.lndmanagej.model.Coins;
+import org.assertj.core.api.SoftAssertions;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
 import static de.cotto.lndmanagej.model.RouteFixtures.ROUTE;
@@ -74,4 +75,18 @@ class MultiPathPaymentTest {
     void feeRateWithFirstHop() {
         assertThat(MULTI_PATH_PAYMENT.getFeeRateWithFirstHop()).isEqualTo(466);
     }
+
+    @Test
+    void failure_with_information() {
+        assertThat(MultiPathPayment.failure("something").isFailure()).isTrue();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void getInformation() {
+        SoftAssertions softly = new SoftAssertions();
+        softly.assertThat(MultiPathPayment.FAILURE.getInformation()).isEqualTo("");
+        softly.assertThat(MultiPathPayment.failure("hello").getInformation()).isEqualTo("hello");
+        softly.assertThat(MULTI_PATH_PAYMENT.getInformation()).isEqualTo("");
+        softly.assertAll();
+    }
 }