diff --git a/opengl/java/android/opengl/GLSurfaceView.java b/opengl/java/android/opengl/GLSurfaceView.java
index e60859bdd85d9..fb3747c51b1c0 100644
--- a/opengl/java/android/opengl/GLSurfaceView.java
+++ b/opengl/java/android/opengl/GLSurfaceView.java
@@ -867,7 +867,7 @@ public class GLSurfaceView extends SurfaceView implements SurfaceHolder.Callback
                     mEglDisplay, mEglConfig, holder);
 
             if (mEglSurface == null || mEglSurface == EGL10.EGL_NO_SURFACE) {
-                throw new RuntimeException("createWindowSurface failed");
+                throwEglException("createWindowSurface");
             }
 
             /*
@@ -875,7 +875,7 @@ public class GLSurfaceView extends SurfaceView implements SurfaceHolder.Callback
              * the context is current and bound to a surface.
              */
             if (!mEgl.eglMakeCurrent(mEglDisplay, mEglSurface, mEglSurface, mEglContext)) {
-                throw new RuntimeException("eglMakeCurrent failed.");
+                throwEglException("eglMakeCurrent");
             }
 
             GL gl = mEglContext.getGL();
@@ -934,6 +934,10 @@ public class GLSurfaceView extends SurfaceView implements SurfaceHolder.Callback
             }
         }
 
+        private void throwEglException(String function) {
+            throw new RuntimeException(function + " failed: " + mEgl.eglGetError());
+        }
+
         EGL10 mEgl;
         EGLDisplay mEglDisplay;
         EGLSurface mEglSurface;