diff --git a/crates/web5/src/credentials/create.rs b/crates/web5/src/credentials/create.rs
index 53c0c0d1..221756d5 100644
--- a/crates/web5/src/credentials/create.rs
+++ b/crates/web5/src/credentials/create.rs
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ mod tests {
         match result {
             Err(Web5Error::Network(err_msg)) => {
                 assert!(
-                    err_msg.contains("failed to lookup address information"),
+                    err_msg.contains("failed to connect to host"),
                     "Error message is: {}", err_msg
                 )            
             }
diff --git a/crates/web5/src/credentials/verifiable_credential_1_1.rs b/crates/web5/src/credentials/verifiable_credential_1_1.rs
index 491cbbe5..bd58ec9a 100644
--- a/crates/web5/src/credentials/verifiable_credential_1_1.rs
+++ b/crates/web5/src/credentials/verifiable_credential_1_1.rs
@@ -771,7 +771,7 @@ mod tests {
             match result {
                 Err(Web5Error::Network(err_msg)) => {
                     assert!(
-                        err_msg.contains("failed to lookup address information"),
+                        err_msg.contains("failed to connect to host"),
                         "Error message is: {}", err_msg
                     )
                 }
diff --git a/crates/web5/src/http.rs b/crates/web5/src/http.rs
index 87d8567e..4ac631ad 100644
--- a/crates/web5/src/http.rs
+++ b/crates/web5/src/http.rs
@@ -68,7 +68,9 @@ fn transmit(destination: &Destination, request: &[u8]) -> Result<Vec<u8>> {
 
         // Make the TCP connection to the server
         let stream = TcpStream::connect((&destination.host[..], destination.port))
-            .map_err(|err| Web5Error::Network(err.to_string()))?;
+            .map_err(|err| Web5Error::Network(
+                format!("failed to connect to host: {}", err.to_string()))
+            )?;
 
         // Convert the server name to the expected type for TLS validation
         let server_name = ServerName::try_from(destination.host.clone())
@@ -91,7 +93,9 @@ fn transmit(destination: &Destination, request: &[u8]) -> Result<Vec<u8>> {
     } else {
         // HTTP connection
         let mut stream = TcpStream::connect((&destination.host[..], destination.port))
-            .map_err(|err| Web5Error::Network(err.to_string()))?;
+            .map_err(|err| Web5Error::Network(
+                format!("failed to connect to host: {}", err.to_string()))
+            )?;
 
         stream
             .write_all(request)