diff --git a/sdbusplus/exception.hpp b/sdbusplus/exception.hpp
index 01687a4..f5f6ab6 100644
--- a/sdbusplus/exception.hpp
+++ b/sdbusplus/exception.hpp
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
  *  by the bindings. */
 struct exception : public std::exception
 {
+    virtual const char* name() const noexcept = 0;
+    virtual const char* description() const noexcept = 0;
 };
 
 /** base exception class for all errors generated by sdbusplus itself. */
diff --git a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/error.mako.cpp b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/error.mako.cpp
index 62cc541..74cefdc 100644
--- a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/error.mako.cpp
+++ b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/error.mako.cpp
@@ -9,9 +9,17 @@
 namespace Error
 {
     % for e in error.errors:
+const char* ${e.name}::name() const noexcept
+{
+    return errName;
+}
+const char* ${e.name}::description() const noexcept
+{
+    return errDesc;
+}
 const char* ${e.name}::what() const noexcept
 {
-    return name;
+    return errWhat;
 }
     % endfor
 
diff --git a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/error.mako.hpp b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/error.mako.hpp
index 51f4860..2f34882 100644
--- a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/error.mako.hpp
+++ b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/error.mako.hpp
@@ -12,12 +12,16 @@
 {
 
     % for e in error.errors:
-struct ${e.name} : public sdbusplus::exception_t
+struct ${e.name} final : public sdbusplus::exception_t
 {
-    static constexpr auto name = "${error.name}.${e.name}";
-    static constexpr auto description =
+    static constexpr auto errName = "${error.name}.${e.name}";
+    static constexpr auto errDesc =
             "${e.description.strip()}";
+    static constexpr auto errWhat =
+            "${error.name}.${e.name}: ${e.description.strip()}";
 
+    const char* name() const noexcept override;
+    const char* description() const noexcept override;
     const char* what() const noexcept override;
 };
 
diff --git a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/method.mako.prototype.hpp b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/method.mako.prototype.hpp
index d9c1ec7..090ac55 100644
--- a/tools/sdbusplus/templates/method.mako.prototype.hpp
+++ b/tools/sdbusplus/templates/method.mako.prototype.hpp
@@ -137,15 +137,13 @@
     }
     catch(sdbusplus::internal_exception_t& e)
     {
-        auto name = e.what();
-        sd_bus_error_set_const(error, name, name);
+        sd_bus_error_set_const(error, e.name(), e.description());
         return -EINVAL;
     }
     % for e in method.errors:
     catch(sdbusplus::${error_namespace(e)}::${error_name(e)}& e)
     {
-        auto name = e.what();
-        sd_bus_error_set_const(error, name, name);
+        sd_bus_error_set_const(error, e.name(), e.description());
         return -EINVAL;
     }
     % endfor