diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/common.py b/mercurial/hgweb/common.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/common.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/common.py
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ def _statusmessage(code):
     responses = BaseHTTPRequestHandler.responses
     return responses.get(code, ('Error', 'Unknown error'))[0]
 
-def statusmessage(code):
-    return '%d %s' % (code, _statusmessage(code))
+def statusmessage(code, message=None):
+    return '%d %s' % (code, message or _statusmessage(code))
 
 def get_mtime(repo_path):
     store_path = os.path.join(repo_path, ".hg")
diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/protocol.py b/mercurial/hgweb/protocol.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/protocol.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/protocol.py
@@ -181,18 +181,19 @@ def unbundle(repo, req):
         except ValueError, inst:
             raise ErrorResponse(HTTP_OK, inst)
         except (OSError, IOError), inst:
-            filename = getattr(inst, 'filename', '')
-            # Don't send our filesystem layout to the client
-            if filename.startswith(repo.root):
-                filename = filename[len(repo.root)+1:]
-            else:
-                filename = ''
             error = getattr(inst, 'strerror', 'Unknown error')
             if inst.errno == errno.ENOENT:
                 code = HTTP_NOT_FOUND
             else:
                 code = HTTP_SERVER_ERROR
-            raise ErrorResponse(code, '%s: %s' % (error, filename))
+            filename = getattr(inst, 'filename', '')
+            # Don't send our filesystem layout to the client
+            if filename and filename.startswith(repo.root):
+                filename = filename[len(repo.root)+1:]
+                text = '%s: %s' % (error, filename)
+            else:
+                text = error.replace(repo.root + os.path.sep, '')
+            raise ErrorResponse(code, text)
     finally:
         fp.close()
         os.unlink(tempname)
diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/request.py b/mercurial/hgweb/request.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/request.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/request.py
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ class wsgirequest(object):
 
             if isinstance(status, ErrorResponse):
                 self.header(status.headers)
-                status = statusmessage(status.code)
+                status = statusmessage(status.code, status.message)
             elif status == 200:
                 status = '200 Script output follows'
             elif isinstance(status, int):