diff --git a/labgrid/remote/coordinator.py b/labgrid/remote/coordinator.py
index ea60f4933..edad1bec0 100644
--- a/labgrid/remote/coordinator.py
+++ b/labgrid/remote/coordinator.py
@@ -205,7 +205,11 @@ async def wait(self):
                 self.expired = True
 
 
-class ExporterError(Exception):
+class CoordinatorError(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+class ExporterError(CoordinatorError):
     pass
 
 
@@ -651,9 +655,12 @@ async def _acquire_resource(self, place, resource):
         request.place_name = place.name
         cmd = ExporterCommand(request)
         self.get_exporter_by_name(resource.path[0]).queue.put_nowait(cmd)
-        await cmd.wait()
+        try:
+            await cmd.wait()
+        except asyncio.TimeoutError as e:
+            raise ExporterError("timed out waiting for exporter while acquiring resource") from e
         if not cmd.response.success:
-            raise ExporterError(f"failed to acquire {resource} ({cmd.response.reason})")
+            raise ExporterError(cmd.response.reason or "exporter returned failure without a reason")
         if resource.acquired != place.name:
             logging.warning("resource %s not acquired by this place after acquire request", resource)
 
@@ -664,7 +671,7 @@ async def _acquire_resources(self, place, resources):
         # all resources need to be free
         for resource in resources:
             if resource.acquired:
-                return False
+                raise CoordinatorError(f"{resource} is already acquired by {resource.acquired}")
 
             for otherplace in self.places.values():
                 for oldres in otherplace.acquired_resources:
@@ -672,7 +679,9 @@ async def _acquire_resources(self, place, resources):
                         logging.info(
                             "Conflicting orphaned resource %s for acquire request for place %s", oldres, place.name
                         )
-                        return False
+                        raise CoordinatorError(
+                            f"conflicting orphaned resource {oldres} for acquire request for place {place.name}"
+                        )
 
         # acquire resources
         acquired = []
@@ -680,11 +689,16 @@ async def _acquire_resources(self, place, resources):
             for resource in resources:
                 await self._acquire_resource(place, resource)
                 acquired.append(resource)
-        except Exception:
+        except Exception as e:
             logging.exception("failed to acquire %s", resource)
             # cleanup
-            await self._release_resources(place, acquired)
-            return False
+            try:
+                await self._release_resources(place, acquired)
+            except CoordinatorError:
+                logging.exception("failed to release acquired resources during acquire cleanup")
+            if isinstance(e, CoordinatorError):
+                raise
+            raise CoordinatorError(f"failed to acquire {resource}") from e
 
         for resource in resources:
             place.acquired_resources.append(resource)
@@ -702,6 +716,7 @@ async def _release_resources(self, place, resources, callback=True):
             except ValueError:
                 pass
 
+        failure = None
         for resource in resources:
             if resource.orphaned:
                 continue
@@ -715,18 +730,27 @@ async def _release_resources(self, place, resources, callback=True):
                     # request.place_name is left unset to indicate release
                     cmd = ExporterCommand(request)
                     self.get_exporter_by_name(resource.path[0]).queue.put_nowait(cmd)
-                    await cmd.wait()
+                    try:
+                        await cmd.wait()
+                    except asyncio.TimeoutError as e:
+                        raise ExporterError("timed out waiting for exporter while releasing resource") from e
                     if not cmd.response.success:
-                        raise ExporterError(f"failed to release {resource} ({cmd.response.reason})")
+                        raise ExporterError(cmd.response.reason or "exporter returned failure without a reason")
                     if resource.acquired:
                         logging.warning("resource %s still acquired after release request", resource)
-            except (ExporterError, TimeoutError):
+            except ExporterError as e:
+                if failure is None:
+                    failure = e
                 logging.exception("failed to release %s", resource)
                 # at leaset try to notify the clients
                 try:
                     self._publish_resource(resource)
                 except:
                     logging.exception("failed to publish released resource %s", resource)
+        if failure:
+            if isinstance(failure, ExporterError):
+                raise failure
+            raise CoordinatorError(f"failed to release resources for place {place.name}") from failure
 
     async def _synchronize_resources(self):
         assert self.lock.locked()
@@ -878,10 +902,18 @@ async def AcquirePlace(self, request, context):
                     if not place.hasmatch(resource.path):
                         continue
                     resources.append(resource)
-        if not await self._acquire_resources(place, resources):
+        try:
+            await self._acquire_resources(place, resources)
+        except CoordinatorError as e:
             # revert earlier change
             place.acquired = None
-            await context.abort(grpc.StatusCode.FAILED_PRECONDITION, f"Failed to acquire resources for place {name}")
+            message = f"Failed to acquire resources for place {name}"
+            if str(e):
+                message += f": {e}"
+            await context.abort(
+                grpc.StatusCode.FAILED_PRECONDITION,
+                message,
+            )
         place.touch()
         self._publish_place(place)
         self.save_later()
@@ -905,7 +937,13 @@ async def ReleasePlace(self, request, context):
         if fromuser and place.acquired != fromuser:
             return labgrid_coordinator_pb2.ReleasePlaceResponse()
 
-        await self._release_resources(place, place.acquired_resources)
+        try:
+            await self._release_resources(place, place.acquired_resources)
+        except CoordinatorError as e:
+            message = f"Failed to release resources for place {name}"
+            if str(e):
+                message += f": {e}"
+            await context.abort(grpc.StatusCode.FAILED_PRECONDITION, message)
 
         place.acquired = None
         place.allowed = set()
diff --git a/labgrid/remote/exporter.py b/labgrid/remote/exporter.py
index 68c4fa708..c94dc8991 100755
--- a/labgrid/remote/exporter.py
+++ b/labgrid/remote/exporter.py
@@ -926,8 +926,11 @@ async def message_pump(self):
                             )
                         success = True
                     except (BrokenResourceError, InvalidResourceRequestError, UnknownResourceError) as e:
-                        reason = e.args[0]
+                        reason = str(e)
                         logging.warning("set_acquired_request failed: %s", reason)
+                    except Exception as e:
+                        reason = str(e) or repr(e)
+                        logging.exception("failed to handle set_acquired_request: %s", reason)
                     finally:
                         in_message = labgrid_coordinator_pb2.ExporterInMessage()
                         in_message.response.success = success