diff --git a/include/mruby/internal.h b/include/mruby/internal.h
index 1bb746f93..d427c0702 100644
--- a/include/mruby/internal.h
+++ b/include/mruby/internal.h
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ void mrb_exc_mesg_set(mrb_state *mrb, struct RException *exc, mrb_value mesg);
 mrb_value mrb_exc_mesg_get(mrb_state *mrb, struct RException *exc);
 mrb_value mrb_f_raise(mrb_state*, mrb_value);
 mrb_value mrb_make_exception(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_value exc, mrb_value mesg);
+mrb_value mrb_exc_get_output(mrb_state *mrb, struct RObject *exc);
 
 struct RBacktrace {
   MRB_OBJECT_HEADER;
diff --git a/src/error.c b/src/error.c
index b6bf32159..7aead11f2 100644
--- a/src/error.c
+++ b/src/error.c
@@ -140,6 +140,14 @@ mrb_exc_inspect(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_value exc)
   return (mrb_nil_p(mesg)||RSTRING_LEN(mesg)==0) ? cname : mrb_format(mrb, "#<%v: %v>", cname, mesg);
 }
 
+mrb_value
+mrb_exc_get_output(mrb_state *mrb, struct RObject *exc)
+{
+  mrb_value cname = mrb_mod_to_s(mrb, mrb_obj_value(mrb_class_real(exc->c)));
+  mrb_value mesg = mrb_exc_mesg_get(mrb, (struct RException*)exc); /* string or nil */
+  return (mrb_nil_p(mesg)||RSTRING_LEN(mesg)==0) ? cname : mrb_format(mrb, "%v (%v)", mesg, cname);
+}
+
 void mrb_keep_backtrace(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_value exc);
 
 static void