diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PropertyPath.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PropertyPath.java
index a05a8667e..1a6548206 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PropertyPath.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PropertyPath.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package org.springframework.data.mapping;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Stack;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ public class PropertyPath implements Iterable<PropertyPath> {
 	 * @param owningType must not be {@literal null}.
 	 * @param base the {@link PropertyPath} previously found.
 	 */
-	PropertyPath(String name, TypeInformation<?> owningType, PropertyPath base) {
+	PropertyPath(String name, TypeInformation<?> owningType, Stack<PropertyPath> base) {
 
 		Assert.hasText(name);
 		Assert.notNull(owningType);
@@ -264,14 +265,14 @@ public class PropertyPath implements Iterable<PropertyPath> {
 		Iterator<String> parts = iteratorSource.iterator();
 
 		PropertyPath result = null;
-		PropertyPath current = null;
+		Stack<PropertyPath> current = new Stack<PropertyPath>();
 
 		while (parts.hasNext()) {
 			if (result == null) {
-				result = create(parts.next(), type, null);
-				current = result;
+				result = create(parts.next(), type, current);
+				current.push(result);
 			} else {
-				current = create(parts.next(), current);
+				current.push(create(parts.next(), current));
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -285,10 +286,12 @@ public class PropertyPath implements Iterable<PropertyPath> {
 	 * @param base
 	 * @return
 	 */
-	private static PropertyPath create(String source, PropertyPath base) {
+	private static PropertyPath create(String source, Stack<PropertyPath> base) {
 
-		PropertyPath propertyPath = create(source, base.type, base);
-		base.next = propertyPath;
+		PropertyPath previous = base.peek();
+
+		PropertyPath propertyPath = create(source, previous.type, base);
+		previous.next = propertyPath;
 		return propertyPath;
 	}
 
@@ -302,7 +305,7 @@ public class PropertyPath implements Iterable<PropertyPath> {
 	 * @param type
 	 * @return
 	 */
-	private static PropertyPath create(String source, TypeInformation<?> type, PropertyPath base) {
+	private static PropertyPath create(String source, TypeInformation<?> type, Stack<PropertyPath> base) {
 
 		return create(source, type, "", base);
 	}
@@ -317,7 +320,7 @@ public class PropertyPath implements Iterable<PropertyPath> {
 	 * @param addTail
 	 * @return
 	 */
-	private static PropertyPath create(String source, TypeInformation<?> type, String addTail, PropertyPath base) {
+	private static PropertyPath create(String source, TypeInformation<?> type, String addTail, Stack<PropertyPath> base) {
 
 		PropertyReferenceException exception = null;
 		PropertyPath current = null;
@@ -326,8 +329,14 @@ public class PropertyPath implements Iterable<PropertyPath> {
 
 			current = new PropertyPath(source, type, base);
 
+			if (!base.isEmpty()) {
+				base.peek().next = current;
+			}
+
+			base.push(current);
+
 			if (StringUtils.hasText(addTail)) {
-				current.next = create(addTail, current.type, current);
+				current.next = create(addTail, current.type, base);
 			}
 
 			return current;
@@ -355,4 +364,13 @@ public class PropertyPath implements Iterable<PropertyPath> {
 
 		throw exception;
 	}
+
+	/* 
+	 * (non-Javadoc)
+	 * @see java.lang.Object#toString()
+	 */
+	@Override
+	public String toString() {
+		return String.format("%s.%s", owningType.getType().getSimpleName(), toDotPath());
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PropertyReferenceException.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PropertyReferenceException.java
index 4255d7401..90ba20158 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PropertyReferenceException.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PropertyReferenceException.java
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.data.mapping;
 
+import java.util.Stack;
+
 import org.springframework.data.util.TypeInformation;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 
@@ -26,20 +28,20 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 public class PropertyReferenceException extends RuntimeException {
 
 	private static final long serialVersionUID = -5254424051438976570L;
-	private static final String ERROR_TEMPLATE = "No property %s found for type %s";
+	private static final String ERROR_TEMPLATE = "No property %s found for type %s!";
 
 	private final String propertyName;
 	private final TypeInformation<?> type;
-	private final PropertyPath base;
+	private final Stack<PropertyPath> base;
 
 	/**
 	 * Creates a new {@link PropertyReferenceException}.
 	 * 
 	 * @param propertyName the name of the property not found on the given type.
 	 * @param type the type the property could not be found on.
-	 * @param base the base {@link PropertyPath}.
+	 * @param base the previously calculated {@link PropertyPath}s.
 	 */
-	public PropertyReferenceException(String propertyName, TypeInformation<?> type, PropertyPath base) {
+	public PropertyReferenceException(String propertyName, TypeInformation<?> type, Stack<PropertyPath> base) {
 
 		Assert.hasText(propertyName);
 		Assert.notNull(type);
@@ -73,7 +75,15 @@ public class PropertyReferenceException extends RuntimeException {
 	 */
 	@Override
 	public String getMessage() {
-		return String.format(ERROR_TEMPLATE, propertyName, type.getType().getName());
+
+		StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder(String.format(ERROR_TEMPLATE, propertyName, type.getType()
+				.getSimpleName()));
+
+		if (!base.isEmpty()) {
+			builder.append(" Traversed path: ").append(base.get(0).toString()).append(".");
+		}
+
+		return builder.toString();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -82,6 +92,6 @@ public class PropertyReferenceException extends RuntimeException {
 	 * @return
 	 */
 	public PropertyPath getBaseProperty() {
-		return base;
+		return base.isEmpty() ? null : base.peek();
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PropertyPathUnitTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PropertyPathUnitTests.java
index 26dff01ef..b7c7da8c9 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PropertyPathUnitTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/mapping/PropertyPathUnitTests.java
@@ -36,8 +36,7 @@ import org.springframework.data.util.TypeInformation;
 @SuppressWarnings("unused")
 public class PropertyPathUnitTests {
 
-	@Rule
-	public ExpectedException exception = ExpectedException.none();
+	@Rule public ExpectedException exception = ExpectedException.none();
 
 	@Test
 	@SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
@@ -307,6 +306,19 @@ public class PropertyPathUnitTests {
 		assertThat(path.next().getSegment(), is("UUID"));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @see DATACMNS-381
+	 */
+	public void exposesPreviouslyReferencedPathInExceptionMessage() {
+
+		exception.expect(PropertyReferenceException.class);
+		exception.expectMessage("bar"); // missing variable
+		exception.expectMessage("String"); // type
+		exception.expectMessage("Bar.user.name"); // previously referenced path
+
+		PropertyPath.from("userNameBar", Bar.class);
+	}
+
 	private class Foo {
 
 		String userName;