diff --git a/rmw_cyclonedds_cpp/src/rmw_node.cpp b/rmw_cyclonedds_cpp/src/rmw_node.cpp
index c7a4cbf..9a5c62a 100644
--- a/rmw_cyclonedds_cpp/src/rmw_node.cpp
+++ b/rmw_cyclonedds_cpp/src/rmw_node.cpp
@@ -1498,23 +1498,24 @@ static dds_entity_t create_topic(dds_entity_t pp, struct ddsi_sertopic * sertopi
   return tp;
 }
 
-void set_error_message_from_create_topic(dds_entity_t topic)
+void set_error_message_from_create_topic(dds_entity_t topic, const std::string & topic_name)
 {
   assert(topic < 0);
   if (DDS_RETCODE_BAD_PARAMETER == topic) {
-    RMW_SET_ERROR_MSG(
-      "failed to create topic because the function was given"
-      " invalid parameters");
+    const std::string error_msg = "failed to create topic [" + topic_name +
+      "] because the function was given invalid parameters";
+    RMW_SET_ERROR_MSG(error_msg.c_str());
   } else if (DDS_RETCODE_INCONSISTENT_POLICY == topic) {
-    RMW_SET_ERROR_MSG(
-      "failed to create topic because it's already in use"
-      " in this context with incompatible QoS settings");
+    const std::string error_msg = "failed to create topic [" + topic_name +
+      "] because it's already in use in this context with incompatible QoS settings";
+    RMW_SET_ERROR_MSG(error_msg.c_str());
   } else if (DDS_RETCODE_PRECONDITION_NOT_MET == topic) {
-    RMW_SET_ERROR_MSG(
-      "failed to create topic because it's already in use"
-      " in this context with a different message type");
+    const std::string error_msg = "failed to create topic [" + topic_name +
+      "] because it's already in use in this context with a different message type";
+    RMW_SET_ERROR_MSG(error_msg.c_str());
   } else {
-    RMW_SET_ERROR_MSG("failed to create topic for unknown reasons");
+    const std::string error_msg = "failed to create topic [" + topic_name + "] for unknown reasons";
+    RMW_SET_ERROR_MSG(error_msg.c_str());
   }
 }
 
@@ -1895,7 +1896,7 @@ static CddsPublisher * create_cdds_publisher(
   struct ddsi_sertopic * stact;
   topic = create_topic(dds_ppant, sertopic, &stact);
   if (topic < 0) {
-    set_error_message_from_create_topic(topic);
+    set_error_message_from_create_topic(topic, fqtopic_name);
     goto fail_topic;
   }
   if ((qos = create_readwrite_qos(qos_policies, false)) == nullptr) {
@@ -2270,7 +2271,7 @@ static CddsSubscription * create_cdds_subscription(
     rmw_cyclonedds_cpp::make_message_value_type(type_supports));
   topic = create_topic(dds_ppant, sertopic);
   if (topic < 0) {
-    set_error_message_from_create_topic(topic);
+    set_error_message_from_create_topic(topic, fqtopic_name);
     goto fail_topic;
   }
   if ((qos = create_readwrite_qos(qos_policies, ignore_local_publications)) == nullptr) {
@@ -3862,7 +3863,7 @@ static rmw_ret_t rmw_init_cs(
   struct ddsi_sertopic * pub_stact;
   pubtopic = create_topic(node->context->impl->ppant, pub_st, &pub_stact);
   if (pubtopic < 0) {
-    set_error_message_from_create_topic(pubtopic);
+    set_error_message_from_create_topic(pubtopic, pubtopic_name);
     goto fail_pubtopic;
   }
 
@@ -3871,7 +3872,7 @@ static rmw_ret_t rmw_init_cs(
     std::move(sub_msg_ts));
   subtopic = create_topic(node->context->impl->ppant, sub_st);
   if (subtopic < 0) {
-    set_error_message_from_create_topic(subtopic);
+    set_error_message_from_create_topic(subtopic, subtopic_name);
     goto fail_subtopic;
   }
   // before proceeding to outright ignore given QoS policies, sanity check them