diff --git a/lib/cpp/src/transport/TServerSocket.cpp b/lib/cpp/src/transport/TServerSocket.cpp
index 8a14ea5cd..f9f3e7fa0 100644
--- a/lib/cpp/src/transport/TServerSocket.cpp
+++ b/lib/cpp/src/transport/TServerSocket.cpp
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ void TServerSocket::listen() {
 }
 
 shared_ptr<TTransport> TServerSocket::acceptImpl() {
-  if (serverSocket_ <= 0) {
+  if (serverSocket_ < 0) {
     throw TTransportException(TTX_NOT_OPEN, "TServerSocket not listening");
   }
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ shared_ptr<TTransport> TServerSocket::acceptImpl() {
     perror("TServerSocket::accept()");
     throw TTransportException(TTX_UNKNOWN, "ERROR:" + errno);
   }
-
+  
   shared_ptr<TSocket> client(new TSocket(clientSocket));
   if (sendTimeout_ > 0) {
     client->setSendTimeout(sendTimeout_);
diff --git a/lib/cpp/src/transport/TTransportException.h b/lib/cpp/src/transport/TTransportException.h
index de94a7c9b..6dbfb13bc 100644
--- a/lib/cpp/src/transport/TTransportException.h
+++ b/lib/cpp/src/transport/TTransportException.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef _THRIFT_TRANSPORT_TTRANSPORTEXCEPTION_H_
 #define _THRIFT_TRANSPORT_TTRANSPORTEXCEPTION_H_ 1
 
+#include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
 #include <string>
 
 namespace facebook { namespace thrift { namespace transport { 
@@ -53,6 +54,15 @@ class TTransportException : public facebook::thrift::TException {
   TTransportExceptionType getType() {
     return type_;
   }
+
+  virtual const char* what() const throw() {
+    if (message_.empty()) {
+      return (std::string("Default Transport Exception: ") +
+        boost::lexical_cast<std::string>(type_)).c_str();
+    } else {
+      return message_.c_str();
+    }
+  }
  
  protected:
   /** Error code */