diff --git a/payment/src/main/java/org/killbill/billing/payment/core/sm/PaymentAutomatonRunner.java b/payment/src/main/java/org/killbill/billing/payment/core/sm/PaymentAutomatonRunner.java
index 49702f5..4587b28 100644
--- a/payment/src/main/java/org/killbill/billing/payment/core/sm/PaymentAutomatonRunner.java
+++ b/payment/src/main/java/org/killbill/billing/payment/core/sm/PaymentAutomatonRunner.java
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ public class PaymentAutomatonRunner {
} else if (e.getCause() instanceof PaymentApiException) {
throw (PaymentApiException) e.getCause();
} else if (e.getCause() instanceof TimeoutException) {
- throw new PaymentApiException(e.getCause(), ErrorCode.PAYMENT_PLUGIN_TIMEOUT, accountId, invoiceId);
+ throw new PaymentApiException(e.getCause(), ErrorCode.PAYMENT_PLUGIN_TIMEOUT, accountId, Objects.firstNonNull(e.getMessage(), ""));
} else {
throw new PaymentApiException(e.getCause(), ErrorCode.PAYMENT_INTERNAL_ERROR, Objects.firstNonNull(e.getMessage(), ""));
}