diff --git a/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/exception.cljc b/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/exception.cljc
index def31f69..81a6c693 100644
--- a/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/exception.cljc
+++ b/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/exception.cljc
@@ -7,11 +7,14 @@
   ([type data]
    (throw (ex-info (str type) {:type type, :data data}))))
 
+(defn get-message [e]
+  #?(:clj (.getMessage ^Exception e) :cljs (ex-message e)))
+
 (defmulti format-exception (fn [type _ _] type))
 
 (defn exception [e]
   (let [data (ex-data e)
-        message (format-exception (:type data) #?(:clj (.getMessage ^Exception e) :cljs (ex-message e)) (:data data))]
+        message (format-exception (:type data) (get-message e) (:data data))]
     ;; there is a 3-arity version (+cause) of ex-info, but the default repl error message is taken from the cause
     (ex-info message (assoc (or data {}) ::cause e))))
 
diff --git a/modules/reitit-dev/src/reitit/dev/pretty.cljc b/modules/reitit-dev/src/reitit/dev/pretty.cljc
index 9abc70dc..c5e996e4 100644
--- a/modules/reitit-dev/src/reitit/dev/pretty.cljc
+++ b/modules/reitit-dev/src/reitit/dev/pretty.cljc
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@
     [:span (color :grey "-- Exception ----------------------")]
     [:break]
     [:break]
-    (color :red (ex-message exception))
+    (color :red (exception/get-message exception))
     [:break]
     [:break]
     (edn left {:margin 3})