diff --git a/bindings/java/src/jni/javasigar.c b/bindings/java/src/jni/javasigar.c
index 6a5e9cc0..d8538aa9 100644
--- a/bindings/java/src/jni/javasigar.c
+++ b/bindings/java/src/jni/javasigar.c
@@ -439,6 +439,16 @@ JNIEXPORT jint SIGAR_JNI(RPC_ping)
 #endif
 }
 
+JNIEXPORT jstring SIGAR_JNI(RPC_strerror)
+(JNIEnv *env, jclass cls_obj, jint err)
+{
+#ifdef WIN32
+    return NULL;
+#else
+    return JENV->NewStringUTF(env, sigar_rpc_strerror(err));
+#endif
+}
+
 JNIEXPORT jobjectArray SIGAR_JNI(Sigar_getCpuInfoList)
 (JNIEnv *env, jobject sigar_obj)
 {
diff --git a/bindings/java/src/net/hyperic/sigar/RPC.java b/bindings/java/src/net/hyperic/sigar/RPC.java
index 6a770f4d..4e76ef98 100644
--- a/bindings/java/src/net/hyperic/sigar/RPC.java
+++ b/bindings/java/src/net/hyperic/sigar/RPC.java
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ public class RPC {
                                   long program,
                                   long version);
 
+    public static native String strerror(int status);
+
     public static int ping(String hostname,
                            int protocol,
                            String program,
@@ -66,4 +68,10 @@ public class RPC {
 
         return num.longValue();
     }
+
+    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
+        Sigar.load();
+        int retval = RPC.ping(args[0], args[1]);
+        System.out.println("(" + retval + ") " + RPC.strerror(retval));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/include/sigar.h b/include/sigar.h
index 510584f2..be6b9ca4 100644
--- a/include/sigar.h
+++ b/include/sigar.h
@@ -620,6 +620,8 @@ SIGAR_DECLARE(int) sigar_rpc_ping(char *hostname,
                                   unsigned long program,
                                   unsigned long version);
 
+SIGAR_DECLARE(char *) sigar_rpc_strerror(int err);
+
 SIGAR_DECLARE(char *) sigar_password_get(const char *prompt);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/src/sigar_util.c b/src/sigar_util.c
index 72d9ddc2..fc39dcc0 100644
--- a/src/sigar_util.c
+++ b/src/sigar_util.c
@@ -510,6 +510,11 @@ static enum clnt_stat get_sockaddr(struct sockaddr_in *addr, char *host)
     return RPC_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+char *sigar_rpc_strerror(int err)
+{
+    return clnt_sperrno(err);
+}
+
 SIGAR_DECLARE(int) sigar_rpc_ping(char *host,
                                   int protocol,
                                   unsigned long program,
@@ -534,7 +539,7 @@ SIGAR_DECLARE(int) sigar_rpc_ping(char *host,
     client = clntudp_create(&addr, program, version,
                             interval, &sock);
     if (!client) {
-        return RPC_FAILED;
+        return rpc_createerr.cf_stat;
     }
 
     timeout.tv_sec = 10;