diff --git a/command/alloc_status.go b/command/alloc_status.go
index 4b6c127b3..58a87877d 100644
--- a/command/alloc_status.go
+++ b/command/alloc_status.go
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ package command
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/api"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/cli"
 )
 
 type AllocStatusCommand struct {
@@ -54,52 +57,36 @@ func (c *AllocStatusCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		return 1
 	}
 
-	// Format the allocation
-	basic := []string{
-		fmt.Sprintf("ID|%s", alloc.ID),
-		fmt.Sprintf("EvalID|%s", alloc.EvalID),
-		fmt.Sprintf("Name|%s", alloc.Name),
-		fmt.Sprintf("NodeID|%s", alloc.NodeID),
-		fmt.Sprintf("JobID|%s", alloc.JobID),
-		fmt.Sprintf("TaskGroup|%s", alloc.TaskGroup),
-		fmt.Sprintf("DesiredStatus|%s", alloc.DesiredStatus),
-		fmt.Sprintf("DesiredDescription|%s", alloc.DesiredDescription),
-		fmt.Sprintf("ClientStatus|%s", alloc.ClientStatus),
-		fmt.Sprintf("ClientDescription|%s", alloc.ClientDescription),
-		fmt.Sprintf("NodesEvaluated|%d", alloc.Metrics.NodesEvaluated),
-		fmt.Sprintf("NodesFiltered|%d", alloc.Metrics.NodesFiltered),
-	}
-
-	// Format exhaustion info
-	var exInfo []string
-	if ne := alloc.Metrics.NodesExhausted; ne > 0 {
-		exInfo = append(exInfo, fmt.Sprintf("Node resources (exhausted %d)", ne))
-	}
-	for class, num := range alloc.Metrics.ClassExhausted {
-		exInfo = append(exInfo, fmt.Sprintf("Class %q (exhausted %d)", class, num))
-	}
-	for dim, num := range alloc.Metrics.DimensionExhausted {
-		exInfo = append(exInfo, fmt.Sprintf("Dimension %q (exhausted %d)", dim, num))
-	}
-
-	// Format the filter info
-	var filterInfo []string
-	for class, num := range alloc.Metrics.ClassFiltered {
-		filterInfo = append(filterInfo, fmt.Sprintf("Class %q (filtered %d)", class, num))
-	}
-	for cs, num := range alloc.Metrics.ConstraintFiltered {
-		filterInfo = append(filterInfo, fmt.Sprintf("Constraint %q (filtered %d)", cs, num))
-	}
-
-	// Dump the output
-	c.Ui.Output(formatKV(basic))
-	if len(exInfo) > 0 {
-		c.Ui.Output("\n==> Nodes Exhausted")
-		c.Ui.Output(strings.Join(exInfo, "\n"))
-	}
-	if len(filterInfo) > 0 {
-		c.Ui.Output("\n==> Filters Applied")
-		c.Ui.Output(strings.Join(filterInfo, "\n"))
-	}
+	// Dump any allocation data
+	dumpAllocStatus(c.Ui, alloc)
 	return 0
 }
+
+// dumpAllocStatus is a helper to generate a more user-friendly error message
+// for scheduling failures, displaying a high level status of why the job
+// could not be scheduled out.
+func dumpAllocStatus(ui cli.Ui, alloc *api.Allocation) {
+	// Print filter stats
+	ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf("Allocation %q status %q (%d/%d nodes filtered)",
+		alloc.ID, alloc.ClientStatus,
+		alloc.Metrics.NodesFiltered, alloc.Metrics.NodesEvaluated))
+
+	// Print exhaustion info
+	if ne := alloc.Metrics.NodesExhausted; ne > 0 {
+		ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf("Resources exhausted on %d nodes", ne))
+	}
+	for class, num := range alloc.Metrics.ClassExhausted {
+		ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf("Class %q exhausted on %d nodes", class, num))
+	}
+	for dim, num := range alloc.Metrics.DimensionExhausted {
+		ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf("Dimension %q exhausted on %d nodes", dim, num))
+	}
+
+	// Print filter info
+	for class, num := range alloc.Metrics.ClassFiltered {
+		ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf("Class %q filtered %d nodes", class, num))
+	}
+	for cs, num := range alloc.Metrics.ConstraintFiltered {
+		ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf("Constraint %q filtered %d nodes", cs, num))
+	}
+}
diff --git a/command/monitor.go b/command/monitor.go
index d0d1d30ac..ab367684c 100644
--- a/command/monitor.go
+++ b/command/monitor.go
@@ -113,6 +113,15 @@ func (m *monitor) update(eval *api.Evaluation, allocs []*api.AllocationListStub)
 				m.ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf("Scheduling error for group %q (%s)",
 					alloc.group, alloc.desiredDesc))
 
+				// Generate a more descriptive error for why the allocation
+				// failed and dump it to the screen
+				fullAlloc, _, err := m.client.Allocations().Info(allocID, nil)
+				if err != nil {
+					m.ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf("Error querying alloc: %s", err))
+					continue
+				}
+				dumpAllocStatus(m.ui, fullAlloc)
+
 			case alloc.index < update.index:
 				// New alloc with create index lower than the eval
 				// create index indicates modification