diff --git a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/util/LargeObjectDocument.java b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/util/LargeObjectDocument.java
index 715c248d71462b481e2e1701aa811e598b517315..92f10fcaf8a935d5e8417f9fb4d94b5a69238d0a 100644
--- a/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/util/LargeObjectDocument.java
+++ b/uk/ac/sanger/artemis/util/LargeObjectDocument.java
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ public class LargeObjectDocument extends Document
     catch (SQLException e)
     {
       e.printStackTrace();
-      throw new IOException( e );
+      throw new IOException( e.getMessage() );
     }
   }