diff --git a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/AssemblaWeb.java b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/AssemblaWeb.java
index 243df70372..a9af9b07b8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/AssemblaWeb.java
+++ b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/AssemblaWeb.java
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ public FormValidation doCheckRepoUrl(@AncestorInPath Item project, @QueryParamet
                 return FormValidation.error(Messages.invalidUrl());
             }
             return new URLCheck() {
-                protected FormValidation check() throws IOException, ServletException {
+                protected FormValidation check() throws IOException {
                     String v = cleanUrl;
                     if (!v.endsWith("/")) {
                         v += '/';
@@ -129,7 +129,12 @@ protected FormValidation check() throws IOException, ServletException {
                             return FormValidation.error("This is a valid URL but it does not look like Assembla");
                         }
                     } catch (IOException e) {
-                        return FormValidation.error("Exception reading from Assembla URL " + cleanUrl + " : " + handleIOException(v, e));
+                        String prefix = "Exception reading from Assembla URL " + cleanUrl + " : ";
+                        if (e.getMessage().equals(v)) {
+                            return FormValidation.error(prefix + "Unable to connect " + v, e);
+                        } else {
+                            return FormValidation.error(prefix + "ERROR: " + e.getMessage(), e);
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }.check();
diff --git a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/FisheyeGitRepositoryBrowser.java b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/FisheyeGitRepositoryBrowser.java
index e81322bc6b..dc780d2f18 100644
--- a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/FisheyeGitRepositoryBrowser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/FisheyeGitRepositoryBrowser.java
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ public FormValidation doCheckRepoUrl(@QueryParameter(fixEmpty = true) String val
 			final String finalValue = value;
 			return new URLCheck() {
 				@Override
-				protected FormValidation check() throws IOException, ServletException {
+				protected FormValidation check() throws IOException {
 					try {
 						if (findText(open(new URL(finalValue)), "FishEye")) {
 							return FormValidation.ok();
@@ -116,7 +116,11 @@ protected FormValidation check() throws IOException, ServletException {
 							return FormValidation.error("This is a valid URL but it doesn't look like FishEye");
 						}
 					} catch (IOException e) {
-						return handleIOException(finalValue, e);
+						if (e.getMessage().equals(finalValue)) {
+							return FormValidation.error("Unable to connect " + finalValue, e);
+						} else {
+							return FormValidation.error(e.getMessage(), e);
+						}
 					}
 				}
 			}.check();
diff --git a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/GitBlitRepositoryBrowser.java b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/GitBlitRepositoryBrowser.java
index 7e2c616ae8..358339cfc4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/GitBlitRepositoryBrowser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/GitBlitRepositoryBrowser.java
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ public FormValidation doCheckRepoUrl(@AncestorInPath Item project, @QueryParamet
                 return FormValidation.error(Messages.invalidUrl());
             }
             return new URLCheck() {
-                protected FormValidation check() throws IOException, ServletException {
+                protected FormValidation check() throws IOException {
                     String v = cleanUrl;
                     if (!v.endsWith("/")) {
                         v += '/';
@@ -115,7 +115,11 @@ protected FormValidation check() throws IOException, ServletException {
                             return FormValidation.error("This is a valid URL but it doesn't look like Gitblit");
                         }
                     } catch (IOException e) {
-                        return handleIOException(v, e);
+                        if (e.getMessage().equals(v)) {
+                            return FormValidation.error("Unable to connect " + v, e);
+                        } else {
+                            return FormValidation.error(e.getMessage(), e);
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }.check();
diff --git a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/Gitiles.java b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/Gitiles.java
index 5fc2b80901..7e6156d63b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/Gitiles.java
+++ b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/Gitiles.java
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ public FormValidation doCheckRepoUrl(@AncestorInPath Item project, @QueryParamet
                 return FormValidation.error(Messages.invalidUrl());
             }
             return new URLCheck() {
-                protected FormValidation check() throws IOException, ServletException {
+                protected FormValidation check() throws IOException {
                     String v = cleanUrl;
                     if (!v.endsWith("/"))
                         v += '/';
@@ -101,7 +101,11 @@ protected FormValidation check() throws IOException, ServletException {
                             return FormValidation.error("This is a valid URL but it doesn't look like Gitiles");
                         }
                     } catch (IOException e) {
-                        return handleIOException(v, e);
+                        if (e.getMessage().equals(v)) {
+                            return FormValidation.error("Unable to connect " + v, e);
+                        } else {
+                            return FormValidation.error(e.getMessage(), e);
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }.check();
diff --git a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/TFS2013GitRepositoryBrowser.java b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/TFS2013GitRepositoryBrowser.java
index a76a8e51d3..89f99be3d9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/TFS2013GitRepositoryBrowser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/TFS2013GitRepositoryBrowser.java
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ public FormValidation doCheckRepoUrl(@QueryParameter(fixEmpty = true) String val
             final String finalValue = value;
             return new FormValidation.URLCheck() {
                 @Override
-                protected FormValidation check() throws IOException, ServletException {
+                protected FormValidation check() throws IOException {
                     try {
                         if (findText(open(new URL(finalValue)), "icrosoft")) {
                             return FormValidation.ok();
@@ -148,7 +148,11 @@ protected FormValidation check() throws IOException, ServletException {
                             return FormValidation.error("This is a valid URL but it doesn't look like a Microsoft server");
                         }
                     } catch (IOException e) {
-                        return handleIOException(finalValue, e);
+                        if (e.getMessage().equals(finalValue)) {
+                            return FormValidation.error("Unable to connect " + finalValue, e);
+                        } else {
+                            return FormValidation.error(e.getMessage(), e);
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }.check();
diff --git a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/ViewGitWeb.java b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/ViewGitWeb.java
index af62841ad1..27bf8bdc33 100644
--- a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/ViewGitWeb.java
+++ b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/browser/ViewGitWeb.java
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public FormValidation doCheckRepoUrl(@AncestorInPath Item project, @QueryParamet
                 return FormValidation.error(Messages.invalidUrl());
             }
             return new URLCheck() {
-                protected FormValidation check() throws IOException, ServletException {
+                protected FormValidation check() throws IOException {
                     String v = cleanUrl;
                     if (!v.endsWith("/"))
                         v += '/';
@@ -119,7 +119,11 @@ protected FormValidation check() throws IOException, ServletException {
                             return FormValidation.error("This is a valid URL but it doesn't look like ViewGit");
                         }
                     } catch (IOException e) {
-                        return handleIOException(v, e);
+                        if (e.getMessage().equals(v)) {
+                            return FormValidation.error("Unable to connect " + v, e);
+                        } else {
+                            return FormValidation.error(e.getMessage(), e);
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }.check();