diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/conversions/into/datetime.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/conversions/into/datetime.rs
index dec6737f6d..6fdaf11690 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/conversions/into/datetime.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/conversions/into/datetime.rs
@@ -280,13 +280,13 @@ fn action(input: &Value, args: &Arguments, head: Span) -> Value {
                 Zone::East(i) => match FixedOffset::east_opt((*i as i32) * HOUR) {
                     Some(eastoffset) => match_datetime!(eastoffset.timestamp_opt(ts, 0)),
                     None => Value::Error {
-                        error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(*span),
+                        error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(input.debug_value(), *span),
                     },
                 },
                 Zone::West(i) => match FixedOffset::west_opt((*i as i32) * HOUR) {
                     Some(westoffset) => match_datetime!(westoffset.timestamp_opt(ts, 0)),
                     None => Value::Error {
-                        error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(*span),
+                        error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(input.debug_value(), *span),
                     },
                 },
                 Zone::Error => Value::Error {
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/date/format.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/date/format.rs
index 50d108709a..1f5a293668 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/date/format.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/date/format.rs
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ fn format_helper(value: Value, formatter: &str, formatter_span: Span, head_span:
             }
         }
         _ => Value::Error {
-            error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(head_span),
+            error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(value.debug_value(), head_span),
         },
     }
 }
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ fn format_helper_rfc2822(value: Value, span: Span) -> Value {
             }
         }
         _ => Value::Error {
-            error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(span),
+            error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(value.debug_value(), span),
         },
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/date/humanize.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/date/humanize.rs
index 4e365c504e..f5eb027826 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/date/humanize.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/date/humanize.rs
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ fn helper(value: Value, head: Span) -> Value {
             span: head,
         },
         _ => Value::Error {
-            error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(head),
+            error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(value.debug_value(), head),
         },
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/date/to_record.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/date/to_record.rs
index 3189c9eb04..86c08edd6d 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/date/to_record.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/date/to_record.rs
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ fn helper(val: Value, head: Span) -> Value {
         }
         Value::Date { val, span: _ } => parse_date_into_table(Ok(val), head),
         _ => Value::Error {
-            error: DatetimeParseError(head),
+            error: DatetimeParseError(val.debug_value(), head),
         },
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/date/to_table.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/date/to_table.rs
index e8d340be85..088ad01ba5 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/date/to_table.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/date/to_table.rs
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ fn helper(val: Value, head: Span) -> Value {
         }
         Value::Date { val, span: _ } => parse_date_into_table(Ok(val), head),
         _ => Value::Error {
-            error: DatetimeParseError(head),
+            error: DatetimeParseError(val.debug_value(), head),
         },
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/date/to_timezone.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/date/to_timezone.rs
index fc8e50807e..45c8749f7e 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/date/to_timezone.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/date/to_timezone.rs
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ fn helper(value: Value, head: Span, timezone: &Spanned<String>) -> Value {
             _to_timezone(dt.with_timezone(dt.offset()), timezone, head)
         }
         _ => Value::Error {
-            error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(head),
+            error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(value.debug_value(), head),
         },
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/date/utils.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/date/utils.rs
index 278ec820a1..80eda3fdf7 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/date/utils.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/date/utils.rs
@@ -15,12 +15,12 @@ pub(crate) fn parse_date_from_string(
                 LocalResult::Single(d) => Ok(d),
                 LocalResult::Ambiguous(d, _) => Ok(d),
                 LocalResult::None => Err(Value::Error {
-                    error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(span),
+                    error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(input.to_string(), span),
                 }),
             }
         }
         Err(_) => Err(Value::Error {
-            error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(span),
+            error: ShellError::DatetimeParseError(input.to_string(), span),
         }),
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs
index 89c3d6f49f..d1bc40fefc 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/shell_error.rs
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ Either make sure {0} is a string, or add a 'to_string' entry for it in ENV_CONVE
     /// * "2020-04-12 22:10:57 +02:00"
     /// * "2020-04-12T22:10:57.213231+02:00"
     /// * "Tue, 1 Jul 2003 10:52:37 +0200""#
-    #[error("Unable to parse datetime")]
+    #[error("Unable to parse datetime: [{0}].")]
     #[diagnostic(
         code(nu::shell::datetime_parse_error),
         url(docsrs),
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ Either make sure {0} is a string, or add a 'to_string' entry for it in ENV_CONVE
  * "Tue, 1 Jul 2003 10:52:37 +0200""#
         )
     )]
-    DatetimeParseError(#[label("datetime parsing failed")] Span),
+    DatetimeParseError(String, #[label("datetime parsing failed")] Span),
 
     /// A network operation failed.
     ///