diff --git a/src/browser/rollbar.js b/src/browser/rollbar.js
index b1ff3d46e..96e1d603a 100644
--- a/src/browser/rollbar.js
+++ b/src/browser/rollbar.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ var transport = require('./transport');
 var urllib = require('./url');
 
 var transforms = require('./transforms');
+var sharedTransforms = require('../transforms');
 var predicates = require('./predicates');
 var errorParser = require('./errorParser');
 
@@ -310,9 +311,10 @@ function addTransformsToNotifier(notifier) {
     .addTransform(transforms.addClientInfo(window))
     .addTransform(transforms.addPluginInfo(window))
     .addTransform(transforms.addBody)
+    .addTransform(sharedTransforms.addMessageWithError)
     .addTransform(transforms.scrubPayload)
     .addTransform(transforms.userTransform)
-    .addTransform(transforms.itemToPayload);
+    .addTransform(sharedTransforms.itemToPayload);
 }
 
 function addPredicatesToQueue(queue) {
diff --git a/src/browser/transforms.js b/src/browser/transforms.js
index 4c3843fb8..a0a1817f5 100644
--- a/src/browser/transforms.js
+++ b/src/browser/transforms.js
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ function addBodyTrace(item, options, callback) {
   };
 
   if (description) {
-    trace.exception.description = description || 'uncaught exception';
+    trace.exception.description = description;
   }
 
   // Transform a TraceKit stackInfo object into a Rollbar trace
@@ -238,19 +238,6 @@ function userTransform(item, options, callback) {
   callback(null, newItem);
 }
 
-function itemToPayload(item, options, callback) {
-  var payloadOptions = options.payload || {};
-  if (payloadOptions.body) {
-    delete payloadOptions.body;
-  }
-
-  var data = _.extend(true, {}, item.data, payloadOptions);
-  if (item._isUncaught) {
-    data._isUncaught = true;
-  }
-  callback(null, data);
-}
-
 module.exports = {
   handleItemWithError: handleItemWithError,
   ensureItemHasSomethingToSay: ensureItemHasSomethingToSay,
@@ -260,6 +247,5 @@ module.exports = {
   addPluginInfo: addPluginInfo,
   addBody: addBody,
   scrubPayload: scrubPayload,
-  userTransform: userTransform,
-  itemToPayload: itemToPayload
+  userTransform: userTransform
 };
diff --git a/src/server/rollbar.js b/src/server/rollbar.js
index 7dd70476b..cd6235058 100644
--- a/src/server/rollbar.js
+++ b/src/server/rollbar.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ var urllib = require('url');
 var jsonBackup = require('json-stringify-safe');
 
 var transforms = require('./transforms');
+var sharedTransforms = require('../transforms');
 var predicates = require('./predicates');
 
 function Rollbar(options, client) {
@@ -362,9 +363,10 @@ function addTransformsToNotifier(notifier) {
     .addTransform(transforms.baseData)
     .addTransform(transforms.handleItemWithError)
     .addTransform(transforms.addBody)
+    .addTransform(sharedTransforms.addMessageWithError)
     .addTransform(transforms.addRequestData)
     .addTransform(transforms.scrubPayload)
-    .addTransform(transforms.convertToPayload);
+    .addTransform(sharedTransforms.itemToPayload);
 }
 
 function addPredicatesToQueue(queue) {
diff --git a/src/server/transforms.js b/src/server/transforms.js
index d81de9865..6dcea7d7f 100644
--- a/src/server/transforms.js
+++ b/src/server/transforms.js
@@ -154,16 +154,6 @@ function scrubPayload(item, options, callback) {
   callback(null, item);
 }
 
-function convertToPayload(item, options, callback) {
-  var payloadOptions = options.payload || {};
-  if (payloadOptions.body) {
-    delete payloadOptions.body;
-  }
-
-  var data = _.extend(true, {}, item.data, payloadOptions);
-  callback(null, data);
-}
-
 /** Helpers **/
 
 function _buildTraceData(chain) {
@@ -231,7 +221,6 @@ module.exports = {
   addMessageData: addMessageData,
   addErrorData: addErrorData,
   addRequestData: addRequestData,
-  scrubPayload: scrubPayload,
-  convertToPayload: convertToPayload
+  scrubPayload: scrubPayload
 };
 
diff --git a/src/transforms.js b/src/transforms.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ba08554c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/transforms.js
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+var _ = require('./utility');
+
+function itemToPayload(item, options, callback) {
+  var payloadOptions = options.payload || {};
+  if (payloadOptions.body) {
+    delete payloadOptions.body;
+  }
+
+  var data = _.extend(true, {}, item.data, payloadOptions);
+  if (item._isUncaught) {
+    data._isUncaught = true;
+  }
+  callback(null, data);
+}
+
+function addMessageWithError(item, options, callback) {
+  if (!item.message) {
+    callback(null, item);
+    return;
+  }
+  var tracePath = 'data.body.trace_chain.0';
+  var trace = _.get(item, tracePath);
+  if (!trace) {
+    tracePath = 'data.body.trace';
+    trace = _.get(item, tracePath);
+  }
+  if (trace) {
+    if (!(trace.exception && trace.exception.description)) {
+      _.set(item, tracePath+'.exception.description', item.message);
+      callback(null, item);
+      return;
+    }
+    var extra = _.get(item, tracePath+'.extra') || {};
+    var newExtra =  _.extend(true, {}, extra, {message: item.message});
+    _.set(item, tracePath+'.extra', newExtra);
+  }
+  callback(null, item);
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  itemToPayload: itemToPayload,
+  addMessageWithError: addMessageWithError
+};
diff --git a/test/browser.transforms.test.js b/test/browser.transforms.test.js
index fe3e8cfaf..f3017e570 100644
--- a/test/browser.transforms.test.js
+++ b/test/browser.transforms.test.js
@@ -318,36 +318,6 @@ describe('addBody', function() {
   });
 });
 
-describe('itemToPayload', function() {
-  it('ignores options.payload.body but merges in other payload options', function(done) {
-    var args = ['a message', {custom: 'stuff'}];
-    var item = itemFromArgs(args);
-    item.accessToken = 'abc123';
-    var options = {
-      endpoint: 'api.rollbar.com',
-      payload: {body: 'hey', x: 42}
-    };
-    t.itemToPayload(item, options, function(e, i) {
-      expect(i.body).to.not.eql('hey');
-      expect(i.x).to.eql(42);
-      done(e);
-    });
-  });
-  it('ignores handles trailing slash in endpoint', function(done) {
-    var args = ['a message', {custom: 'stuff'}];
-    var item = itemFromArgs(args);
-    item.accessToken = 'abc123';
-    item.data = {message: 'a message'};
-    var options = {
-      endpoint: 'api.rollbar.com/'
-    };
-    t.itemToPayload(item, options, function(e, i) {
-      expect(i.message).to.eql('a message');
-      done(e);
-    });
-  });
-});
-
 describe('scrubPayload', function() {
   it('only scrubs payload data', function(done) {
     var args = ['a message', {scooby: 'doo', okay: 'fizz=buzz&fuzz=baz', user: {id: 42}}];
diff --git a/test/server.transforms.test.js b/test/server.transforms.test.js
index 77f99178d..f42b67bbb 100644
--- a/test/server.transforms.test.js
+++ b/test/server.transforms.test.js
@@ -679,37 +679,4 @@ vows.describe('transforms')
       }
     }
   })
-  .addBatch({
-    'convertToPayload': {
-      'options': {
-        'with payload data': {
-          topic: function() {
-            return {payload: {client: {code_version: 'bork'}, body: 'hello'}};
-          },
-          item: {
-            topic: function(options) {
-              var item = {
-                data: {
-                  body: {
-                    message: 'hey'
-                  }
-                },
-                other: 'thing'
-              };
-              t.convertToPayload(item, options, this.callback);
-            },
-            'should not error': function(err, item) {
-              assert.ifError(err);
-            },
-            'should only return data': function(err, item) {
-              assert.equal(item.body.message, 'hey');
-            },
-            'should include payload options': function(err, item) {
-              assert.equal(item.client.code_version, 'bork');
-            }
-          }
-        }
-      }
-    }
-  })
   .export(module, {error: false});
diff --git a/test/transforms.test.js b/test/transforms.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bf71af0c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/transforms.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/* globals expect */
+/* globals describe */
+/* globals it */
+
+var _ = require('../src/utility');
+var t = require('../src/transforms');
+
+function itemFromArgs(args) {
+  var item = _.createItem(args);
+  item.level = 'debug';
+  return item;
+}
+
+describe('itemToPayload', function() {
+  it('ignores options.payload.body but merges in other payload options', function(done) {
+    var args = ['a message', {custom: 'stuff'}];
+    var item = itemFromArgs(args);
+    item.accessToken = 'abc123';
+    var options = {
+      endpoint: 'api.rollbar.com',
+      payload: {body: 'hey', x: 42}
+    };
+    t.itemToPayload(item, options, function(e, i) {
+      expect(i.body).to.not.eql('hey');
+      expect(i.x).to.eql(42);
+      done(e);
+    });
+  });
+  it('ignores handles trailing slash in endpoint', function(done) {
+    var args = ['a message', {custom: 'stuff'}];
+    var item = itemFromArgs(args);
+    item.accessToken = 'abc123';
+    item.data = {message: 'a message'};
+    var options = {
+      endpoint: 'api.rollbar.com/'
+    };
+    t.itemToPayload(item, options, function(e, i) {
+      expect(i.message).to.eql('a message');
+      done(e);
+    });
+  });
+});