diff --git a/src/frontends/lean/definition_cmds.cpp b/src/frontends/lean/definition_cmds.cpp
index 4bf6deb813..d3e4d54d16 100644
--- a/src/frontends/lean/definition_cmds.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/lean/definition_cmds.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ Author: Leonardo de Moura
 #include "kernel/declaration.h"
 #include "kernel/instantiate.h"
 #include "kernel/replace_fn.h"
+#include "kernel/kernel_exception.h"
 #include "library/trace.h"
 #include "library/constants.h"
 #include "library/explicit.h"
@@ -186,16 +187,30 @@ static expr fix_rec_fn_name(expr const & e, name const & c_name, name const & c_
 }
 
 static certified_declaration check(parser & p, environment const & env, name const & c_name, declaration const & d, pos_info const & pos) {
-    if (p.profiling()) {
-        xtimeit timer(get_profiling_threshold(p.get_options()), [&](second_duration duration) {
-                auto msg = p.mk_message(pos, INFORMATION);
-                msg.get_text_stream().get_stream()
-                    << "type checking time of " << c_name << " took " << display_profiling_time{duration} << "\n";
-                msg.report();
-            });
-        return ::lean::check(env, d);
-    } else {
-        return ::lean::check(env, d);
+    try {
+        if (p.profiling()) {
+            xtimeit timer(get_profiling_threshold(p.get_options()), [&](second_duration duration) {
+                    auto msg = p.mk_message(pos, INFORMATION);
+                    msg.get_text_stream().get_stream()
+                        << "type checking time of " << c_name << " took " << display_profiling_time{duration} << "\n";
+                    msg.report();
+                });
+            return ::lean::check(env, d);
+        } else {
+            return ::lean::check(env, d);
+        }
+    } catch (kernel_exception & ex) {
+        unsigned i = get_pp_indent(p.get_options());
+        auto pp_fn = ::lean::mk_pp_ctx(env, p.get_options(), metavar_context(), local_context());
+        format msg = format("kernel failed to type check declaration '") + format(c_name) + format("' ") +
+            format("this is usually due to a buggy tactic or a bug in the builtin elaborator");
+        msg += line() + format("elaborated type:");
+        msg += nest(i, line() + pp_fn(d.get_type()));
+        if (d.is_definition()) {
+            msg += line() + format("elaborated value:");
+            msg += nest(i, line() + pp_fn(d.get_value()));
+        }
+        throw nested_exception(msg, ex);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/library/exception.h b/src/library/exception.h
index de66d03af1..4f99babc8f 100644
--- a/src/library/exception.h
+++ b/src/library/exception.h
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ public:
         generic_exception(m, strm), m_exception(std::shared_ptr<throwable>(ex.clone())) {}
     explicit nested_exception(char const * msg, throwable const & ex):
         nested_exception(none_expr(), msg, ex) {}
+    explicit nested_exception(format const & fmt, throwable const & ex):
+        nested_exception(none_expr(), [=](formatter const &) { return fmt; }, ex) {}
     explicit nested_exception(sstream const & strm, throwable const & ex):
         nested_exception(none_expr(), strm, ex) {}
     virtual ~nested_exception() noexcept {}
diff --git a/tests/lean/kernel_ex.lean b/tests/lean/kernel_ex.lean
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6d29052eac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/kernel_ex.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+def I : nat → nat := λ x, x
+
+meta def buggy : tactic unit :=
+do let t : expr := expr.app (expr.const `I []) (expr.const `bool.tt []),
+   tactic.exact t
+
+def t (y : nat) : nat :=
+let x := 1 + y in
+by buggy
diff --git a/tests/lean/kernel_ex.lean.expected.out b/tests/lean/kernel_ex.lean.expected.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1e9617021f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/kernel_ex.lean.expected.out
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+kernel_ex.lean:7:4: error: kernel failed to type check declaration 't' this is usually due to a buggy tactic or a bug in the builtin elaborator
+elaborated type:
+  ℕ → ℕ
+elaborated value:
+  λ (y : ℕ), let x : ℕ := 1 + y in I tt
+nested exception message:
+type mismatch at application
+  I tt
+term
+  tt
+has type
+  bool
+but is expected to have type
+  ℕ
+kernel_ex.lean:7:0: warning: declaration 't' uses sorry