diff --git a/src/frontends/lean/definition_cmds.cpp b/src/frontends/lean/definition_cmds.cpp
index c05cfc958d..cf4b86a497 100644
--- a/src/frontends/lean/definition_cmds.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/lean/definition_cmds.cpp
@@ -278,22 +278,15 @@ static void check_noncomputable(parser & p, environment const & env, name const
     }
 }
 
-static environment compile_decl(parser & p, environment const & env, def_cmd_kind kind, bool is_noncomputable,
-                                name const & c_name, name const & c_real_name, pos_info const & pos) {
+static environment compile_decl(environment const & env, def_cmd_kind kind, bool is_noncomputable,
+                                name const & c_name, name const & c_real_name) {
     if (is_noncomputable || kind == Theorem || is_vm_builtin_function(c_real_name))
         return env;
     try {
         declaration d = env.get(c_real_name);
         return vm_compile(env, d);
-    } catch (exception & ext) {
-        flycheck_warning wrn(p.ios());
-        auto & out = p.ios().get_regular_stream();
-        display_pos(out, p, pos);
-        out << "failed to generate bytecode for '" << c_name << "'" << std::endl;
-        type_context ctx(p.env());
-        auto out2  = regular(p.env(), p.ios(), ctx);
-        display_error(out2, get_pos_info_provider(), ext);
-        return env;
+    } catch (exception & ex) {
+        throw nested_exception(sstream() << "failed to generate bytecode for '" << c_name << "'", ex);
     }
 }
 
@@ -323,7 +316,7 @@ declare_definition(parser & p, environment const & env, def_cmd_kind kind, buffe
     }
 
     new_env = attrs.apply(new_env, p.ios(), c_real_name);
-    new_env = compile_decl(p, new_env, kind, is_noncomputable, c_name, c_real_name, pos);
+    new_env = compile_decl(new_env, kind, is_noncomputable, c_name, c_real_name);
     return mk_pair(new_env, c_real_name);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/library/equations_compiler/elim_match.cpp b/src/library/equations_compiler/elim_match.cpp
index 95150f74c7..e5e03a81c1 100644
--- a/src/library/equations_compiler/elim_match.cpp
+++ b/src/library/equations_compiler/elim_match.cpp
@@ -621,9 +621,8 @@ struct elim_match_fn {
             lean_assert(length(new_goals) == length(ilist));
             lean_assert(length(new_goals) == length(slist));
         } catch (exception & ex) {
-            trace_match(tout() << "dependent pattern matching step failed\n" << ex.what() << "\n";);
-            throw_error("equation compiler failed (use 'set_option trace.eqn_compiler.elim_match true' "
-                        "for additional details)");
+            throw nested_exception("equation compiler failed (use 'set_option trace.eqn_compiler.elim_match true' "
+                                   "for additional details)", ex);
         }
         if (empty(new_goals)) return list<lemma>();
         list<equation> eqns = normalize_next_pattern(P.m_equations);
diff --git a/src/library/exception.cpp b/src/library/exception.cpp
index c4c77e0689..e77706f313 100644
--- a/src/library/exception.cpp
+++ b/src/library/exception.cpp
@@ -15,4 +15,28 @@ static pp_fn mk_pp_fn(char const * msg) {
 
 generic_exception::generic_exception(optional<expr> const & m, char const * msg):
     generic_exception(msg, m, mk_pp_fn(msg)) {}
+
+optional<expr> nested_exception::get_main_expr() const {
+    if (m_main_expr)
+        return m_main_expr;
+    else if (ext_exception * ex = dynamic_cast<ext_exception *>(m_exception.get()))
+        return ex->get_main_expr();
+    else
+        return none_expr();
+}
+
+format nested_exception::pp(formatter const & fmt) const {
+    format r = m_pp_fn(fmt);
+    r += line() + format("nested exception message") + line();
+    if (ext_exception * ex = dynamic_cast<ext_exception *>(m_exception.get())) {
+        r += ex->pp(fmt);
+    } else {
+        r += format(m_exception->what());
+    }
+    return r;
+}
+
+throwable * nested_exception::clone() const {
+    return new nested_exception(m_main_expr, m_pp_fn, *m_exception);
+}
 }
diff --git a/src/library/exception.h b/src/library/exception.h
index db514995e9..a94e5728d1 100644
--- a/src/library/exception.h
+++ b/src/library/exception.h
@@ -35,6 +35,27 @@ public:
     virtual void rethrow() const override { throw *this; }
 };
 
+class nested_exception : public generic_exception {
+    std::shared_ptr<throwable>          m_exception;
+public:
+    nested_exception(optional<expr> const & m, pp_fn const & fn, throwable const & ex):
+        generic_exception(m, fn), m_exception(std::shared_ptr<throwable>(ex.clone())) {}
+    nested_exception(optional<expr> const & m, char const * msg, throwable const & ex):
+        generic_exception(m, msg), m_exception(std::shared_ptr<throwable>(ex.clone())) {}
+    nested_exception(optional<expr> const & m, sstream const & strm, throwable const & ex):
+        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(sstream const & strm, throwable const & ex):
+        nested_exception(none_expr(), strm, ex) {}
+    virtual ~nested_exception() noexcept {}
+
+    virtual optional<expr> get_main_expr() const override;
+    virtual format pp(formatter const & fmt) const override;
+    virtual throwable * clone() const override;
+    virtual void rethrow() const override { throw *this; }
+};
+
 /** \brief Lean exception occurred when parsing file. */
 class parser_nested_exception : public exception {
     std::shared_ptr<throwable>          m_exception;