diff --git a/mergebot_test_utils/utils.py b/mergebot_test_utils/utils.py
index e3d09349..4c50afb3 100644
--- a/mergebot_test_utils/utils.py
+++ b/mergebot_test_utils/utils.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class re_matches:
         return self._r.match(text)
 
     def __repr__(self):
-        return '~' + self._r.pattern + '~'
+        return self._r.pattern + '...'
 
 def seen(env, pr, users):
     return users['user'], f'[Pull request status dashboard]({to_pr(env, pr).url}).'
diff --git a/runbot_merge/github.py b/runbot_merge/github.py
index 8a368ed2..786f2924 100644
--- a/runbot_merge/github.py
+++ b/runbot_merge/github.py
@@ -202,10 +202,19 @@ class GH(object):
             def _wait_for_update():
                 if not self._check_updated(branch, sha):
                     return
-                raise exceptions.FastForwardError(self._repo)
-        except requests.HTTPError:
+                raise exceptions.FastForwardError(self._repo) \
+                    from Exception("timeout: never saw %s" % sha)
+        except requests.HTTPError as e:
             _logger.debug('fast_forward(%s, %s, %s) -> ERROR', self._repo, branch, sha, exc_info=True)
-            raise exceptions.FastForwardError(self._repo)
+            if e.response.status_code == 422:
+                try:
+                    r = e.response.json()
+                except Exception:
+                    pass
+                else:
+                    if isinstance(r, dict) and 'message' in r:
+                        e = Exception(r['message'].lower())
+            raise exceptions.FastForwardError(self._repo) from e
 
     def set_ref(self, branch, sha):
         # force-update ref
diff --git a/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py b/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py
index 99358859..085455af 100644
--- a/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py
+++ b/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ def test_staging_ci_failure_single(env, repo, users, config, page):
     assert dangerbox
     assert dangerbox[0].text == 'ci/runbot'
 
-def test_ff_failure(env, repo, config):
+def test_ff_failure(env, repo, config, page):
     """ target updated while the PR is being staged => redo staging """
     with repo:
         m = repo.make_commit(None, 'initial', None, tree={'m': 'm'})
@@ -587,10 +587,11 @@ def test_ff_failure(env, repo, config):
         repo.post_status(prx.head, 'success', 'ci/runbot')
         prx.post_comment('hansen r+ rebase-merge', config['role_reviewer']['token'])
     env.run_crons()
-    assert env['runbot_merge.pull_requests'].search([
+    st = env['runbot_merge.pull_requests'].search([
         ('repository.name', '=', repo.name),
         ('number', '=', prx.number)
     ]).staging_id
+    assert st
 
     with repo:
         m2 = repo.make_commit('heads/master', 'cockblock', None, tree={'m': 'm', 'm2': 'm2'})
@@ -603,6 +604,14 @@ def test_ff_failure(env, repo, config):
         repo.post_status(staging.id, 'success', 'ci/runbot')
     env.run_crons()
 
+    assert st.reason == 'update is not a fast forward'
+    # check that it's added as title on the staging
+    doc = html.fromstring(page('/runbot_merge'))
+    _new, prev = doc.cssselect('li.staging')
+
+    assert 'bg-gray-lighter' in prev.classes, "ff failure is ~ cancelling"
+    assert prev.get('title') == re_matches('fast forward failed \(update is not a fast forward\)')
+
     assert env['runbot_merge.pull_requests'].search([
         ('repository.name', '=', repo.name),
         ('number', '=', prx.number)
diff --git a/runbot_merge/views/templates.xml b/runbot_merge/views/templates.xml
index fab3b1e6..c0a86866 100644
--- a/runbot_merge/views/templates.xml
+++ b/runbot_merge/views/templates.xml
@@ -135,14 +135,13 @@
                     <t t-if="staging_index >= 4">visible-lg-block</t>
                 </t>
                 <t t-set="title">
-                    <t t-if="staging.state == 'ff_failed'">fast forward failed</t>
+                    <t t-if="staging.state == 'ff_failed'">fast forward failed (<t t-esc="staging.reason"/>)</t>
                     <t t-if="staging.state == 'pending'">last status</t>
-                    <t t-if="staging.state not in ('pending', 'ff_failed')"><t t-esc="staging.reason"/></t>
                 </t>
                 <!-- separate concatenation to avoid having line-break in title as some browsers trigger it -->
                 <!-- write-date may have microsecond precision, strip that information -->
                 <!-- use write-date under assumption that a staging is last modified when it ends -->
-                <t t-set="title"><t t-esc="title.strip()"/> at <t t-esc="staging.write_date.replace(microsecond=0)"/>Z</t>
+                <t t-set="title"><t t-esc="title.strip() or staging.reason"/> at <t t-esc="staging.write_date.replace(microsecond=0)"/>Z</t>
                 <li t-attf-class="staging {{stateclass.strip()}} {{decorationclass.strip()}}" t-att-title="title">
                     <ul class="list-unstyled">
                         <li t-foreach="staging.batch_ids" t-as="batch" class="batch">