diff --git a/designateclient/exceptions.py b/designateclient/exceptions.py
index 9021929..df4c3f5 100644
--- a/designateclient/exceptions.py
+++ b/designateclient/exceptions.py
@@ -37,14 +37,28 @@ class NoUniqueMatch(Base):
 class RemoteError(Base):
     def __init__(self, message=None, code=None, type=None, errors=None,
                  request_id=None):
-        super(RemoteError, self).__init__(message)
-
-        self.message = message
+        err_message = self._get_error_message(message, type, errors)
+        self.message = err_message
         self.code = code
         self.type = type
         self.errors = errors
         self.request_id = request_id
 
+        super(RemoteError, self).__init__(err_message)
+
+    def _get_error_message(self, _message, _type, _errors):
+        # Try to get a useful error msg if 'message' has nothing
+        if not _message:
+            if _errors and 'errors' in _errors:
+                err_msg = list()
+                for err in _errors['errors']:
+                    if 'message' in err:
+                        err_msg.append(err['message'])
+                _message = '. '.join(err_msg)
+            elif _type:
+                _message = str(_type)
+        return _message
+
 
 class Unknown(RemoteError):
     pass
diff --git a/designateclient/tests/test_exceptions.py b/designateclient/tests/test_exceptions.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e307e9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/designateclient/tests/test_exceptions.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# Copyright 2015 Rackspace Inc.
+#
+# Author: James Li <james.li@rackspace.com>
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+# not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+# a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+from designateclient import exceptions
+from designateclient.tests import base
+
+
+class RemoteErrorTestCase(base.TestCase):
+    response_dict = {
+        'message': None,
+        'code': 500,
+        'type': None,
+        'errors': None,
+        'request_id': 1234
+    }
+
+    def test_get_error_message(self):
+        expected_msg = 'something wrong'
+        self.response_dict['message'] = expected_msg
+        remote_err = exceptions.RemoteError(**self.response_dict)
+        self.assertEqual(expected_msg, remote_err.message)
+
+    def test_get_error_message_with_errors(self):
+        expected_msg = "u'nodot.com' is not a 'domainname'"
+        errors = {"errors": [
+            {"path": ["name"],
+             "message": expected_msg,
+             "validator": "format",
+             "validator_value": "domainname"}
+        ]
+        }
+        self.response_dict['message'] = None
+        self.response_dict['errors'] = errors
+        remote_err = exceptions.RemoteError(**self.response_dict)
+        self.assertEqual(expected_msg, remote_err.message)
+
+    def test_get_error_message_with_type(self):
+        expected_msg = 'invalid_object'
+        self.response_dict['message'] = None
+        self.response_dict['errors'] = None
+        self.response_dict['type'] = expected_msg
+        remote_err = exceptions.RemoteError(**self.response_dict)
+        self.assertEqual(expected_msg, remote_err.message)
diff --git a/designateclient/tests/v2/test_zones.py b/designateclient/tests/v2/test_zones.py
index f7ceac8..8f7ac9d 100644
--- a/designateclient/tests/v2/test_zones.py
+++ b/designateclient/tests/v2/test_zones.py
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ class TestZones(v2.APIV2TestCase, v2.CrudMixin):
     def test_task_axfr(self):
         ref = self.new_ref()
 
-        parts = [self.RESOURCE, ref["id"], "tasks", "axfr"]
+        parts = [self.RESOURCE, ref["id"], "tasks", "xfr"]
         self.stub_url("POST", parts=parts)
 
         self.client.zones.axfr(ref["id"])
diff --git a/designateclient/v2/zones.py b/designateclient/v2/zones.py
index e97df5b..a8ae74a 100644
--- a/designateclient/v2/zones.py
+++ b/designateclient/v2/zones.py
@@ -28,12 +28,13 @@ class ZoneController(client.Controller):
         }
 
         if type_ == "PRIMARY":
-            data["email"] = email
+            if email:
+                data["email"] = email
 
             if ttl is not None:
                 data["ttl"] = ttl
 
-        elif type_ == "SECONDARY":
+        elif type_ == "SECONDARY" and masters:
             data["masters"] = masters
 
         if description is not None:
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ class ZoneController(client.Controller):
     def axfr(self, zone):
         zone = v2_utils.resolve_by_name(self.list, zone)
 
-        url = '/zones/%s/tasks/axfr' % zone
+        url = '/zones/%s/tasks/xfr' % zone
 
         self.client.session.post(url)