diff --git a/transport/transport.go b/transport/transport.go
index c41436e1..84a3269a 100644
--- a/transport/transport.go
+++ b/transport/transport.go
@@ -566,8 +566,12 @@ const (
 	percentByte = '%'
 )
 
-// grpcMessageEncode encodes the grpc-message field in the same
-// manner as https://github.com/grpc/grpc-java/pull/1517.
+// grpcMessageEncode is used to encode status code in header field
+// "grpc-message".
+// It checks to see if each individual byte in msg is an
+// allowable byte, and then either percent encoding or passing it through.
+// When percent encoding, the byte is converted into hexadecimal notation
+// with a '%' prepended.
 func grpcMessageEncode(msg string) string {
 	if msg == "" {
 		return ""
@@ -596,8 +600,7 @@ func grpcMessageEncodeUnchecked(msg string) string {
 	return buf.String()
 }
 
-// grpcMessageDecode decodes the grpc-message field in the same
-// manner as https://github.com/grpc/grpc-java/pull/1517.
+// grpcMessageDecode decodes the msg encoded by grpcMessageEncode.
 func grpcMessageDecode(msg string) string {
 	if msg == "" {
 		return ""
diff --git a/transport/transport_test.go b/transport/transport_test.go
index 6dd01d85..6e38fe17 100644
--- a/transport/transport_test.go
+++ b/transport/transport_test.go
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ func TestEncodingRequiredStatus(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to write the request: %v", err)
 	}
 	if _, err = ioutil.ReadAll(s); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
+		t.Fatalf("Read got err %v, want <nil>", err)
 	}
 	ct.Close()
 	server.stop()
@@ -785,13 +785,13 @@ func TestGrpcMessageDecode(t *testing.T) {
 func testGrpcMessageEncode(t *testing.T, input string, expected string) {
 	actual := grpcMessageEncode(input)
 	if expected != actual {
-		t.Errorf("Expected %s from grpcMessageEncode, got %s", expected, actual)
+		t.Errorf("grpcMessageEncode(%v) = %v, want %v", input, actual, expected)
 	}
 }
 
 func testGrpcMessageDecode(t *testing.T, input string, expected string) {
 	actual := grpcMessageDecode(input)
 	if expected != actual {
-		t.Errorf("Expected %s from grpcMessageDecode, got %s", expected, actual)
+		t.Errorf("grpcMessageDncode(%v) = %v, want %v", input, actual, expected)
 	}
 }