diff --git a/monasca_common/tests/validation/test_metric_validation.py b/monasca_common/tests/validation/test_metric_validation.py
index 81e0976e..e5bfbd61 100644
--- a/monasca_common/tests/validation/test_metric_validation.py
+++ b/monasca_common/tests/validation/test_metric_validation.py
@@ -281,6 +281,21 @@ class TestMetricValidation(base.BaseTestCase):
                 value,
                 metric_validator.validate, metric)
 
+    def test_invalid_value_includes_metric(self):
+        """When it fails, does it include the metric name in the ex?"""
+        metric = {"name": "test_metric_name",
+                  "dimensions": {"key1": "value1",
+                                 "key2": "value2"},
+                  "timestamp": 1405630174123,
+                  "value": None}
+
+        for value in ('nan', 'inf', '-inf'):
+            metric['value'] = float(value)
+            self.assertRaisesRegex(
+                metric_validator.InvalidValue,
+                "for metric test_metric_name",
+                metric_validator.validate, metric)
+
     def test_valid_name_chars(self):
         for c in valid_name_chars:
             metric = {"name": 'test{}counter'.format(c),
@@ -335,7 +350,7 @@ class TestMetricValidation(base.BaseTestCase):
 
     def test_invalid_too_many_value_meta(self):
         value_meta = {}
-        for i in six.moves.range(0, 17):
+        for i in six.moves.range(0, metric_validator.VALUE_META_MAX_NUMBER + 3):
             value_meta['key{}'.format(i)] = 'value{}'.format(i)
         metric = {"name": "test_metric_name",
                   "dimensions": {"key1": "value1",
@@ -393,8 +408,9 @@ class TestMetricValidation(base.BaseTestCase):
                   "value": 5}
         self.assertRaisesRegex(
             metric_validator.InvalidValueMeta,
-            "Unable to serialize valueMeta into JSON",
+            "value combinations must be",
             metric_validator.validate, metric)
+        # TODO: what would make ujson.dumps fail?
 
     def test_invalid_timestamp(self):
         metric = {'name': 'test_metric_name',
diff --git a/monasca_common/validation/metrics.py b/monasca_common/validation/metrics.py
index 816f9121..e75bc9b4 100644
--- a/monasca_common/validation/metrics.py
+++ b/monasca_common/validation/metrics.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import math
 import re
 
 import six
+import sys
 import ujson
 
 # This is used to ensure that metrics with a timestamp older than
@@ -77,12 +78,17 @@ def validate(metrics):
 
 def validate_metric(metric):
     validate_name(metric['name'])
-    validate_value(metric['value'])
-    validate_timestamp(metric['timestamp'])
-    if "dimensions" in metric:
-        validate_dimensions(metric['dimensions'])
-    if "value_meta" in metric:
-        validate_value_meta(metric['value_meta'])
+    try:
+        validate_value(metric['value'])
+        validate_timestamp(metric['timestamp'])
+        if "dimensions" in metric:
+            validate_dimensions(metric['dimensions'])
+        if "value_meta" in metric:
+            validate_value_meta(metric['value_meta'])
+    except Exception as ex:
+        six.reraise(type(ex),
+                    type(ex)(str(ex) + ": for metric %s" % metric['name']),
+                    sys.exc_info()[2])
 
 
 def validate_value_meta(value_meta):
@@ -103,13 +109,13 @@ def validate_value_meta(value_meta):
 
     try:
         value_meta_json = ujson.dumps(value_meta)
-        if len(value_meta_json) > VALUE_META_VALUE_MAX_LENGTH:
-            msg = "valueMeta name value combinations must be {0} characters " \
-                  "or less: valueMeta {1}".format(VALUE_META_VALUE_MAX_LENGTH,
-                                                  value_meta)
-            raise InvalidValueMeta(msg)
     except Exception:
         raise InvalidValueMeta("Unable to serialize valueMeta into JSON")
+    if len(value_meta_json) > VALUE_META_VALUE_MAX_LENGTH:
+        msg = "valueMeta name value combinations must be {0} characters " \
+              "or less: valueMeta {1}".format(VALUE_META_VALUE_MAX_LENGTH,
+                                              value_meta)
+        raise InvalidValueMeta(msg)
 
 
 def validate_dimension_key(k):