diff --git a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/ExecuteContext.java b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/ExecuteContext.java
index fce2b4e7a8..027196aa6f 100644
--- a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/ExecuteContext.java
+++ b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/ExecuteContext.java
@@ -292,6 +292,9 @@ public interface ExecuteContext extends Scope {
      * {@link DataAccessException}. To have jOOQ throw your own custom
      * {@link RuntimeException}, use {@link #exception(RuntimeException)}
      * instead. This may have no effect, if called at the wrong moment.
+     * <p>
+     * If <code>null</code> is being passed, jOOQ will internally translate the
+     * "unavailable" exception to an unspecified {@link DataAccessException}.
      */
     void sqlException(SQLException e);
 
diff --git a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/Tools.java b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/Tools.java
index f064ada05b..d087bfe66e 100644
--- a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/Tools.java
+++ b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/Tools.java
@@ -2425,8 +2425,10 @@ final class Tools {
      * Translate a {@link SQLException} to a {@link DataAccessException}
      */
     static final DataAccessException translate(String sql, SQLException e) {
-        String message = "SQL [" + sql + "]; " + e.getMessage();
-        return new DataAccessException(message, e);
+        if (e != null)
+            return new DataAccessException("SQL [" + sql + "]; " + e.getMessage(), e);
+        else
+            return new DataAccessException("SQL [" + sql + "]; Unspecified SQLException");
     }
 
     /**