diff --git a/internal/checker/http.go b/internal/checker/http.go
index 77448c5..efd94a9 100644
--- a/internal/checker/http.go
+++ b/internal/checker/http.go
@@ -3,8 +3,12 @@ package checker
 import (
 	"context"
 	"crypto/tls"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"net"
 	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/easymonitordev/probe-node/pkg/types"
@@ -67,7 +71,7 @@ func (h *HTTPChecker) Check(checkID int64, nodeID, url string, timeout time.Dura
 	result.ResponseTime = int(elapsed.Milliseconds())
 
 	if err != nil {
-		result.Error = err.Error()
+		result.Error = humanizeHTTPError(err, timeout)
 		return result
 	}
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
@@ -78,8 +82,93 @@ func (h *HTTPChecker) Check(checkID int64, nodeID, url string, timeout time.Dura
 	if resp.StatusCode >= 200 && resp.StatusCode < 400 {
 		result.OK = true
 	} else {
-		result.Error = fmt.Sprintf("HTTP status: %d %s", resp.StatusCode, resp.Status)
+		result.Error = fmt.Sprintf("HTTP %d %s", resp.StatusCode, http.StatusText(resp.StatusCode))
 	}
 
 	return result
+}
+
+// humanizeHTTPError turns a raw Go HTTP error into a short, readable message
+// suitable for display to end users. Falls back to the original error string
+// when no specific classification matches.
+func humanizeHTTPError(err error, timeout time.Duration) string {
+	// Context timeout (the per-check deadline elapsed).
+	if errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("Request timed out after %s", formatDuration(timeout))
+	}
+
+	// DNS resolution failures.
+	var dnsErr *net.DNSError
+	if errors.As(err, &dnsErr) {
+		if dnsErr.IsNotFound {
+			return fmt.Sprintf("DNS lookup failed: host %q not found", dnsErr.Name)
+		}
+		return fmt.Sprintf("DNS lookup failed for %q: %s", dnsErr.Name, dnsErr.Err)
+	}
+
+	// TLS handshake / certificate issues. The stdlib doesn't expose a single
+	// typed error for these, so fall back to substring matching which is
+	// stable across versions.
+	raw := err.Error()
+	if strings.Contains(raw, "tls: ") || strings.Contains(raw, "x509:") {
+		if strings.Contains(raw, "certificate has expired") {
+			return "TLS certificate has expired"
+		}
+		if strings.Contains(raw, "certificate is valid for") {
+			return "TLS certificate does not match hostname"
+		}
+		if strings.Contains(raw, "unknown authority") || strings.Contains(raw, "signed by unknown authority") {
+			return "TLS certificate signed by unknown authority"
+		}
+		if strings.Contains(raw, "handshake failure") {
+			return "TLS handshake failed"
+		}
+		return "TLS error: " + trimAfter(raw, ": ")
+	}
+
+	// Connection-level failures (refused, reset, unreachable).
+	var netOpErr *net.OpError
+	if errors.As(err, &netOpErr) {
+		switch {
+		case strings.Contains(netOpErr.Error(), "connection refused"):
+			return "Connection refused"
+		case strings.Contains(netOpErr.Error(), "connection reset"):
+			return "Connection reset by peer"
+		case strings.Contains(netOpErr.Error(), "no route to host"):
+			return "No route to host"
+		case strings.Contains(netOpErr.Error(), "network is unreachable"):
+			return "Network unreachable"
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Redirect loops (hit the 10-redirect ceiling).
+	if strings.Contains(raw, "stopped after 10 redirects") {
+		return "Too many redirects (>10)"
+	}
+
+	// url.Error wraps most net errors; unwrap one layer so the URL isn't
+	// repeated in the message (the monitor already shows its URL).
+	var urlErr *url.Error
+	if errors.As(err, &urlErr) && urlErr.Err != nil {
+		return urlErr.Err.Error()
+	}
+
+	return raw
+}
+
+// formatDuration renders a timeout like "30s" or "1m30s".
+func formatDuration(d time.Duration) string {
+	if d < time.Minute {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%ds", int(d.Seconds()))
+	}
+	return d.Truncate(time.Second).String()
+}
+
+// trimAfter returns s with everything up to and including the first occurrence
+// of sep removed. Falls back to s if sep isn't found.
+func trimAfter(s, sep string) string {
+	if i := strings.Index(s, sep); i >= 0 {
+		return strings.TrimSpace(s[i+len(sep):])
+	}
+	return s
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/internal/checker/http_test.go b/internal/checker/http_test.go
index e70271a..dd4c5cb 100644
--- a/internal/checker/http_test.go
+++ b/internal/checker/http_test.go
@@ -55,7 +55,26 @@ func TestHTTPChecker_Check_Timeout(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.False(t, result.OK)
 	assert.NotEmpty(t, result.Error)
-	assert.Contains(t, result.Error, "deadline exceeded")
+	assert.Contains(t, result.Error, "timed out")
+}
+
+func TestHumanizeHTTPError_DNSNotFound(t *testing.T) {
+	checker := NewHTTPChecker()
+	result := checker.Check(10, "test-node", "https://this-host-does-not-exist-easymonitor.invalid", 5*time.Second)
+
+	assert.False(t, result.OK)
+	assert.Contains(t, result.Error, "DNS lookup failed")
+}
+
+func TestHumanizeHTTPError_ConnectionRefused(t *testing.T) {
+	// 127.0.0.1 on a port nothing is listening on.
+	checker := NewHTTPChecker()
+	result := checker.Check(11, "test-node", "http://127.0.0.1:1", 2*time.Second)
+
+	assert.False(t, result.OK)
+	// Could be "Connection refused" on Linux, other messages on other OSes — be lenient.
+	assert.NotContains(t, result.Error, "context deadline")
+	assert.NotEmpty(t, result.Error)
 }
 
 func TestHTTPChecker_Check_InvalidURL(t *testing.T) {