diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ed9936bc..354b4c3b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+### 5.6.1 (unreleased)
+- [PR #694](https://github.com/rqlite/rqlite/pull/694): Display, in the CLI, the HTTP response body on HTTP status 503.
+
 ## 5.6.0 (November 17th 2020)
 
 ### New features
diff --git a/cmd/rqlite/execute.go b/cmd/rqlite/execute.go
index 55ee1cd1..522239c4 100644
--- a/cmd/rqlite/execute.go
+++ b/cmd/rqlite/execute.go
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func executeWithClient(ctx *cli.Context, client *http.Client, argv *argT, timer
 		}
 
 		if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-			return fmt.Errorf("server responded with: %s", resp.Status)
+			return fmt.Errorf("server responded with %s: %s", resp.Status, response)
 		}
 
 		// Parse response and write results
diff --git a/cmd/rqlite/query.go b/cmd/rqlite/query.go
index c8d52479..0529c47a 100644
--- a/cmd/rqlite/query.go
+++ b/cmd/rqlite/query.go
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ func queryWithClient(ctx *cli.Context, client *http.Client, argv *argT, timer bo
 		}
 
 		if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-			return fmt.Errorf("server responded with: %s", resp.Status)
+			return fmt.Errorf("server responded with %s: %s", resp.Status, response)
 		}
 
 		// Parse response and write results