diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Checker.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Checker.java
index 79ccf235f..ab667c992 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Checker.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Checker.java
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ public class Checker extends AutomaticBean
             // TODO i18n
             throw new CheckstyleException(
                     "cannot initialize module "
-                    + name + " - " + ex.getMessage());
+                    + name + " - " + ex.getMessage(), ex);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConfigurationLoader.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConfigurationLoader.java
index bc6eae7b2..cf6672464 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConfigurationLoader.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConfigurationLoader.java
@@ -160,17 +160,19 @@ class ConfigurationLoader
             return loader.getConfiguration();
         }
         catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
-            throw new CheckstyleException("unable to find " + aConfigFname);
+            throw new CheckstyleException(
+                "unable to find " + aConfigFname, e);
         }
         catch (ParserConfigurationException e) {
-            throw new CheckstyleException("unable to parse " + aConfigFname);
+            throw new CheckstyleException(
+                "unable to parse " + aConfigFname, e);
         }
         catch (SAXException e) {
             throw new CheckstyleException("unable to parse "
-                    + aConfigFname + " - " + e.getMessage());
+                    + aConfigFname + " - " + e.getMessage(), e);
         }
         catch (IOException e) {
-            throw new CheckstyleException("unable to read " + aConfigFname);
+            throw new CheckstyleException("unable to read " + aConfigFname, e);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/PackageNamesLoader.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/PackageNamesLoader.java
index 35a7a2cc7..22d8cdaa9 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/PackageNamesLoader.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/PackageNamesLoader.java
@@ -163,7 +163,8 @@ public class PackageNamesLoader
             reader = new FileReader(aFilename);
         }
         catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
-            throw new CheckstyleException("unable to find " + aFilename);
+            throw new CheckstyleException(
+                "unable to find " + aFilename, e);
         }
         final InputSource source = new InputSource(reader);
         return loadModuleFactory(source, aFilename);
@@ -186,17 +187,17 @@ public class PackageNamesLoader
             return nameLoader.getModuleFactory();
         }
         catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
-            throw new CheckstyleException("unable to find " + aSourceName);
+            throw new CheckstyleException("unable to find " + aSourceName, e);
         }
         catch (ParserConfigurationException e) {
-            throw new CheckstyleException("unable to parse " + aSourceName);
+            throw new CheckstyleException("unable to parse " + aSourceName, e);
         }
         catch (SAXException e) {
             throw new CheckstyleException("unable to parse "
-                    + aSourceName + " - " + e.getMessage());
+                    + aSourceName + " - " + e.getMessage(), e);
         }
         catch (IOException e) {
-            throw new CheckstyleException("unable to read " + aSourceName);
+            throw new CheckstyleException("unable to read " + aSourceName, e);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/PackageObjectFactory.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/PackageObjectFactory.java
index 1e45a750b..272545e24 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/PackageObjectFactory.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/PackageObjectFactory.java
@@ -116,15 +116,15 @@ class PackageObjectFactory implements ModuleFactory
         }
         catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
             throw new CheckstyleException(
-                "Unable to find class for " + aClassName);
+                "Unable to find class for " + aClassName, e);
         }
         catch (InstantiationException e) {
             throw new CheckstyleException(
-                "Unable to instantiate " + aClassName);
+                "Unable to instantiate " + aClassName, e);
         }
         catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
             throw new CheckstyleException(
-                "Unable to instantiate " + aClassName);
+                "Unable to instantiate " + aClassName, e);
         }
     }
 
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ class PackageObjectFactory implements ModuleFactory
             }
             catch (CheckstyleException ex2) {
                 throw new CheckstyleException(
-                    "Unable to instantiate " + aName);
+                    "Unable to instantiate " + aName, ex2);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/TreeWalker.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/TreeWalker.java
index c8868fb96..9a4c93daa 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/TreeWalker.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/TreeWalker.java
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ public final class TreeWalker
                 }
                 catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
                     throw new CheckstyleException("illegal token \""
-                        + token + "\" in check " + aCheck);
+                        + token + "\" in check " + aCheck, ex);
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/AutomaticBean.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/AutomaticBean.java
index 4ca638b7e..020f4e074 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/AutomaticBean.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/AutomaticBean.java
@@ -170,27 +170,27 @@ public class AutomaticBean implements Configurable, Contextualizable
                 throw new CheckstyleException(
                     "Cannot set property '" + key + "' in module "
                     + aConfiguration.getName() + " to '" + value
-                    + "': " + e.getTargetException().getMessage());
+                    + "': " + e.getTargetException().getMessage(), e);
             }
             catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
                 throw new CheckstyleException(
                     "cannot access " + key + " in "
-                    + this.getClass().getName());
+                    + this.getClass().getName(), e);
             }
             catch (NoSuchMethodException e) {
                 throw new CheckstyleException(
                     "cannot access " + key + " in "
-                    + this.getClass().getName());
+                    + this.getClass().getName(), e);
             }
             catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
                 throw new CheckstyleException(
                     "illegal value '" + value + "' for property '" + key
-                    + "' of module " + aConfiguration.getName());
+                    + "' of module " + aConfiguration.getName(), e);
             }
             catch (ConversionException e) {
                 throw new CheckstyleException(
                     "illegal value '" + value + "' for property '" + key
-                    + "' of module " + aConfiguration.getName());
+                    + "' of module " + aConfiguration.getName(), e);
             }
 
         }
@@ -226,22 +226,22 @@ public class AutomaticBean implements Configurable, Contextualizable
                 // + " is not interested in " + value)
                 throw new CheckstyleException("cannot set property "
                     + key + " to value " + value + " in bean "
-                    + this.getClass().getName());
+                    + this.getClass().getName(), e);
             }
             catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
                 throw new CheckstyleException(
                     "cannot access " + key + " in "
-                    + this.getClass().getName());
+                    + this.getClass().getName(), e);
             }
             catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
                 throw new CheckstyleException(
                     "illegal value '" + value + "' for property '" + key
-                    + "' of bean " + this.getClass().getName());
+                    + "' of bean " + this.getClass().getName(), e);
             }
             catch (ConversionException e) {
                 throw new CheckstyleException(
                     "illegal value '" + value + "' for property '" + key
-                    + "' of bean " + this.getClass().getName());
+                    + "' of bean " + this.getClass().getName(), e);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/CheckstyleException.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/CheckstyleException.java
index d4dccb15b..956e0c2fc 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/CheckstyleException.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/CheckstyleException.java
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ package com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api;
  */
 public class CheckstyleException extends Exception
 {
+    /** the cause of this exception */
+    private Throwable mCause = null;
+
     /**
      * Creates a new <code>CheckstyleException</code> instance.
      *
@@ -35,4 +38,48 @@ public class CheckstyleException extends Exception
     {
         super(aMessage);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Creates a new <code>CheckstyleException</code> instance
+     * that was caused by another exception.
+     *
+     * @param aMessage a message that explains this exception
+     * @param aCause the Exception that is wrapped by this exception
+     */
+    public CheckstyleException(String aMessage, Throwable aCause)
+    {
+        super(aMessage);
+        initCause(aCause);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Initializes the cause of this exception.
+     * In JDK 1.4 (and later) the cause is printed as part of
+     * the exception stacktrace.
+     *
+     * @param aCause the exception that caused this
+     * CheckstyleException to be thrown
+     * @return a reference to this CheckstyleException instance
+     */
+    public synchronized Throwable initCause(Throwable aCause)
+    {
+        if (mCause != null) {
+            throw new IllegalStateException();
+        }
+        if (mCause == this) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException();
+        }
+
+        mCause = aCause;
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return the cause of this exception, might be <code>null</code>.
+     */
+    public Throwable getCause()
+    {
+        return mCause;
+    }
+
 }