diff --git a/daemon/mgmt/strategy-choice-manager.cpp b/daemon/mgmt/strategy-choice-manager.cpp
index 16ebb0d..9732bd2 100644
--- a/daemon/mgmt/strategy-choice-manager.cpp
+++ b/daemon/mgmt/strategy-choice-manager.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /**
- * Copyright (c) 2014-2016,  Regents of the University of California,
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2017,  Regents of the University of California,
  *                           Arizona Board of Regents,
  *                           Colorado State University,
  *                           University Pierre & Marie Curie, Sorbonne University,
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include "strategy-choice-manager.hpp"
 #include "table/strategy-choice.hpp"
 #include <ndn-cxx/mgmt/nfd/strategy-choice.hpp>
+#include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
 
 namespace nfd {
 
@@ -53,10 +54,10 @@
   const Name& prefix = parameters.getName();
   const Name& strategy = parameters.getStrategy();
 
-  if (!m_table.insert(prefix, strategy)) {
-    NFD_LOG_DEBUG("strategy-choice/set(" << prefix << "," << strategy << "): cannot-create");
-    return done(ControlResponse(404, "Unknown strategy or invalid parameters"));
-    ///\todo #3868 pass along the error message from Strategy subclass constructor
+  StrategyChoice::InsertResult res = m_table.insert(prefix, strategy);
+  if (!res) {
+    NFD_LOG_DEBUG("strategy-choice/set(" << prefix << "," << strategy << "): cannot-create " << res);
+    return done(ControlResponse(404, boost::lexical_cast<std::string>(res)));
   }
 
   NFD_LOG_DEBUG("strategy-choice/set(" << prefix << "," << strategy << "): OK");
diff --git a/daemon/table/strategy-choice.cpp b/daemon/table/strategy-choice.cpp
index 7e2f5bf..77f0bf5 100644
--- a/daemon/table/strategy-choice.cpp
+++ b/daemon/table/strategy-choice.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /**
- * Copyright (c) 2014-2016,  Regents of the University of California,
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2017,  Regents of the University of California,
  *                           Arizona Board of Regents,
  *                           Colorado State University,
  *                           University Pierre & Marie Curie, Sorbonne University,
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
   ++m_nItems;
 }
 
-bool
+StrategyChoice::InsertResult
 StrategyChoice::insert(const Name& prefix, const Name& strategyName)
 {
   unique_ptr<Strategy> strategy;
@@ -75,12 +75,12 @@
   }
   catch (const std::invalid_argument& e) {
     NFD_LOG_ERROR("insert(" << prefix << "," << strategyName << ") cannot create strategy: " << e.what());
-    return false;
+    return InsertResult(InsertResult::EXCEPTION, e.what());
   }
 
   if (strategy == nullptr) {
     NFD_LOG_ERROR("insert(" << prefix << "," << strategyName << ") strategy not registered");
-    return false;
+    return InsertResult::NOT_REGISTERED;
   }
 
   name_tree::Entry& nte = m_nameTree.lookup(prefix);
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
   if (entry != nullptr) {
     if (entry->getStrategyInstanceName() == strategy->getInstanceName()) {
       NFD_LOG_TRACE("insert(" << prefix << ") not changing " << strategy->getInstanceName());
-      return true;
+      return InsertResult::OK;
     }
     oldStrategy = &entry->getStrategy();
     NFD_LOG_TRACE("insert(" << prefix << ") changing from " << oldStrategy->getInstanceName() <<
@@ -106,7 +106,27 @@
 
   this->changeStrategy(*entry, *oldStrategy, *strategy);
   entry->setStrategy(std::move(strategy));
-  return true;
+  return InsertResult::OK;
+}
+
+StrategyChoice::InsertResult::InsertResult(Status status, const std::string& exceptionMessage)
+  : m_status(status)
+  , m_exceptionMessage(exceptionMessage)
+{
+}
+
+std::ostream&
+operator<<(std::ostream& os, const StrategyChoice::InsertResult& res)
+{
+  switch (res.m_status) {
+    case StrategyChoice::InsertResult::OK:
+      return os << "OK";
+    case StrategyChoice::InsertResult::NOT_REGISTERED:
+      return os << "Strategy not registered";
+    case StrategyChoice::InsertResult::EXCEPTION:
+      return os << "Error instantiating strategy: " << res.m_exceptionMessage;
+  }
+  return os;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/daemon/table/strategy-choice.hpp b/daemon/table/strategy-choice.hpp
index e007acf..4e59716 100644
--- a/daemon/table/strategy-choice.hpp
+++ b/daemon/table/strategy-choice.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /**
- * Copyright (c) 2014-2016,  Regents of the University of California,
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-2017,  Regents of the University of California,
  *                           Arizona Board of Regents,
  *                           Colorado State University,
  *                           University Pierre & Marie Curie, Sorbonne University,
@@ -68,17 +68,46 @@
   setDefaultStrategy(const Name& strategyName);
 
 public: // Strategy Choice table
-  /** \brief set strategy of prefix to be strategyName
-   *  \param prefix the name prefix for which \p strategyName should be used
-   *  \param strategyName the strategy to be used
-   *  \return true on success
-   *
-   *  This method set a strategy onto a Name prefix.
-   *  The strategy must have been installed.
-   *  The strategyName can either be exact (contains version component),
-   *  or omit the version component to pick the latest version.
+  class InsertResult
+  {
+  public:
+    explicit
+    operator bool() const
+    {
+      return m_status == OK;
+    }
+
+    bool
+    isRegistered() const
+    {
+      return m_status != NOT_REGISTERED;
+    }
+
+  private:
+    enum Status {
+      OK,
+      NOT_REGISTERED,
+      EXCEPTION
+    };
+
+    // implicitly constructible from Status
+    InsertResult(Status status, const std::string& exceptionMessage = "");
+
+  private:
+    Status m_status;
+    std::string m_exceptionMessage;
+
+    friend class StrategyChoice;
+    friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream&, const InsertResult&);
+  };
+
+  /** \brief set strategy of \p prefix to be \p strategyName
+   *  \param prefix the name prefix to change strategy
+   *  \param strategyName strategy instance name, may contain version and parameters;
+   *                      strategy must have been registered
+   *  \return convertible to true on success; convertible to false on failure
    */
-  bool
+  InsertResult
   insert(const Name& prefix, const Name& strategyName);
 
   /** \brief make prefix to inherit strategy from its parent
@@ -159,6 +188,9 @@
   size_t m_nItems;
 };
 
+std::ostream&
+operator<<(std::ostream& os, const StrategyChoice::InsertResult& res);
+
 } // namespace strategy_choice
 
 using strategy_choice::StrategyChoice;