diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/files/copy.py b/lib/ansible/modules/files/copy.py
index 8d4789fc955..765eda5a787 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/files/copy.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/files/copy.py
@@ -232,9 +232,11 @@ def main():
     remote_src = module.params['remote_src']
 
     if not os.path.exists(src):
-        module.fail_json(msg="Source %s failed to transfer" % (src))
+        module.fail_json(msg="Source %s not found" % (src))
     if not os.access(src, os.R_OK):
         module.fail_json(msg="Source %s not readable" % (src))
+    if os.path.isdir(src):
+        module.fail_json(msg="Remote copy does not support recurisive copy of direcory: %s" % (src))
 
     checksum_src = module.sha1(src)
     checksum_dest = None
@@ -316,7 +318,7 @@ def main():
             else:
                 module.atomic_move(src, dest)
         except IOError:
-            module.fail_json(msg="failed to copy: %s to %s" % (src, dest))
+            module.fail_json(msg="failed to copy: %s to %s" % (src, dest), traceback=traceback.format_exc())
         changed = True
     else:
         changed = False