diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/pear_better_error.yml b/changelogs/fragments/pear_better_error.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..15bb9390853
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/pear_better_error.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+    - more complete information when pear module has an error message
diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/language/pear.py b/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/language/pear.py
index 7333ee2c954..95538af6eb9 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/language/pear.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/packaging/language/pear.py
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 
 import os
 
+from ansible.module_utils._text import to_text
 from ansible.module_utils.basic import AnsibleModule
 
 
@@ -140,7 +141,7 @@ def remove_packages(module, packages):
         rc, stdout, stderr = module.run_command(cmd, check_rc=False)
 
         if rc != 0:
-            module.fail_json(msg="failed to remove %s" % (package))
+            module.fail_json(msg="failed to remove %s: %s" % (package, to_text(stdout + stderr)))
 
         remove_c += 1
 
@@ -171,7 +172,7 @@ def install_packages(module, state, packages):
         rc, stdout, stderr = module.run_command(cmd, check_rc=False)
 
         if rc != 0:
-            module.fail_json(msg="failed to install %s" % (package))
+            module.fail_json(msg="failed to install %s: %s" % (package, to_text(stdout + stderr)))
 
         install_c += 1