diff --git a/runtime/Java/src/org/antlr/v4/runtime/FailedPredicateException.java b/runtime/Java/src/org/antlr/v4/runtime/FailedPredicateException.java
index 0c577dc7d..6a8d4f9eb 100644
--- a/runtime/Java/src/org/antlr/v4/runtime/FailedPredicateException.java
+++ b/runtime/Java/src/org/antlr/v4/runtime/FailedPredicateException.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import org.antlr.v4.runtime.misc.Nullable;
 public class FailedPredicateException extends RecognitionException {
 	public int ruleIndex;
 	public int predIndex;
+	public String predicate;
 	public String msg;
 
 	public FailedPredicateException(Parser recognizer) {
@@ -52,8 +53,25 @@ public class FailedPredicateException extends RecognitionException {
 		PredicateTransition trans = (PredicateTransition)s.transition(0);
 		ruleIndex = trans.ruleIndex;
 		predIndex = trans.predIndex;
+		this.predicate = predicate;
 		this.msg = String.format("failed predicate: {%s}?", predicate);
 		Token la = recognizer.getCurrentToken();
 		this.offendingToken = la;
 	}
+
+	public FailedPredicateException(Parser recognizer,
+									@Nullable String predicate,
+									@Nullable String msg)
+	{
+		super(recognizer, recognizer.getInputStream(), recognizer._ctx);
+		ATNState s = recognizer.getInterpreter().atn.states.get(recognizer._ctx.s);
+		PredicateTransition trans = (PredicateTransition)s.transition(0);
+		ruleIndex = trans.ruleIndex;
+		predIndex = trans.predIndex;
+		this.predicate = predicate;
+		this.msg = msg;
+		Token la = recognizer.getCurrentToken();
+		this.offendingToken = la;
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/tool/resources/org/antlr/v4/tool/templates/codegen/Java/Java.stg b/tool/resources/org/antlr/v4/tool/templates/codegen/Java/Java.stg
index e4deb05f8..1d105d4de 100644
--- a/tool/resources/org/antlr/v4/tool/templates/codegen/Java/Java.stg
+++ b/tool/resources/org/antlr/v4/tool/templates/codegen/Java/Java.stg
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ ArgAction(a, chunks) ::= "<chunks>"
 
 SemPred(p, chunks, failChunks) ::= <<
 setState(<p.stateNumber>);
-if (!(<chunks>)) throw new FailedPredicateException(this, <if(p.msg)><p.msg><else><failChunks><endif>);
+if (!(<chunks>)) throw new FailedPredicateException(this, <p.predicate><if(failChunks)>, <failChunks><elseif(p.msg)>, <p.msg><endif>);
 >>
 
 ExceptionClause(e, catchArg, catchAction) ::= <<
diff --git a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/codegen/model/SemPred.java b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/codegen/model/SemPred.java
index c3ebe96e7..979becf34 100644
--- a/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/codegen/model/SemPred.java
+++ b/tool/src/org/antlr/v4/codegen/model/SemPred.java
@@ -35,28 +35,28 @@ import org.antlr.v4.codegen.OutputModelFactory;
 import org.antlr.v4.codegen.model.chunk.ActionChunk;
 import org.antlr.v4.tool.ast.ActionAST;
 import org.antlr.v4.tool.ast.GrammarAST;
-import org.antlr.v4.tool.ast.PredAST;
 
 import java.util.List;
 
 /** */
 public class SemPred extends Action {
-	public String msg; // user-specified in grammar option
+	public String msg;       // user-specified string in fail grammar option
+	public String predicate; // the predicate string with { }? stripped
 
+	/** user-specified action in fail grammar option */
 	@ModelElement public List<ActionChunk> failChunks;
 
 	public SemPred(OutputModelFactory factory, ActionAST ast) {
 		super(factory,ast);
-		GrammarAST failNode = ((PredAST)ast).getOptionAST("fail");
+		GrammarAST failNode = ast.getOptionAST("fail");
 		CodeGenerator gen = factory.getGenerator();
-		if ( failNode==null ) {
-			msg = ast.getText();
-			if (msg.startsWith("{") && msg.endsWith("}?")) {
-				msg = msg.substring(1, msg.length() - 2);
-			}
-			msg = gen.target.getTargetStringLiteralFromString(msg);
-			return;
+		predicate = ast.getText();
+		if (predicate.startsWith("{") && predicate.endsWith("}?")) {
+			predicate = predicate.substring(1, predicate.length() - 2);
 		}
+		predicate = gen.target.getTargetStringLiteralFromString(predicate);
+
+		if ( failNode==null ) return;
 
 		if ( failNode instanceof ActionAST ) {
 			ActionAST failActionNode = (ActionAST)failNode;