diff --git a/picker_wrapper.go b/picker_wrapper.go
index e8367cb8993..d4e4c296854 100644
--- a/picker_wrapper.go
+++ b/picker_wrapper.go
@@ -105,15 +105,8 @@ func (pw *pickerWrapper) pick(ctx context.Context, failfast bool, info balancer.
 				var errStr string
 				if lastPickErr != nil {
 					errStr = "latest balancer error: " + lastPickErr.Error()
-				} else {
-					errStr = ctx.Err().Error()
-				}
-				switch ctx.Err() {
-				case context.DeadlineExceeded:
-					return nil, nil, status.Error(codes.DeadlineExceeded, errStr)
-				case context.Canceled:
-					return nil, nil, status.Error(codes.Canceled, errStr)
 				}
+				return nil, nil, status.FromContextError(ctx.Err(), errStr).Err()
 			case <-ch:
 			}
 			continue
diff --git a/status/status.go b/status/status.go
index 7a0e324f745..be49c87ee9a 100644
--- a/status/status.go
+++ b/status/status.go
@@ -121,17 +121,23 @@ func Code(err error) codes.Code {
 // FromContextError converts a context error or wrapped context error into a
 // Status.  It returns a Status with codes.OK if err is nil, or a Status with
 // codes.Unknown if err is non-nil and not a context error.
-func FromContextError(err error) *Status {
+//
+// If msg != "" and err != nil, msg is used as the Status' message. If msg == "",
+// err.Error() is used.
+func FromContextError(err error, msg string) *Status {
 	if err == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
+	if msg == "" {
+		msg = err.Error()
+	}
 	if errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
-		return New(codes.DeadlineExceeded, err.Error())
+		return New(codes.DeadlineExceeded, msg)
 	}
 	if errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
-		return New(codes.Canceled, err.Error())
+		return New(codes.Canceled, msg)
 	}
-	return New(codes.Unknown, err.Error())
+	return New(codes.Unknown, msg)
 }
 
 // MustFromContextError is like FromContextError, except that it expects err to
@@ -140,5 +146,5 @@ func MustFromContextError(err error) error {
 	if err == nil {
 		return status.New(codes.Internal, "Expected non-nil context error").Err()
 	}
-	return FromContextError(err).Err()
+	return FromContextError(err, "").Err()
 }
diff --git a/status/status_test.go b/status/status_test.go
index 420fb6b8102..91114774d86 100644
--- a/status/status_test.go
+++ b/status/status_test.go
@@ -358,17 +358,20 @@ func mustMarshalAny(msg proto.Message) *apb.Any {
 func (s) TestFromContextError(t *testing.T) {
 	testCases := []struct {
 		in   error
+		msg  string
 		want *Status
 	}{
 		{in: nil, want: New(codes.OK, "")},
+		{in: nil, msg: "ignored", want: New(codes.OK, "")},
 		{in: context.DeadlineExceeded, want: New(codes.DeadlineExceeded, context.DeadlineExceeded.Error())},
 		{in: context.Canceled, want: New(codes.Canceled, context.Canceled.Error())},
 		{in: errors.New("other"), want: New(codes.Unknown, "other")},
+		{in: errors.New("other"), msg: "my msg", want: New(codes.Unknown, "my msg")},
 		{in: fmt.Errorf("wrapped: %w", context.DeadlineExceeded), want: New(codes.DeadlineExceeded, "wrapped: "+context.DeadlineExceeded.Error())},
 		{in: fmt.Errorf("wrapped: %w", context.Canceled), want: New(codes.Canceled, "wrapped: "+context.Canceled.Error())},
 	}
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
-		got := FromContextError(tc.in)
+		got := FromContextError(tc.in, tc.msg)
 		if got.Code() != tc.want.Code() || got.Message() != tc.want.Message() {
 			t.Errorf("FromContextError(%v) = %v; want %v", tc.in, got, tc.want)
 		}