diff --git a/atproto/identity/base_directory.go b/atproto/identity/base_directory.go
index 308d19b64..18d07e0ca 100644
--- a/atproto/identity/base_directory.go
+++ b/atproto/identity/base_directory.go
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@ func (d *BaseDirectory) LookupHandle(ctx context.Context, h syntax.Handle) (*Ide
 	ident := ParseIdentity(doc)
 	declared, err := ident.DeclaredHandle()
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not verify handle/DID match: %w", err)
 	}
 	if declared != h {
-		return nil, ErrHandleMismatch
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %s != %s", ErrHandleMismatch, declared, h)
 	}
 	ident.Handle = declared
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func (d *BaseDirectory) LookupDID(ctx context.Context, did syntax.DID) (*Identit
 	if errors.Is(err, ErrHandleNotDeclared) {
 		ident.Handle = syntax.HandleInvalid
 	} else if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not parse handle from DID document: %w", err)
 	} else {
 		// if a handle was declared, resolve it
 		resolvedDID, err := d.ResolveHandle(ctx, declared)
@@ -99,5 +99,6 @@ func (d *BaseDirectory) Lookup(ctx context.Context, a syntax.AtIdentifier) (*Ide
 }
 
 func (d *BaseDirectory) Purge(ctx context.Context, a syntax.AtIdentifier) error {
+	// BaseDirectory itself does not implement caching
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/atproto/identity/cache_directory.go b/atproto/identity/cache_directory.go
index 2df1ac5c5..95c5629cb 100644
--- a/atproto/identity/cache_directory.go
+++ b/atproto/identity/cache_directory.go
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func (d *CacheDirectory) updateHandle(ctx context.Context, h syntax.Handle) Hand
 
 func (d *CacheDirectory) ResolveHandle(ctx context.Context, h syntax.Handle) (syntax.DID, error) {
 	if h.IsInvalidHandle() {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("invalid handle")
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("can not resolve handle: %w", ErrInvalidHandle)
 	}
 	entry, ok := d.handleCache.Get(h)
 	if ok && !d.IsHandleStale(&entry) {
@@ -230,10 +230,10 @@ func (d *CacheDirectory) LookupHandleWithCacheState(ctx context.Context, h synta
 
 	declared, err := ident.DeclaredHandle()
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, hit, err
+		return nil, hit, fmt.Errorf("could not verify handle/DID mapping: %w", err)
 	}
 	if declared != h {
-		return nil, hit, ErrHandleMismatch
+		return nil, hit, fmt.Errorf("%w: %s != %s", ErrHandleMismatch, declared, h)
 	}
 	return ident, hit, nil
 }
diff --git a/atproto/identity/directory.go b/atproto/identity/directory.go
index b0d2b2f10..684785814 100644
--- a/atproto/identity/directory.go
+++ b/atproto/identity/directory.go
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ var ErrDIDResolutionFailed = errors.New("DID resolution failed")
 // Indicates that DID document did not include a public key with the specified ID
 var ErrKeyNotDeclared = errors.New("DID document did not declare a relevant public key")
 
+// Handle was invalid, in a situation where a valid handle is required.
+var ErrInvalidHandle = errors.New("Invalid Handle")
+
 var DefaultPLCURL = "https://plc.directory"
 
 // Returns a reasonable Directory implementation for applications
diff --git a/atproto/identity/handle.go b/atproto/identity/handle.go
index 0b555fa13..72ac70969 100644
--- a/atproto/identity/handle.go
+++ b/atproto/identity/handle.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func (d *BaseDirectory) ResolveHandleDNS(ctx context.Context, handle syntax.Hand
 	var dnsErr *net.DNSError
 	if errors.As(err, &dnsErr) {
 		if dnsErr.IsNotFound {
-			return "", ErrHandleNotFound
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", ErrHandleNotFound, handle)
 		}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ func (d *BaseDirectory) ResolveHandleWellKnown(ctx context.Context, handle synta
 		var dnsErr *net.DNSError
 		if errors.As(err, &dnsErr) {
 			if dnsErr.IsNotFound {
-				return "", fmt.Errorf("%w: DNS NXDOMAIN for %s", ErrHandleNotFound, handle)
+				return "", fmt.Errorf("%w: DNS NXDOMAIN for HTTP well-known resolution of %s", ErrHandleNotFound, handle)
 			}
 		}
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("%w: HTTP well-known request error: %w", ErrHandleResolutionFailed, err)
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ func (d *BaseDirectory) ResolveHandleWellKnown(ctx context.Context, handle synta
 	line := strings.TrimSpace(string(b))
 	outDid, err := syntax.ParseDID(line)
 	if err != nil {
-		return outDid, fmt.Errorf("bad well-known for %s: %w", handle, err)
+		return outDid, fmt.Errorf("%w: invalid DID in HTTP well-known for %s", ErrHandleResolutionFailed, handle)
 	}
 	return outDid, err
 }
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ func (d *BaseDirectory) ResolveHandle(ctx context.Context, handle syntax.Handle)
 	var did syntax.DID
 
 	if handle.IsInvalidHandle() {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("invalid handle")
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("can not resolve handle: %w", ErrInvalidHandle)
 	}
 
 	if !handle.AllowedTLD() {
diff --git a/atproto/identity/redisdir/redis_directory.go b/atproto/identity/redisdir/redis_directory.go
index f1d67f256..8ce35010f 100644
--- a/atproto/identity/redisdir/redis_directory.go
+++ b/atproto/identity/redisdir/redis_directory.go
@@ -57,13 +57,13 @@ var _ identity.Directory = (*RedisDirectory)(nil)
 func NewRedisDirectory(inner identity.Directory, redisURL string, hitTTL, errTTL, invalidHandleTTL time.Duration, lruSize int) (*RedisDirectory, error) {
 	opt, err := redis.ParseURL(redisURL)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not configure redis identity cache: %w", err)
 	}
 	rdb := redis.NewClient(opt)
 	// check redis connection
 	_, err = rdb.Ping(context.TODO()).Result()
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not connect to redis identity cache: %w", err)
 	}
 	handleCache := cache.New(&cache.Options{
 		Redis:      rdb,
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ func (d *RedisDirectory) updateHandle(ctx context.Context, h syntax.Handle) hand
 		})
 		if err != nil {
 			he.DID = nil
-			he.Err = fmt.Errorf("identity cache write: %w", err)
+			he.Err = fmt.Errorf("identity cache write failed: %w", err)
 			return he
 		}
 		return he
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func (d *RedisDirectory) updateHandle(ctx context.Context, h syntax.Handle) hand
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		he.DID = nil
-		he.Err = fmt.Errorf("identity cache write: %w", err)
+		he.Err = fmt.Errorf("identity cache write failed: %w", err)
 		return he
 	}
 	err = d.handleCache.Set(&cache.Item{
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ func (d *RedisDirectory) updateHandle(ctx context.Context, h syntax.Handle) hand
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		he.DID = nil
-		he.Err = fmt.Errorf("identity cache write: %w", err)
+		he.Err = fmt.Errorf("identity cache write failed: %w", err)
 		return he
 	}
 	return he
@@ -161,12 +161,12 @@ func (d *RedisDirectory) updateHandle(ctx context.Context, h syntax.Handle) hand
 
 func (d *RedisDirectory) ResolveHandle(ctx context.Context, h syntax.Handle) (syntax.DID, error) {
 	if h.IsInvalidHandle() {
-		return "", errors.New("invalid handle")
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("can not resolve handle: %w", identity.ErrInvalidHandle)
 	}
 	var entry handleEntry
 	err := d.handleCache.Get(ctx, redisDirPrefix+h.String(), &entry)
 	if err != nil && err != cache.ErrCacheMiss {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("identity cache read: %w", err)
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("identity cache read failed: %w", err)
 	}
 	if err == nil && !d.isHandleStale(&entry) { // if no error...
 		handleCacheHits.Inc()
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ func (d *RedisDirectory) ResolveHandle(ctx context.Context, h syntax.Handle) (sy
 			// The result should now be in the cache
 			err := d.handleCache.Get(ctx, redisDirPrefix+h.String(), entry)
 			if err != nil && err != cache.ErrCacheMiss {
-				return "", fmt.Errorf("identity cache read: %w", err)
+				return "", fmt.Errorf("identity cache read failed: %w", err)
 			}
 			if err == nil && !d.isHandleStale(&entry) { // if no error...
 				if entry.Err != nil {
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ func (d *RedisDirectory) updateDID(ctx context.Context, did syntax.DID) identity
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		entry.Identity = nil
-		entry.Err = fmt.Errorf("identity cache write: %v", err)
+		entry.Err = fmt.Errorf("identity cache write failed: %w", err)
 		return entry
 	}
 	if he != nil {
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ func (d *RedisDirectory) updateDID(ctx context.Context, did syntax.DID) identity
 		})
 		if err != nil {
 			entry.Identity = nil
-			entry.Err = fmt.Errorf("identity cache write: %v", err)
+			entry.Err = fmt.Errorf("identity cache write failed: %w", err)
 			return entry
 		}
 	}
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ func (d *RedisDirectory) LookupDIDWithCacheState(ctx context.Context, did syntax
 	var entry identityEntry
 	err := d.identityCache.Get(ctx, redisDirPrefix+did.String(), &entry)
 	if err != nil && err != cache.ErrCacheMiss {
-		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("identity cache read: %v", err)
+		return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("identity cache read failed: %w", err)
 	}
 	if err == nil && !d.isIdentityStale(&entry) { // if no error...
 		identityCacheHits.Inc()
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ func (d *RedisDirectory) LookupDIDWithCacheState(ctx context.Context, did syntax
 			// The result should now be in the cache
 			err = d.identityCache.Get(ctx, redisDirPrefix+did.String(), &entry)
 			if err != nil && err != cache.ErrCacheMiss {
-				return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("identity cache read: %v", err)
+				return nil, false, fmt.Errorf("identity cache read failed: %w", err)
 			}
 			if err == nil && !d.isIdentityStale(&entry) { // if no error...
 				return entry.Identity, false, entry.Err