diff --git a/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/io/ClassPathResource.java b/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/io/ClassPathResource.java
index b8cce91c877..c48d4edaa5e 100644
--- a/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/io/ClassPathResource.java
+++ b/org.springframework.core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/io/ClassPathResource.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2009 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2010 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public class ClassPathResource extends AbstractFileResolvingResource {
 
 	private ClassLoader classLoader;
 
-	private Class clazz;
+	private Class<?> clazz;
 
 
 	/**
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ public class ClassPathResource extends AbstractFileResolvingResource {
 	 * @param clazz the class to load resources with
 	 * @see java.lang.Class#getResourceAsStream
 	 */
-	public ClassPathResource(String path, Class clazz) {
+	public ClassPathResource(String path, Class<?> clazz) {
 		Assert.notNull(path, "Path must not be null");
 		this.path = StringUtils.cleanPath(path);
 		this.clazz = clazz;
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ public class ClassPathResource extends AbstractFileResolvingResource {
 	 * @param classLoader the class loader to load the resource with, if any
 	 * @param clazz the class to load resources with, if any
 	 */
-	protected ClassPathResource(String path, ClassLoader classLoader, Class clazz) {
+	protected ClassPathResource(String path, ClassLoader classLoader, Class<?> clazz) {
 		this.path = StringUtils.cleanPath(path);
 		this.classLoader = classLoader;
 		this.clazz = clazz;
@@ -190,7 +190,16 @@ public class ClassPathResource extends AbstractFileResolvingResource {
 	 * This implementation returns a description that includes the class path location.
 	 */
 	public String getDescription() {
-		return "class path resource [" + this.path + "]";
+		StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder("class path resource [");
+
+		if (this.clazz != null) {
+			builder.append(ClassUtils.classPackageAsResourcePath(this.clazz));
+			builder.append('/');
+		}
+
+		builder.append(this.path);
+		builder.append(']');
+		return builder.toString();
 	}
 
 
diff --git a/org.springframework.core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/io/ClassPathResourceTests.java b/org.springframework.core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/io/ClassPathResourceTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..db97bc6ac2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.springframework.core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/io/ClassPathResourceTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2002-2010 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.core.io;
+
+import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.instanceOf;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
+import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
+import static org.junit.internal.matchers.StringContains.containsString;
+
+import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
+import java.io.IOException;
+
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+/**
+ * Unit tests cornering bug SPR-6888.
+ *
+ * @author Chris Beams
+ */
+public class ClassPathResourceTests {
+	private static final String PACKAGE_PATH = "org/springframework/core/io";
+	private static final String RESOURCE_NAME = "notexist.xml";
+	private static final String FQ_RESOURCE_PATH = PACKAGE_PATH + '/' + RESOURCE_NAME;
+
+	@Test
+	public void stringConstructorRaisesExceptionWithFullyQualifiedPath() {
+		assertExceptionContainsFullyQualifiedPath(new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void classLiteralConstructorRaisesExceptionWithFullyQualifiedPath() {
+		assertExceptionContainsFullyQualifiedPath(new ClassPathResource(RESOURCE_NAME, this.getClass()));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void classLoaderConstructorRaisesExceptionWithFullyQualifiedPath() {
+		assertExceptionContainsFullyQualifiedPath(new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH, this.getClass().getClassLoader()));
+	}
+
+	private void assertExceptionContainsFullyQualifiedPath(ClassPathResource resource) {
+		try {
+			resource.getInputStream();
+			fail("FileNotFoundException expected for resource: " + resource);
+		} catch (IOException ex) {
+			assertThat(ex, instanceOf(FileNotFoundException.class));
+			assertThat(ex.getMessage(), containsString(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH));
+		}
+	}
+}