diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/798-drain-pdb-error-message.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/798-drain-pdb-error-message.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..61b4a2573e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/798-drain-pdb-error-message.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+minor_changes:
+  - k8s_drain - Improve error message for pod disruption budget when draining a node (https://github.com/ansible-collections/kubernetes.core/issues/797).
diff --git a/plugins/modules/k8s_drain.py b/plugins/modules/k8s_drain.py
index 9d8561e708..6544553b0d 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/k8s_drain.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/k8s_drain.py
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@
 """
 
 import copy
+import json
 import time
 import traceback
 from datetime import datetime
@@ -187,6 +188,17 @@
         HAS_EVICTION_API = False
 
 
+def format_dynamic_api_exc(exc):
+    if exc.body:
+        if exc.headers and exc.headers.get("Content-Type") == "application/json":
+            message = json.loads(exc.body).get("message")
+            if message:
+                return message
+        return exc.body
+    else:
+        return "%s Reason: %s" % (exc.status, exc.reason)
+
+
 def filter_pods(pods, force, ignore_daemonset, delete_emptydir_data):
     k8s_kind_mirror = "kubernetes.io/config.mirror"
     daemonSet, unmanaged, mirror, localStorage, to_delete = [], [], [], [], []
@@ -338,7 +350,7 @@ def evict_pods(self, pods):
                 if exc.reason != "Not Found":
                     self._module.fail_json(
                         msg="Failed to delete pod {0}/{1} due to: {2}".format(
-                            namespace, name, exc.reason
+                            namespace, name, to_native(format_dynamic_api_exc(exc))
                         )
                     )
             except Exception as exc: