diff --git a/dashboard/datacenter.py b/dashboard/datacenter.py
index 1e4627eadc86..f7702e64411e 100644
--- a/dashboard/datacenter.py
+++ b/dashboard/datacenter.py
@@ -138,8 +138,9 @@ async def get_node_info(cls, node_id, get_summary=False):
 
         # Merge GcsNodeInfo to node physical stats
         node_info["raylet"].update(node)
+        death_info = node.get("deathInfo", {})
         node_info["raylet"]["stateMessage"] = compose_state_message(
-            node.get("deathInfo", {})
+            death_info.get("reason", None), death_info.get("reasonMessage", None)
         )
 
         if not get_summary:
diff --git a/dashboard/state_aggregator.py b/dashboard/state_aggregator.py
index e3aa7a9f8c6a..5c8591484d32 100644
--- a/dashboard/state_aggregator.py
+++ b/dashboard/state_aggregator.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from ray._private.profiling import chrome_tracing_dump
 
 import ray.dashboard.memory_utils as memory_utils
+from ray.dashboard.utils import compose_state_message
 
 from ray.util.state.common import (
     protobuf_message_to_dict,
@@ -323,6 +324,10 @@ async def list_nodes(self, *, option: ListApiOptions) -> ListApiResponse:
             data["node_ip"] = data["node_manager_address"]
             data["start_time_ms"] = int(data["start_time_ms"])
             data["end_time_ms"] = int(data["end_time_ms"])
+            death_info = data.get("death_info", {})
+            data["state_message"] = compose_state_message(
+                death_info.get("reason", None), death_info.get("reason_message", None)
+            )
 
             result.append(data)
 
diff --git a/dashboard/utils.py b/dashboard/utils.py
index 5d5c4a0284c7..99c624803bbe 100644
--- a/dashboard/utils.py
+++ b/dashboard/utils.py
@@ -656,13 +656,17 @@ def get_address_for_submission_client(address: Optional[str]) -> str:
     return address
 
 
-def compose_state_message(death_info_dict: dict) -> Optional[str]:
+def compose_state_message(
+    death_reason: Optional[str], death_reason_message: Optional[str]
+) -> Optional[str]:
     """Compose node state message based on death information.
 
     Args:
-        death_info_dict: the node_death field in GcsNodeInfo, in dict type.
+        death_reason: The reason of node death.
+            This is a string representation of `gcs_pb2.NodeDeathInfo.Reason`.
+        death_reason_message: The message of node death.
+            This corresponds to `gcs_pb2.NodeDeathInfo.ReasonMessage`.
     """
-    death_reason = death_info_dict.get("reason", None)
     if death_reason == "EXPECTED_TERMINATION":
         state_message = "Expected termination"
     elif death_reason == "UNEXPECTED_TERMINATION":
@@ -674,7 +678,6 @@ def compose_state_message(death_info_dict: dict) -> Optional[str]:
     else:
         state_message = None
 
-    death_reason_message = death_info_dict.get("reasonMessage", None)
     if death_reason_message:
         if state_message:
             state_message += f": {death_reason_message}"
diff --git a/python/ray/tests/test_state_api.py b/python/ray/tests/test_state_api.py
index b6555e1e9ab1..f9f582547f9c 100644
--- a/python/ray/tests/test_state_api.py
+++ b/python/ray/tests/test_state_api.py
@@ -2154,19 +2154,23 @@ def test_list_get_nodes(ray_start_cluster):
     cluster = ray_start_cluster
     cluster.add_node(num_cpus=1, node_name="head_node")
     ray.init(address=cluster.address)
-    cluster.add_node(num_cpus=1, node_name="worker_node")
+    worker_node = cluster.add_node(num_cpus=1, node_name="worker_node")
+
+    cluster.remove_node(worker_node)
 
     def verify():
         nodes = list_nodes(detail=True)
         for node in nodes:
-            assert node["state"] == "ALIVE"
             assert is_hex(node["node_id"])
-            assert (
-                node["is_head_node"]
-                if node["node_name"] == "head_node"
-                else not node["is_head_node"]
-            )
             assert node["labels"] == {"ray.io/node_id": node["node_id"]}
+            if node["node_name"] == "head_node":
+                assert node["is_head_node"]
+                assert node["state"] == "ALIVE"
+                assert node["state_message"] is None
+            else:
+                assert not node["is_head_node"]
+                assert node["state"] == "DEAD"
+                assert node["state_message"] == "Expected termination: received SIGTERM"
 
         # Check with legacy API
         check_nodes = ray.nodes()
diff --git a/python/ray/tests/test_task_events.py b/python/ray/tests/test_task_events.py
index 89434049349d..b1210b59aff3 100644
--- a/python/ray/tests/test_task_events.py
+++ b/python/ray/tests/test_task_events.py
@@ -204,7 +204,8 @@ def driver_running():
         verify_failed_task,
         name="node-killed",
         error_type="NODE_DIED",
-        error_message="Task failed due to the node dying",
+        error_message="Task failed due to the node (where this task was running) "
+        " was dead or unavailable",
     )
 
 
diff --git a/python/ray/util/state/common.py b/python/ray/util/state/common.py
index 366648674ee4..9dbb56286c61 100644
--- a/python/ray/util/state/common.py
+++ b/python/ray/util/state/common.py
@@ -507,6 +507,9 @@ class NodeState(StateSchema):
     #: ALIVE: The node is alive.
     #: DEAD: The node is dead.
     state: TypeNodeStatus = state_column(filterable=True)
+    #: The state message of the node.
+    #: This provides more detailed information about the node's state.
+    state_message: Optional[str] = state_column(filterable=False)
     #: The name of the node if it is given by the name argument.
     node_name: str = state_column(filterable=True)
     #: The total resources of the node.
diff --git a/src/ray/core_worker/transport/direct_task_transport.cc b/src/ray/core_worker/transport/direct_task_transport.cc
index 54799a1acba0..b419fae2ffea 100644
--- a/src/ray/core_worker/transport/direct_task_transport.cc
+++ b/src/ray/core_worker/transport/direct_task_transport.cc
@@ -728,13 +728,16 @@ void CoreWorkerDirectTaskSubmitter::HandleGetTaskFailureCause(
                      << " ip: " << addr.ip_address();
     task_error_type = rpc::ErrorType::NODE_DIED;
     std::stringstream buffer;
-    buffer << "Task failed due to the node dying.\n\nThe node (IP: " << addr.ip_address()
-           << ", node ID: " << NodeID::FromBinary(addr.raylet_id())
-           << ") where this task was running crashed unexpectedly. "
-           << "This can happen if: (1) the instance where the node was running failed, "
-              "(2) raylet crashes unexpectedly (OOM, preempted node, etc).\n\n"
-           << "To see more information about the crash, use `ray logs raylet.out -ip "
-           << addr.ip_address() << "`";
+    buffer << "Task failed due to the node (where this task was running) "
+           << " was dead or unavailable.\n\nThe node IP: " << addr.ip_address()
+           << ", node ID: " << NodeID::FromBinary(addr.raylet_id()) << "\n\n"
+           << "This can happen if the instance where the node was running failed, "
+           << "the node was preempted, or raylet crashed unexpectedly "
+           << "(e.g., due to OOM) etc.\n\n"
+           << "To see node death information, use `ray list nodes --filter \"node_id="
+           << NodeID::FromBinary(addr.raylet_id()) << "\"`, "
+           << "or check Ray dashboard cluster page, or search the node ID in GCS log, "
+           << "or use `ray logs raylet.out -ip " << addr.ip_address() << "`";
     error_info = std::make_unique<rpc::RayErrorInfo>();
     error_info->set_error_message(buffer.str());
     error_info->set_error_type(rpc::ErrorType::NODE_DIED);