diff --git a/azure-kusto-data/azure/kusto/data/exceptions.py b/azure-kusto-data/azure/kusto/data/exceptions.py
index 5abcbd68..3da752fe 100644
--- a/azure-kusto-data/azure/kusto/data/exceptions.py
+++ b/azure-kusto-data/azure/kusto/data/exceptions.py
@@ -120,9 +120,12 @@ class KustoApiError(KustoServiceError):
     Represents a standard API error from kusto. Use `get_api_error()` to retrieve more details.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, error_dict: dict, message: str = None, http_response: "Union[requests.Response, ClientResponse, None]" = None, kusto_response=None):
+    def __init__(
+        self, error_dict: dict, message: Optional[str] = None, http_response: "Union[requests.Response, ClientResponse, None]" = None, kusto_response=None
+    ):
         self.error = OneApiError.from_dict(error_dict["error"])
-        super().__init__(message or self.error.description, http_response, kusto_response)
+        service_error_message = message or self.error.description or "Unknown Kusto service error"
+        super().__init__(service_error_message, http_response, kusto_response)
 
     def get_api_error(self) -> OneApiError:
         return self.error
diff --git a/azure-kusto-data/tests/test_exceptions.py b/azure-kusto-data/tests/test_exceptions.py
index 9840d9b7..1e9cd1b3 100644
--- a/azure-kusto-data/tests/test_exceptions.py
+++ b/azure-kusto-data/tests/test_exceptions.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from azure.kusto.data.exceptions import OneApiError
+from azure.kusto.data.exceptions import KustoApiError, OneApiError
 
 
 def test_parse_one_api_error():
@@ -101,3 +101,12 @@ def test_one_api_error_no_code_fail():
     assert result.code == "FailedToParse"
     assert result.type == "FailedToParseOneApiError"
     assert not result.permanent
+
+
+def test_kusto_api_error_without_message_no_exception_raised():
+    error_dict = {"error": {"code": "400", "message": "This is a sample error message."}}
+
+    try:
+        KustoApiError(error_dict, http_response=None)
+    except Exception:
+        assert False, "Exception was raised"