diff --git a/plugins/input/sqlite/sqlite_datasource.cpp b/plugins/input/sqlite/sqlite_datasource.cpp
index 990d583ca..2bf12fcb3 100644
--- a/plugins/input/sqlite/sqlite_datasource.cpp
+++ b/plugins/input/sqlite/sqlite_datasource.cpp
@@ -197,12 +197,19 @@ void sqlite_datasource::bind() const
     if (! found_table)
     {
         std::ostringstream s;
-        s << "Sqlite Plugin: could not query table '" << geometry_table_ << "' ";
-        if (using_subquery_) s << " from subquery '" << table_ << "' ";
-        s << "using 'PRAGMA table_info(" << geometry_table_  << ")' ";
+        s << "Sqlite Plugin: could not query table '" << geometry_table_ << "'";
+        if (using_subquery_)
+        {
+            s << " from subquery '" << table_ << "'";
+        }
 
-        std::string sq_err = std::string(sqlite3_errmsg(*(*dataset_)));
-        if (sq_err != "unknown error") s << ": " << sq_err;
+        // report get available tables
+        std::vector<std::string> tables;
+        sqlite_utils::get_tables(dataset_,tables);
+        if (tables.size() > 0)
+        {
+            s << " (available tables for " << dataset_name_ << " are: '" << boost::algorithm::join(tables, ", ") << "')";
+        }
 
         throw datasource_exception(s.str());
     }
@@ -228,7 +235,6 @@ void sqlite_datasource::bind() const
         {
             dataset_->execute("attach database '" + index_db + "' as " + index_table_);
         }
-        
         has_spatial_index_ = sqlite_utils::has_rtree(index_table_,dataset_);
     }
 
@@ -246,8 +252,10 @@ void sqlite_datasource::bind() const
                       << " FROM ("
                       << geometry_table_ << ")";
                 boost::shared_ptr<sqlite_resultset> rs = dataset_->execute_query(query.str());
-                sqlite_utils::create_spatial_index(index_db,index_table_,rs,extent_);
-                extent_initialized_ = true;
+                if (sqlite_utils::create_spatial_index(index_db,index_table_,rs,extent_))
+                {
+                    extent_initialized_ = true;
+                }
             }
             else
             {
diff --git a/plugins/input/sqlite/sqlite_utils.hpp b/plugins/input/sqlite/sqlite_utils.hpp
index fb1c31947..b7b6d4e6a 100644
--- a/plugins/input/sqlite/sqlite_utils.hpp
+++ b/plugins/input/sqlite/sqlite_utils.hpp
@@ -75,6 +75,47 @@ public:
         //{
             return file + ".index";
         //}
+    }
+    
+    static void get_tables(boost::shared_ptr<sqlite_connection> ds,
+                           std::vector<std::string> & tables)
+    {
+        std::ostringstream sql;
+        // todo handle finding tables from attached db's
+        sql << " SELECT name FROM sqlite_master"
+            << " WHERE type IN ('table','view')"
+            << " AND name NOT LIKE 'sqlite_%'"
+            << " AND name NOT LIKE 'idx_%'"
+            << " AND name NOT LIKE '%geometry_columns%'"
+            << " AND name NOT LIKE '%ref_sys%'"
+            << " UNION ALL"
+            << " SELECT name FROM sqlite_temp_master"
+            << " WHERE type IN ('table','view')"
+            << " ORDER BY 1";
+        sqlite3_stmt* stmt = 0;
+        const int rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2 (*(*ds), sql.str().c_str(), -1, &stmt, 0);
+        std::clog << "hey\n";
+        if (rc == SQLITE_OK)
+        {
+            std::clog << "a\n";
+            boost::shared_ptr<sqlite_resultset> rs = boost::make_shared<sqlite_resultset>(stmt);
+            while (rs->is_valid() && rs->step_next())
+            {
+            std::clog << "b\n";
+                const int type_oid = rs->column_type(0);
+                if (type_oid == SQLITE_TEXT)
+                {
+            std::clog << "c\n";
+                    const char * data = rs->column_text(0);
+                    if (data)
+                    {
+
+            std::clog << "d\n";
+                        tables.push_back(std::string(data));
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }    
     
     static void query_extent(boost::shared_ptr<sqlite_resultset> rs,
@@ -111,7 +152,7 @@ public:
         }
     }
     
-    static void create_spatial_index(std::string const& index_db,
+    static bool create_spatial_index(std::string const& index_db,
                                      std::string const& index_table,
                                      boost::shared_ptr<sqlite_resultset> rs,
                                      mapnik::box2d<double>& extent)
@@ -123,7 +164,7 @@ public:
         */
         
         if (!rs->is_valid())
-            return;
+            return false;
         
 #if SQLITE_VERSION_NUMBER >= 3005000
         int flags = SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE | SQLITE_OPEN_CREATE | SQLITE_OPEN_FULLMUTEX;
@@ -233,6 +274,7 @@ public:
         if (one_success)
         {
             ds->execute("COMMIT");
+            return true;
         }
         else if (!existed)
         {
@@ -243,6 +285,7 @@ public:
             }
             catch (...) {};
         }
+        return false;
     }
 
     static bool detect_extent(boost::shared_ptr<sqlite_connection> ds,