diff --git a/app/save-and-restore/app/src/main/java/org/phoebus/applications/saveandrestore/ui/snapshot/SnapshotController.java b/app/save-and-restore/app/src/main/java/org/phoebus/applications/saveandrestore/ui/snapshot/SnapshotController.java
index 21ef50f53d..60c233b3cd 100644
--- a/app/save-and-restore/app/src/main/java/org/phoebus/applications/saveandrestore/ui/snapshot/SnapshotController.java
+++ b/app/save-and-restore/app/src/main/java/org/phoebus/applications/saveandrestore/ui/snapshot/SnapshotController.java
@@ -757,13 +757,18 @@ public void takeSnapshot() {
      */
     private void resetMetaData() {
         tabTitleProperty.setValue(Messages.unnamedSnapshot);
-        snapshotNameProperty.setValue(null);
-        snapshotCommentProperty.setValue(null);
         createdDateTextProperty.setValue(null);
         lastModifiedDateTextProperty.setValue(null);
         createdByTextProperty.setValue(null);
     }
 
+    public static Throwable getRootCause(Throwable throwable) {
+        if (throwable.getCause() != null)
+            return getRootCause(throwable.getCause());
+
+        return throwable;
+    }
+
     @SuppressWarnings("unused")
     public void saveSnapshot(ActionEvent actionEvent) {
         disabledUi.set(true);
@@ -795,7 +800,8 @@ public void saveSnapshot(ActionEvent actionEvent) {
                 Platform.runLater(() -> {
                     Alert alert = new Alert(Alert.AlertType.ERROR);
                     alert.setTitle(Messages.errorActionFailed);
-                    alert.setContentText(e.getMessage());
+                    // get root cause of exception because the nested exception names are not very friendly
+                    alert.setContentText(getRootCause(e).getMessage());
                     alert.setHeaderText(Messages.saveSnapshotErrorContent);
                     DialogHelper.positionDialog(alert, borderPane, -150, -150);
                     alert.showAndWait();
@@ -1101,7 +1107,14 @@ private void takeSnapshotReadPVs(Consumer<Optional<Snapshot>> consumer) {
             });
             showTakeSnapshotResult(snapshotItems);
             Snapshot snapshot = new Snapshot();
-            snapshot.setSnapshotNode(Node.builder().nodeType(NodeType.SNAPSHOT).build());
+            snapshot.setSnapshotNode(
+                    Node.builder()
+                        .nodeType(NodeType.SNAPSHOT)
+                        // set name and description to preserve the name / comment fields
+                        .name(snapshotNameProperty.getValue())
+                        .description(snapshotCommentProperty.getValue())
+                        .build()
+            );
             SnapshotData snapshotData = new SnapshotData();
             snapshotData.setSnapshotItems(snapshotItems);
             snapshot.setSnapshotData(snapshotData);