diff --git a/yesod-test/Yesod/Test.hs b/yesod-test/Yesod/Test.hs
index 07191788..211b6afd 100644
--- a/yesod-test/Yesod/Test.hs
+++ b/yesod-test/Yesod/Test.hs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE RecordWildCards #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE FlexibleInstances #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE TypeFamilies #-}
+
 {-|
 Yesod.Test is a pragmatic framework for testing web applications built
 using wai and persistent.
@@ -84,6 +85,9 @@ module Yesod.Test
 
     -- * Assertions
     , assertEqual
+    , assertEqualNoShow
+    , assertEq
+
     , assertHeader
     , assertNoHeader
     , statusIs
@@ -139,6 +143,7 @@ import qualified Web.Cookie as Cookie
 import qualified Blaze.ByteString.Builder as Builder
 import Data.Time.Clock (getCurrentTime)
 import Control.Applicative ((<$>))
+import Text.Show.Pretty (ppShow)
 
 -- | The state used in a single test case defined using 'yit'
 --
@@ -314,9 +319,20 @@ htmlQuery' getter errTrace query = withResponse' getter ("Tried to invoke htmlQu
 htmlQuery :: Query -> YesodExample site [HtmlLBS]
 htmlQuery = htmlQuery' yedResponse []
 
--- | Asserts that the two given values are equal.
+assertEq :: (Eq a, Show a) => String -> a -> a -> YesodExample site ()
+assertEq m a b =
+  liftIO $ HUnit.assertBool msg (a == b)
+  where msg = "Assertion: " ++ m ++ "\n" ++
+              "First argument:  " ++ ppShow a ++ "\n" ++
+              "Second argument: " ++ ppShow b ++ "\n"
+
+{-# DEPRECATED assertEqual "Use assertEq instead" #-}
 assertEqual :: (Eq a) => String -> a -> a -> YesodExample site ()
-assertEqual msg a b = liftIO $ HUnit.assertBool msg (a == b)
+assertEqual = assertEqualNoShow
+
+-- | Asserts that the two given values are equal.
+assertEqualNoShow :: (Eq a) => String -> a -> a -> YesodExample site ()
+assertEqualNoShow msg a b = liftIO $ HUnit.assertBool msg (a == b)
 
 -- | Assert the last response status is as expected.
 statusIs :: Int -> YesodExample site ()
diff --git a/yesod-test/yesod-test.cabal b/yesod-test/yesod-test.cabal
index 0a65ce07..16924ba5 100644
--- a/yesod-test/yesod-test.cabal
+++ b/yesod-test/yesod-test.cabal
@@ -14,29 +14,30 @@ description:     API docs and the README are available at <http://www.stackage.o
 extra-source-files: README.md, LICENSE, test/main.hs, ChangeLog.md
 
 library
-    build-depends:   base                      >= 4.3      && < 5
+    build-depends:   HUnit                     >= 1.2
                    , attoparsec                >= 0.10
+                   , base                      >= 4.3      && < 5
+                   , blaze-builder
+                   , blaze-html                >= 0.5
+                   , blaze-markup              >= 0.5.1
+                   , bytestring                >= 0.9
+                   , case-insensitive          >= 0.2
+                   , containers
+                   , cookie
+                   , hspec-core                == 2.*
+                   , html-conduit              >= 0.1
+                   , http-types                >= 0.7
+                   , monad-control
+                   , network                   >= 2.2
                    , persistent                >= 1.0
+                   , pretty-show               >= 1.6
+                   , text
+                   , time
                    , transformers              >= 0.2.2
                    , wai                       >= 3.0
                    , wai-extra
-                   , network                   >= 2.2
-                   , http-types                >= 0.7
-                   , HUnit                     >= 1.2
-                   , hspec-core                == 2.*
-                   , bytestring                >= 0.9
-                   , case-insensitive          >= 0.2
-                   , text
                    , xml-conduit               >= 1.0
                    , xml-types                 >= 0.3
-                   , containers
-                   , html-conduit              >= 0.1
-                   , blaze-html                >= 0.5
-                   , blaze-markup              >= 0.5.1
-                   , monad-control
-                   , time
-                   , blaze-builder
-                   , cookie
                    , yesod-core                >= 1.4.14
 
     exposed-modules: Yesod.Test