diff --git a/docs/release-notes.md b/docs/release-notes.md
index f330c6773..f619623f4 100644
--- a/docs/release-notes.md
+++ b/docs/release-notes.md
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 ## Upcoming release
 * For players:
   * Added more progress updates in the log during startup.
-  * Simplified common asset load error message.
+  * Simplified asset load error message.
+  * Simplified exception logs.
   * Fixed crash loading mods with corrupted translation files.
 
 * For mod authors:
diff --git a/src/SMAPI.Internal/ExceptionExtensions.cs b/src/SMAPI.Internal/ExceptionHelper.cs
similarity index 51%
rename from src/SMAPI.Internal/ExceptionExtensions.cs
rename to src/SMAPI.Internal/ExceptionHelper.cs
index d81890486..4bc55f95e 100644
--- a/src/SMAPI.Internal/ExceptionExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/SMAPI.Internal/ExceptionHelper.cs
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 using System;
 using System.Reflection;
+using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
 
 namespace StardewModdingAPI.Internal
 {
     /// <summary>Provides extension methods for handling exceptions.</summary>
-    internal static class ExceptionExtensions
+    internal static class ExceptionHelper
     {
         /*********
         ** Public methods
@@ -15,20 +16,26 @@ public static string GetLogSummary(this Exception exception)
         {
             try
             {
+                string message;
                 switch (exception)
                 {
                     case TypeLoadException ex:
-                        return $"Failed loading type '{ex.TypeName}': {exception}";
+                        message = $"Failed loading type '{ex.TypeName}': {exception}";
+                        break;
 
                     case ReflectionTypeLoadException ex:
                         string summary = ex.ToString();
                         foreach (Exception childEx in ex.LoaderExceptions ?? new Exception[0])
                             summary += $"\n\n{childEx?.GetLogSummary()}";
-                        return summary;
+                        message = summary;
+                        break;
 
                     default:
-                        return exception?.ToString() ?? $"<null exception>\n{Environment.StackTrace}";
+                        message = exception?.ToString() ?? $"<null exception>\n{Environment.StackTrace}";
+                        break;
                 }
+
+                return ExceptionHelper.SimplifyExtensionMessage(message);
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
@@ -44,5 +51,26 @@ public static Exception GetInnermostException(this Exception exception)
                 exception = exception.InnerException;
             return exception;
         }
+
+        /// <summary>Simplify common patterns in exception log messages that don't convey useful info.</summary>
+        /// <param name="message">The log message to simplify.</param>
+        public static string SimplifyExtensionMessage(string message)
+        {
+            // remove namespace for core exception types
+            message = Regex.Replace(
+                message,
+                @"(?:StardewModdingAPI\.Framework\.Exceptions|Microsoft\.Xna\.Framework|System|System\.IO)\.([a-zA-Z]+Exception):",
+                "$1:"
+            );
+
+            // remove unneeded root build paths for SMAPI and Stardew Valley
+            message = message
+                .Replace(@"C:\source\_Stardew\SMAPI\src\", "")
+                .Replace(@"C:\GitlabRunner\builds\Gq5qA5P4\0\ConcernedApe\", "");
+
+            // remove placeholder info in Linux/macOS stack traces
+            return message
+                .Replace(@"<filename unknown>:0", "");
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/SMAPI.Internal/SMAPI.Internal.projitems b/src/SMAPI.Internal/SMAPI.Internal.projitems
index 0ee94a5b7..41d356c0b 100644
--- a/src/SMAPI.Internal/SMAPI.Internal.projitems
+++ b/src/SMAPI.Internal/SMAPI.Internal.projitems
@@ -14,6 +14,6 @@
     <Compile Include="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)ConsoleWriting\ConsoleLogLevel.cs" />
     <Compile Include="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)ConsoleWriting\IConsoleWriter.cs" />
     <Compile Include="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)ConsoleWriting\MonitorColorScheme.cs" />
-    <Compile Include="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)ExceptionExtensions.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)ExceptionHelper.cs" />
   </ItemGroup>
 </Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/SMAPI/Framework/Logging/LogManager.cs b/src/SMAPI/Framework/Logging/LogManager.cs
index 6fe44d980..f28761469 100644
--- a/src/SMAPI/Framework/Logging/LogManager.cs
+++ b/src/SMAPI/Framework/Logging/LogManager.cs
@@ -406,6 +406,10 @@ private void HandleConsoleMessage(IMonitor gameMonitor, string message)
                 }
             }
 
+            // simplify exception messages
+            if (level == LogLevel.Error)
+                message = ExceptionHelper.SimplifyExtensionMessage(message);
+
             // forward to monitor
             gameMonitor.Log(message, level);
         }