diff --git a/pkg/api/function/api.go b/pkg/api/function/api.go
index 9bbf4593..39d695b4 100644
--- a/pkg/api/function/api.go
+++ b/pkg/api/function/api.go
@@ -71,7 +71,10 @@ func (ap *Api) Invoke(spec *types.TaskInvocationSpec) (*types.TaskInvocation, er
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		// TODO improve error handling here (retries? internal or task related error?)
-		logrus.WithField("task", spec.InvocationId).Infof("ParseTask failed: %v", err)
+		logrus.WithField("fn", spec.FnRef).
+			WithField("wi", spec.InvocationId).
+			WithField("task", spec.TaskId).
+			Infof("Failed to invoke task: %v", err)
 		esErr := ap.es.Append(&fes.Event{
 			Type:      events.Task_TASK_FAILED.String(),
 			Parent:    aggregate,
diff --git a/pkg/controller/invocation/actions.go b/pkg/controller/invocation/actions.go
index d3c233b2..787c8a8e 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/invocation/actions.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/invocation/actions.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package invocation
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/fission/fission-workflows/pkg/api/function"
@@ -45,11 +46,19 @@ type ActionFail struct {
 func (a *ActionFail) Eval(cec controller.EvalContext) controller.Action {
 	ec := EnsureInvocationContext(cec)
 	a.InvocationId = ec.Invocation().Id()
+	if a.Err == nil {
+		if s, ok := ec.EvalState().Last(); ok {
+			a.Err = s.Error
+		}
+	}
+	if a.Err == nil {
+		a.Err = errors.New("unknown error has occurred")
+	}
 	return a
 }
 
 func (a *ActionFail) Apply() error {
-	wfiLog.Info("Applying action: fail")
+	wfiLog.Infof("Applying action: fail (%v)", a.Err)
 	return a.Api.Fail(a.InvocationId, a.Err)
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/invocation/controller.go b/pkg/controller/invocation/controller.go
index 8c0215e1..9ae246b5 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/invocation/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/invocation/controller.go
@@ -310,7 +310,6 @@ func defaultPolicy(ctr *Controller) controller.Rule {
 			&controller.RuleExceededErrorCount{
 				OnExceeded: &ActionFail{
 					Api: ctr.invocationApi,
-					Err: errors.New("error count exceeded"),
 				},
 				MaxErrorCount: 0,
 			},
diff --git a/pkg/controller/rules.go b/pkg/controller/rules.go
index 5ec502ae..717c2ba7 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/rules.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/rules.go
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func (el *RuleExceededErrorCount) Eval(ec EvalContext) Action {
 	}
 
 	if errorCount > el.MaxErrorCount {
-		logrus.Infof("Error count exceeded, evaluating %T.", el.OnExceeded)
+		logrus.Infof("Error count exceeded, evaluating %T", el.OnExceeded)
 		return evalIfNotNil(el.OnExceeded, ec)
 	}
 	return evalIfNotNil(el.OnNotExceeded, ec)
diff --git a/pkg/fnenv/common/httpconv/httpconv.go b/pkg/fnenv/common/httpconv/httpconv.go
index 2de8c2f2..e1b9efe0 100644
--- a/pkg/fnenv/common/httpconv/httpconv.go
+++ b/pkg/fnenv/common/httpconv/httpconv.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func ParseBody(data io.Reader, contentType string) (types.TypedValue, error) {
 	case contentTypeTask:
 		fallthrough
 	case contentTypeWorkflow:
-		// TODO support json
+		// TODO support json-encoded workflow/task
 		var m proto.Message
 		err := proto.Unmarshal(bs, m)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -143,8 +143,7 @@ func FormatResponse(w http.ResponseWriter, output *types.TypedValue, outputErr *
 
 	if outputErr != nil {
 		// TODO provide different http codes based on error
-		w.Write([]byte(outputErr.Error()))
-		http.Error(w, outputErr.Message, http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		http.Error(w, outputErr.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -160,7 +159,6 @@ func FormatResponse(w http.ResponseWriter, output *types.TypedValue, outputErr *
 	bs, err := FormatBody(*output, contentType)
 	if err != nil {
 		FormatResponse(w, nil, &types.Error{
-			Code:    "500",
 			Message: fmt.Sprintf("Failed to format response body: %v", err),
 		})
 	}
@@ -318,6 +316,11 @@ func DetermineContentType(value *types.TypedValue) string {
 
 	// Otherwise, check for primitive types of the main input
 	switch typedvalues.ValueType(value.Type) {
+	// TODO task and workflow
+	case typedvalues.TypeMap:
+		fallthrough
+	case typedvalues.TypeList:
+		return contentTypeJson
 	case typedvalues.TypeNumber:
 		fallthrough
 	case typedvalues.TypeExpression:
diff --git a/pkg/fnenv/native/native.go b/pkg/fnenv/native/native.go
index 1880c6d4..1ff0709d 100644
--- a/pkg/fnenv/native/native.go
+++ b/pkg/fnenv/native/native.go
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ func (fe *FunctionEnv) Invoke(spec *types.TaskInvocationSpec) (*types.TaskInvoca
 		return &types.TaskInvocationStatus{
 			UpdatedAt: ptypes.TimestampNow(),
 			Status:    types.TaskInvocationStatus_FAILED,
+			Error: &types.Error{
+				Message: err.Error(),
+			},
 		}, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/fnenv/resolver.go b/pkg/fnenv/resolver.go
index 808ba95c..2662b6e9 100644
--- a/pkg/fnenv/resolver.go
+++ b/pkg/fnenv/resolver.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func (ps *MetaResolver) Resolve(targetFn string) (types.FnRef, error) {
 					"err":     err,
 					"runtime": cName,
 					"fn":      targetFn,
-				}).Info("Function not found.")
+				}).Debug("Function not found.")
 				lastErr = err
 			} else {
 				resolved <- def
diff --git a/pkg/scheduler/scheduler.go b/pkg/scheduler/scheduler.go
index 0b6b5cf0..1a5421ab 100644
--- a/pkg/scheduler/scheduler.go
+++ b/pkg/scheduler/scheduler.go
@@ -36,8 +36,14 @@ func (ws *WorkflowScheduler) Evaluate(request *ScheduleRequest) (*Schedule, erro
 			continue
 		}
 		if t.Invocation.Status.Status == types.TaskInvocationStatus_FAILED {
+
+			msg := fmt.Sprintf("Task '%v' failed", t.Invocation.Id())
+			if err := t.Invocation.GetStatus().GetError(); err != nil {
+				msg = err.Message
+			}
+
 			AbortActionAny, _ := ptypes.MarshalAny(&AbortAction{
-				Reason: fmt.Sprintf("taskContainer '%s' failed!", t.Invocation),
+				Reason: msg,
 			})
 
 			abortAction := &Action{
diff --git a/pkg/types/aggregates/invocation.go b/pkg/types/aggregates/invocation.go
index d8556392..2a7a10a0 100644
--- a/pkg/types/aggregates/invocation.go
+++ b/pkg/types/aggregates/invocation.go
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ func (wi *WorkflowInvocation) ApplyEvent(event *fes.Event) error {
 		ivErr := &types.Error{}
 		err := proto.Unmarshal(event.Data, ivErr)
 		if err != nil {
-			ivErr.Code = "error"
 			ivErr.Message = err.Error()
 			log.Errorf("failed to unmarshal event: '%v' (%v)", event, err)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/types/aggregates/workflow.go b/pkg/types/aggregates/workflow.go
index 918547dc..3e4b73fa 100644
--- a/pkg/types/aggregates/workflow.go
+++ b/pkg/types/aggregates/workflow.go
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ func (wf *Workflow) ApplyEvent(event *fes.Event) error {
 		wfErr := &types.Error{}
 		err := proto.Unmarshal(event.Data, wfErr)
 		if err != nil {
-			wfErr.Code = "error"
 			wfErr.Message = err.Error()
 			log.Errorf("failed to unmarshal event: '%v' (%v)", event, err)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/types/extensions.go b/pkg/types/extensions.go
index d5b2b8b5..2ab9a593 100644
--- a/pkg/types/extensions.go
+++ b/pkg/types/extensions.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ var taskFinalStates = []TaskInvocationStatus_Status{
 // TypedValue
 //
 
-// Prints a short description of the value
+// Prints a short description of the Value
 func (tv TypedValue) Short() string {
 	var val string
 	if len(tv.Value) > typedValueShortMaxLen {
diff --git a/test/integration/util.go b/test/integration/util.go
index f9dd7231..34bd029e 100644
--- a/test/integration/util.go
+++ b/test/integration/util.go
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ func SetupNatsCluster(ctx context.Context) fesnats.Config {
 	}
 	address := "127.0.0.1"
 	flags := strings.Split(fmt.Sprintf("-cid %s -p %d -a %s", clusterId, port, address), " ")
-	logrus.Info(flags)
 	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "nats-streaming-server", flags...)
 	stdOut, _ := cmd.StdoutPipe()
 	stdErr, _ := cmd.StderrPipe()