diff --git a/capetest/capetest.go b/capetest/capetest.go
index 79aa3fca..a55bd8c5 100644
--- a/capetest/capetest.go
+++ b/capetest/capetest.go
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@ package capetest
 
 import (
 	"crypto/tls"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"net/http"
 
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+
 	"github.com/gorilla/websocket"
 
 	"github.com/capeprivacy/cli/attest"
@@ -31,6 +34,11 @@ type Message struct {
 	Message []byte `json:"message"`
 }
 
+// TODO -- cmd package also defines this
+type ErrorMsg struct {
+	Error string `json:"error"`
+}
+
 // TODO -- cmd package also defines this
 func websocketDial(url string, insecure bool) (*websocket.Conn, *http.Response, error) {
 	if insecure {
@@ -43,8 +51,15 @@ func websocketDial(url string, insecure bool) (*websocket.Conn, *http.Response,
 }
 
 func CapeTest(testReq TestRequest, endpoint string, insecure bool) (*RunResults, error) {
-	conn, _, err := websocketDial(endpoint, insecure)
+	conn, resp, err := websocketDial(endpoint, insecure)
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
 	if err != nil {
+		log.Error("error dialing websocket", err)
+		var e ErrorMsg
+		if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.Body).Decode(&e); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		log.Errorf("error code: %d, reason: %s", resp.StatusCode, e.Error)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/cape/cmd/deploy.go b/cmd/cape/cmd/deploy.go
index 3161e29c..5ef0c6e8 100644
--- a/cmd/cape/cmd/deploy.go
+++ b/cmd/cape/cmd/deploy.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"archive/zip"
 	"bytes"
 	"crypto/tls"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
@@ -24,6 +25,10 @@ import (
 	czip "github.com/capeprivacy/cli/zip"
 )
 
+type ErrorMsg struct {
+	Error string `json:"error"`
+}
+
 type DeployRequest struct {
 	Nonce     string `json:"nonce"`
 	AuthToken string `json:"auth_token"`
@@ -172,9 +177,15 @@ func doDeploy(url string, name string, reader io.Reader, insecure bool) (string,
 	s.Prefix = "Deploying function to Cape "
 	s.Start()
 
-	conn, _, err := websocketDial(endpoint, insecure)
+	conn, res, err := websocketDial(endpoint, insecure)
+	defer res.Body.Close()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Error("error dialing websocket", err)
+		var e ErrorMsg
+		if err := json.NewDecoder(res.Body).Decode(&e); err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+		log.Errorf("error code: %d, reason: %s", res.StatusCode, e.Error)
 		return "", err
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/cape/cmd/run.go b/cmd/cape/cmd/run.go
index 58db992d..bfa195f2 100644
--- a/cmd/cape/cmd/run.go
+++ b/cmd/cape/cmd/run.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -113,11 +114,16 @@ func doRun(url string, functionID string, data []byte, insecure bool) ([]byte, e
 	endpoint := fmt.Sprintf("%s/v1/run/%s", url, functionID)
 
 	c, res, err := websocketDial(endpoint, insecure)
+	defer res.Body.Close()
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Println("error dialing websocket", res)
+		log.Error("error dialing websocket", err)
+		var e ErrorMsg
+		if err := json.NewDecoder(res.Body).Decode(&e); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		log.Errorf("error code: %d, reason: %s", res.StatusCode, e.Error)
 		return nil, err
 	}
-
 	nonce, err := crypto.GetNonce()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -134,6 +140,15 @@ func doRun(url string, functionID string, data []byte, insecure bool) ([]byte, e
 		log.Println("error writing deploy request")
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	// Try to read message
+	t, socketMsg, err := c.ReadMessage()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Error("failed to fetch response", err)
+	}
+
+	if t == websocket.CloseMessage {
+		log.Errorf("failed to run with: %s", string(socketMsg))
+	}
 
 	var msg Message
 	err = c.ReadJSON(&msg)