diff --git a/pkg/loadtester/bash.go b/pkg/loadtester/bash.go
index 8631c6f0..eccc9d19 100644
--- a/pkg/loadtester/bash.go
+++ b/pkg/loadtester/bash.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ func (task *BashTask) Run(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
 
 	if err != nil {
 		task.logger.With("canary", task.canary).Errorf("command failed %s %v %s", task.command, err, out)
-		return false, fmt.Errorf(" %v %s", err, out)
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("command %s failed: %s: %w", task.command, out, err)
 	} else {
 		if task.logCmdOutput {
 			fmt.Printf("%s\n", out)
diff --git a/pkg/loadtester/helm.go b/pkg/loadtester/helm.go
index 591bfc7c..17661139 100644
--- a/pkg/loadtester/helm.go
+++ b/pkg/loadtester/helm.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func (task *HelmTask) Run(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
 	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
 	if err != nil {
 		task.logger.With("canary", task.canary).Errorf("command failed %s %v %s", task.command, err, out)
-		return false, fmt.Errorf(" %v %s", err, out)
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("command %s failed: %s: %w", task.command, out, err)
 	} else {
 		if task.logCmdOutput {
 			fmt.Printf("%s\n", out)
diff --git a/pkg/loadtester/helmv3.go b/pkg/loadtester/helmv3.go
index 0970b55d..3d824559 100644
--- a/pkg/loadtester/helmv3.go
+++ b/pkg/loadtester/helmv3.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func (task *HelmTaskv3) Run(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
 	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
 	if err != nil {
 		task.logger.With("canary", task.canary).Errorf("command failed %s %v %s", task.command, err, out)
-		return false, fmt.Errorf(" %v %s", err, out)
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("command %s failed: %s: %w", task.command, out, err)
 	} else {
 		if task.logCmdOutput {
 			fmt.Printf("%s\n", out)
diff --git a/pkg/loadtester/task_ngrinder.go b/pkg/loadtester/task_ngrinder.go
index 9d7e8b86..c2c98862 100644
--- a/pkg/loadtester/task_ngrinder.go
+++ b/pkg/loadtester/task_ngrinder.go
@@ -29,16 +29,16 @@ func init() {
 		}
 		baseUrl, err := url.Parse(server)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("invalid url: %s", server))
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid url: %s: %w", server, err)
 		}
 		cloneId, err := strconv.Atoi(clone)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, errors.New("metadata clone must be integer")
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("metadata clone must be integer: %w", err)
 		}
 
 		passwdDecoded, err := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(passwd)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, errors.New("metadata auth provided is invalid, base64 encoded username:password required")
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("metadata password is invalid: %w", err)
 		}
 		interval, err := time.ParseDuration(pollInterval)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ func (task *NGrinderTask) Run(ctx context.Context) bool {
 	url := task.CloneAndStartEndpoint().String()
 	result, err := task.request("POST", url, ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		task.logger.With("canary", task.canary).Errorf("failed to clone and start ngrinder test %s: %s", url, err.Error())
+		task.logger.With("canary", task.canary).
+			Errorf("failed to clone and start ngrinder test %s: %s", url, err.Error())
 		return false
 	}
 	id := result["id"]
@@ -134,26 +135,35 @@ func (task *NGrinderTask) PollStatus(ctx context.Context) bool {
 // send request, handle error, and eavl response json
 func (task *NGrinderTask) request(method, url string, ctx context.Context) (map[string]interface{}, error) {
 	task.logger.Debugf("send %s request to %s", method, url)
-	req, _ := http.NewRequest(method, url, nil)
+	req, err := http.NewRequest(method, url, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("http.NewRequest failed: %w", err)
+	}
+
 	req.SetBasicAuth(task.username, task.passwd)
 	if ctx != nil {
 		req = req.WithContext(ctx)
 	}
 	resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
-	if resp != nil {
-		defer resp.Body.Close()
-	}
 	if err != nil {
-		task.logger.Errorf("bad request: %s", err.Error())
-		return nil, err
+		task.logger.Errorf("request failed: %s", err.Error())
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("request failed: %w", err)
 	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+
 	respBytes, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
-	res := make(map[string]interface{})
-	err = json.Unmarshal(respBytes, &res)
 	if err != nil {
-		task.logger.Errorf("bad response, %s ,json expected:\n %s", err.Error(), string(respBytes))
-	} else if success, ok := res["success"]; ok && success == false {
-		err = errors.New(res["message"].(string))
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("reading response body failed: %w", err)
 	}
-	return res, err
+
+	res := make(map[string]interface{})
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(respBytes, &res); err != nil {
+		task.logger.Errorf("json unmarshalling failed: %s \n %s", err.Error(), string(respBytes))
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("json unmarshalling failed: %w for %s", err, string(respBytes))
+	}
+
+	if success, ok := res["success"]; ok && success == false {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("request failed: %s", string(respBytes))
+	}
+	return res, nil
 }