diff --git a/compute_worker/compute_worker.py b/compute_worker/compute_worker.py
index a592604f0..14a1b3c59 100644
--- a/compute_worker/compute_worker.py
+++ b/compute_worker/compute_worker.py
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ async def send_detailed_results(self, file_path):
                 )
             )
         except Exception as e:
-            logger.error("This error might result in a Execution Time Exceeded error" + e)
+            logger.error(f"This error might result in a Execution Time Exceeded error: {e}")
             if os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL", "info").lower() == "debug":
                 logger.exception(e)
 
@@ -668,8 +668,7 @@ async def _run_container_engine_cmd(self, container, kind):
             )
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(
-                "There was an error trying to connect to the websocket on the codabench instance"
-                + e
+                f"There was an error trying to connect to the websocket on the codabench instance: {e}"
             )
             if os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL", "info").lower() == "debug":
                 logger.exception(e)
@@ -718,8 +717,7 @@ async def _run_container_engine_cmd(self, container, kind):
             logger.error(e)
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(
-                "There was an error while starting the container and getting the logs"
-                + e
+                f"There was an error while starting the container and getting the logs: {e}"
             )
             if os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL", "info").lower() == "debug":
                 logger.exception(e)
@@ -748,7 +746,7 @@ async def _run_container_engine_cmd(self, container, kind):
             Exception,
         ) as e:
             logger.error(e)
-            return_Code = {"StatusCode": e}
+            return_Code = {"StatusCode": 1}
 
         self.logs[kind] = {
             "returncode": return_Code["StatusCode"],
@@ -1129,12 +1127,16 @@ def start(self):
             self._run_program_directory(ingestion_program_dir, kind="ingestion"),
             self.watch_detailed_results(),
             loop=loop,
+            return_exceptions=True,
         )
 
+        task_results = []  # will store results/exceptions from gather
         signal.signal(signal.SIGALRM, alarm_handler)
         signal.alarm(self.execution_time_limit)
         try:
-            loop.run_until_complete(gathered_tasks)
+            # run tasks
+            # keep what gather returned so we can detect async errors later
+            task_results = loop.run_until_complete(gathered_tasks) or []
         except ExecutionTimeLimitExceeded:
             error_message = f"Execution Time Limit exceeded. Limit was {self.execution_time_limit} seconds"
             logger.error(error_message)
@@ -1159,7 +1161,7 @@ def start(self):
                         logger.error(e)
                     except Exception as e:
                         logger.error(
-                            "There was a problem killing " + str(containers_to_kill) + e
+                            f"There was a problem killing {containers_to_kill}: {e}"
                         )
                         if os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL", "info").lower() == "debug":
                             logger.exception(e)
@@ -1175,7 +1177,12 @@ def start(self):
                     elapsed_time = logs["end"] - logs["start"]
                 else:
                     elapsed_time = self.execution_time_limit
-                return_code = logs["returncode"]
+                # Normalize the return_code
+                return_code = (
+                    logs["returncode"]
+                    if logs["returncode"] is None or isinstance(logs["returncode"], int)
+                    else 1
+                )
                 if return_code is None:
                     logger.warning("No return code from Process. Killing it")
                     if kind == "ingestion":
@@ -1189,7 +1196,7 @@ def start(self):
                         logger.error(e)
                     except Exception as e:
                         logger.error(
-                            "There was a problem killing " + str(containers_to_kill) + e
+                            f"There was a problem killing {containers_to_kill}: {e}"
                         )
                         if os.environ.get("LOG_LEVEL", "info").lower() == "debug":
                             logger.exception(e)
@@ -1212,6 +1219,16 @@ def start(self):
         signal.alarm(0)
 
         if self.is_scoring:
+            # Check if scoring program failed
+            program_results, _, _ = task_results
+            # Gather returns either normal values or exception instances when return_exceptions=True
+            had_async_exc = isinstance(program_results, BaseException) and not isinstance(program_results, asyncio.CancelledError)
+            program_rc = getattr(self, "program_exit_code", None)
+            failed_rc = program_rc not in (0, None)
+            if had_async_exc or failed_rc:
+                self._update_status(STATUS_FAILED, extra_information=f"program_rc={program_rc}, async={task_results}")
+                # Raise so upstream marks failed immediately
+                raise SubmissionException("Child task failed or non-zero return code")
             self._update_status(STATUS_FINISHED)
         else:
             self._update_status(STATUS_SCORING)