diff --git a/pkg/kncloudevents/event_dispatcher.go b/pkg/kncloudevents/event_dispatcher.go
index d843c63e79e..a1f18e21fb0 100644
--- a/pkg/kncloudevents/event_dispatcher.go
+++ b/pkg/kncloudevents/event_dispatcher.go
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ func (d *Dispatcher) executeRequest(ctx context.Context, target duckv1.Addressab
 	if isFailure(response.StatusCode) {
 		// Read response body into dispatchInfo for failures
 		if readErr != nil && readErr != io.EOF {
-			dispatchInfo.ResponseBody = []byte(fmt.Sprintf("dispatch resulted in status \"%s\". Could not read response body: error: %s", response.Status, err.Error()))
+			dispatchInfo.ResponseBody = []byte(fmt.Sprintf("dispatch resulted in status \"%s\". Could not read response body: error: %s", response.Status, readErr.Error()))
 		} else {
 			dispatchInfo.ResponseBody = body.Bytes()
 		}
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ func (d *Dispatcher) executeRequest(ctx context.Context, target duckv1.Addressab
 
 	var responseMessageBody []byte
 	if readErr != nil && readErr != io.EOF {
-		responseMessageBody = []byte(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to read response body: %s", err.Error()))
+		responseMessageBody = []byte(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to read response body: %s", readErr.Error()))
 	} else {
 		responseMessageBody = body.Bytes()
 		dispatchInfo.ResponseBody = responseMessageBody