diff --git a/pkg/kncloudevents/event_dispatcher.go b/pkg/kncloudevents/event_dispatcher.go
index a1f18e21fb0..ddc9e5978f8 100644
--- a/pkg/kncloudevents/event_dispatcher.go
+++ b/pkg/kncloudevents/event_dispatcher.go
@@ -298,12 +298,12 @@ func (d *Dispatcher) executeRequest(ctx context.Context, target duckv1.Addressab
 	dispatchInfo.ResponseHeader = response.Header
 
 	body := new(bytes.Buffer)
-	_, readErr := body.ReadFrom(response.Body)
+	_, err = body.ReadFrom(response.Body)
 
 	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, readErr.Error()))
+		if err != nil && err != io.EOF {
+			dispatchInfo.ResponseBody = []byte(fmt.Sprintf("dispatch resulted in status \"%s\". Could not read response body: error: %s", response.Status, err.Error()))
 		} else {
 			dispatchInfo.ResponseBody = body.Bytes()
 		}
@@ -314,8 +314,9 @@ 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", readErr.Error()))
+	if err != nil && err != io.EOF {
+		responseMessageBody = []byte(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to read response body: %s", err.Error()))
+		dispatchInfo.ResponseCode = http.StatusInternalServerError
 	} else {
 		responseMessageBody = body.Bytes()
 		dispatchInfo.ResponseBody = responseMessageBody