diff --git a/components/consumers/elasticsearch/main.go b/components/consumers/elasticsearch/main.go
index 81c3d3c5a..52f271a02 100644
--- a/components/consumers/elasticsearch/main.go
+++ b/components/consumers/elasticsearch/main.go
@@ -10,12 +10,14 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
+	elasticsearch "github.com/elastic/go-elasticsearch/v8"
+	"github.com/elastic/go-elasticsearch/v8/esapi"
+	"github.com/go-errors/errors"
+
 	v1 "github.com/ocurity/dracon/api/proto/v1"
 	"github.com/ocurity/dracon/components/consumers"
 	"github.com/ocurity/dracon/pkg/enumtransformers"
 	"github.com/ocurity/dracon/pkg/templating"
-
-	elasticsearch "github.com/elastic/go-elasticsearch/v8"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -61,19 +63,21 @@ func main() {
 	flag.Parse()
 
 	if err := parseFlags(); err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
+		log.Fatalf("could not parse incoming flags error: %s", err)
 	}
 
+	slog.Debug("connecting to elasticsearch")
 	es, err := getESClient()
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal("could not contact remote Elasticsearch: ", err)
+		log.Fatalf("could not contact remote Elasticsearch error: %s", err)
 	}
+	slog.Debug("successfully connected to elasticsearch")
 
 	if consumers.Raw {
 		slog.Debug("Parsing Raw results")
 		responses, err := consumers.LoadToolResponse()
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal("could not load raw results, file malformed: ", err)
+			log.Fatalf("could not load raw results, file malformed: %s", err)
 		}
 		numIssues := 0
 		for _, res := range responses {
@@ -85,18 +89,17 @@ func main() {
 					log.Fatal("Could not parse raw issue", err)
 				}
 				res, err := es.Index(esIndex, bytes.NewBuffer(b))
-				log.Printf("%+v", res)
-				if err != nil {
-					log.Fatal("Could not push raw issue", err)
+				if err != nil || res.StatusCode != 200 || res.IsError() {
+					log.Fatalf("could not push raw issue to index: %s, status code received: %d, elasticsearch result: %s, error:%s", esIndex, res.StatusCode, dumpStringResponse(res), err)
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		slog.Info("Pushed", "numIssues", numIssues, "issues to Elasticsearch", "")
+		slog.Info("Pushed issues to Elasticsearch", slog.Int("numIssues", numIssues))
 	} else {
-		log.Print("Parsing Enriched results")
+		slog.Debug("Parsing Enriched results")
 		responses, err := consumers.LoadEnrichedToolResponse()
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal("could not load enriched results, file malformed: ", err)
+			log.Fatalf("could not load enriched results, file malformed error: %s ", err)
 		}
 		numIssues := 0
 		for _, res := range responses {
@@ -105,22 +108,24 @@ func main() {
 			for _, iss := range res.GetIssues() {
 				b, err := getEnrichedIssue(scanStartTime, res, iss)
 				if err != nil {
-					log.Fatal("Could not parse enriched issue", err)
+					log.Fatalf("Could not parse enriched issue error:%s", err)
 				}
 				res, err := es.Index(esIndex, bytes.NewBuffer(b))
-				if err != nil || res.IsError() {
-					log.Fatal("Could not push enriched issue", err, "received", res.StatusCode)
+				if err != nil || res.StatusCode != 200 || res.IsError() {
+					log.Fatalf("could not push enriched issue to index: %s, status code received: %d, elasticsearch result: %s, error:%s", esIndex, res.StatusCode, dumpStringResponse(res), err)
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		slog.Info("Pushed", "numIssues", numIssues, "issues to Elasticsearch", "")
+		slog.Info("Pushed issues to Elasticsearch", slog.Int("numIssues", numIssues))
 	}
 }
-
+func dumpStringResponse(res *esapi.Response) string {
+	return res.String()
+}
 func getRawIssue(scanStartTime time.Time, res *v1.LaunchToolResponse, iss *v1.Issue) ([]byte, error) {
 	description, err := templating.TemplateStringRaw(issueTemplate, iss)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal("Could not template raw issue ", err)
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("Could not template raw issue %w", err)
 	}
 	jBytes, err := json.Marshal(&esDocument{
 		ScanStartTime: scanStartTime,
@@ -140,7 +145,7 @@ func getRawIssue(scanStartTime time.Time, res *v1.LaunchToolResponse, iss *v1.Is
 		CVE:           iss.GetCve(),
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return []byte{}, err
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("could not marshal elasticsearch document, err: %w", err)
 	}
 	return jBytes, nil
 }
@@ -148,7 +153,7 @@ func getRawIssue(scanStartTime time.Time, res *v1.LaunchToolResponse, iss *v1.Is
 func getEnrichedIssue(scanStartTime time.Time, res *v1.EnrichedLaunchToolResponse, iss *v1.EnrichedIssue) ([]byte, error) {
 	description, err := templating.TemplateStringEnriched(issueTemplate, iss)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal("Could not template raw issue ", err)
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("Could not template raw issue %w", err)
 	}
 	firstSeenTime := iss.GetFirstSeen().AsTime()
 	jBytes, err := json.Marshal(&esDocument{
@@ -172,7 +177,7 @@ func getEnrichedIssue(scanStartTime time.Time, res *v1.EnrichedLaunchToolRespons
 		Annotations:    iss.GetAnnotations(),
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return []byte{}, err
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("could not marshal elasticsearch document, err: %w", err)
 	}
 	return jBytes, nil
 }
@@ -202,6 +207,11 @@ func getESClient() (*elasticsearch.Client, error) {
 	var es *elasticsearch.Client
 	var err error
 	var esConfig elasticsearch.Config = elasticsearch.Config{}
+	type esInfo struct {
+		Version struct {
+			Number string `json:"number"`
+		} `json:"version"`
+	}
 
 	if basicAuthUser != "" && basicAuthPass != "" {
 		esConfig.Username = basicAuthUser
@@ -219,24 +229,27 @@ func getESClient() (*elasticsearch.Client, error) {
 
 	es, err = elasticsearch.NewClient(esConfig)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	type esInfo struct {
-		Version struct {
-			Number string `json:"number"`
-		} `json:"version"`
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("could not get elasticsearch client err: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// prove connection by attempting to retrieve cluster info, this requires read access to the cluster info
+	var info esInfo
 	res, err := es.Info()
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("could not get cluster information as proof of connection, err: %w, raw response: %s", err, dumpStringResponse(res))
 	}
-	var info esInfo
-	if err := json.NewDecoder(res.Body).Decode(&info); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	if res.StatusCode != 200 || res.IsError() {
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("could not contact Elasticsearch, attempted to retrieve cluster info and got status code: %d as a result, body: %s", res.StatusCode, dumpStringResponse(res))
 	}
+
+	slog.Debug("received info from elasticsearch successfully")
+	body := json.NewDecoder(res.Body)
+	if err := body.Decode(&info); err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("could not decode elasticsearch cluster information %w", err)
+	}
+
 	if info.Version.Number[0] != '8' {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unsupported ES Server version %s", info.Version.Number)
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("unsupported elasticsearch server version %s only version 8.x is supported, got %s instead", info.Version.Number, info.Version.Number)
 	}
-	return es, err
+	return es, nil
 }