diff --git a/internal/messenger/consumer.go b/internal/messenger/consumer.go
index 49ed3210..a0b90853 100644
--- a/internal/messenger/consumer.go
+++ b/internal/messenger/consumer.go
@@ -365,6 +365,13 @@ func (m *Messenger) Consumer(targetName string) { //error {
 				)
 				err := m.IngressRouteMigration(namespace, jobSpec)
 				if err != nil {
+					opLog.Error(err,
+						fmt.Sprintf(
+							"Route migration / activestandby switch for project %s, environment %s failed to be created",
+							jobSpec.Project.Name,
+							jobSpec.Environment.Name,
+						),
+					)
 					//@TODO: send msg back to lagoon and update task to failed?
 					message.Ack(false) // ack to remove from queue
 					return
@@ -378,6 +385,13 @@ func (m *Messenger) Consumer(targetName string) { //error {
 				)
 				err := m.AdvancedTask(namespace, jobSpec)
 				if err != nil {
+					opLog.Error(err,
+						fmt.Sprintf(
+							"Advanced task for project %s, environment %s failed to be created",
+							jobSpec.Project.Name,
+							jobSpec.Environment.Name,
+						),
+					)
 					//@TODO: send msg back to lagoon and update task to failed?
 					message.Ack(false) // ack to remove from queue
 					return
@@ -391,6 +405,13 @@ func (m *Messenger) Consumer(targetName string) { //error {
 				)
 				err := m.ActiveStandbySwitch(namespace, jobSpec)
 				if err != nil {
+					opLog.Error(err,
+						fmt.Sprintf(
+							"Active/Standby switch for project %s, environment %s failed to be created",
+							jobSpec.Project.Name,
+							jobSpec.Environment.Name,
+						),
+					)
 					//@TODO: send msg back to lagoon and update task to failed?
 					message.Ack(false) // ack to remove from queue
 					return
diff --git a/internal/messenger/tasks_handler.go b/internal/messenger/tasks_handler.go
index ded60952..a5ff074a 100644
--- a/internal/messenger/tasks_handler.go
+++ b/internal/messenger/tasks_handler.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package messenger
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/base64"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"sort"
@@ -251,7 +252,11 @@ func (m *Messenger) ActiveStandbySwitch(namespace string, jobSpec *lagoonv1beta1
 	jobSpec.AdvancedTask.DeployerToken = true
 	jobSpec.AdvancedTask.SSHKey = true
 	asPayload := &ActiveStandbyPayload{}
-	err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(jobSpec.AdvancedTask.JSONPayload), asPayload)
+	asPayloadDecoded, err := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(jobSpec.AdvancedTask.JSONPayload)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Unable to base64 decode payload: %v", err)
+	}
+	err = json.Unmarshal([]byte(asPayloadDecoded), asPayload)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Unable to unmarshal json payload: %v", err)
 	}