diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 6e8eeed..f1fe1e9 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ plugins {
 defaultTasks 'build'
 apply plugin: 'java'
 
-version='1.1.7'
+version='1.1.8'
 sourceSets.main.resources.srcDirs = ["src"]
 
 license {
diff --git a/src/ansibletower/launchAndWait.py b/src/ansibletower/launchAndWait.py
index 17551a2..20bd9ae 100644
--- a/src/ansibletower/launchAndWait.py
+++ b/src/ansibletower/launchAndWait.py
@@ -28,9 +28,12 @@
 
 def create_payload(extra_vars, jobTags, credentials):
     body = {}
-    body['extra_vars'] = extra_vars
-    body['job_tags'] = ",".join(jobTags)
-    body['credentials'] = credentials
+    if extra_vars:
+        body['extra_vars'] = extra_vars
+    if jobTags:
+        body['job_tags'] = ",".join(jobTags)
+    if credentials:
+        body['credentials'] = credentials
     body_as_string = json.dumps(body)
     print "Body returned from create_payload() is %s" % body_as_string
     return body_as_string
diff --git a/src/ansibletower/launchAndWait.wait_for_completion.py b/src/ansibletower/launchAndWait.wait_for_completion.py
index a2ef6c6..528af15 100644
--- a/src/ansibletower/launchAndWait.wait_for_completion.py
+++ b/src/ansibletower/launchAndWait.wait_for_completion.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def formatted_print(message):
     result = json.loads(response.response)
     status=result['status']
     task.setStatusLine("Job id %s %s" % (job_id, status))
-    formatted_print(">>> Task status after " + str(num_tries) + " tries is "+ status)
+    formatted_print(">>> Job status after " + str(num_tries) + " tries is "+ status)
     print(link_message % (str(job_id), ansibletower['url'], str(job_id)))
     print("\n")
     if status in ["running","pending","waiting"]:
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ def formatted_print(message):
         job_output=request.get(api_url+'stdout/', contentType='text/plain',headers=headers).response
         formatted_print(job_output)
         result = job_output
+        if status in ["failed"]:
+            formatted_print(">>> Job failed after " + str(num_tries) + " tries")
+            raise Exception("Error: job failed")
 else:
     formatted_print(">>> Task failed after " + str(num_tries) + " tries.  Job status was not retrieved.")
-    raise Exception("Failed: Server return [%s], with content [%s]" % (response.status, response.response))
+    raise Exception("Error: server returned [%s], with content [%s]" % (response.status, response.response))
diff --git a/src/plugin-version.properties b/src/plugin-version.properties
index af2813a..2a5ab1d 100644
--- a/src/plugin-version.properties
+++ b/src/plugin-version.properties
@@ -21,5 +21,5 @@
 #SOFTWARE.
 
 plugin=xlr-ansible-automation-controller-plugin
-version=1.1.7
+version=1.1.8