diff --git a/src/worker.js b/src/worker.js
index 1377d28..1a3f38f 100644
--- a/src/worker.js
+++ b/src/worker.js
@@ -71,17 +71,17 @@ export default class Job extends events.EventEmitter {
     });
   }
 
-  _failJob(job, msg = false) {
+  _failJob(job, output = false) {
     this.debug(`Failing job ${job._id}`);
+
+    const completedTime = moment().toISOString();
     const doc = {
-      status: jobStatuses.JOB_STATUS_FAILED
+      status: jobStatuses.JOB_STATUS_FAILED,
+      completed_at: completedTime,
     };
 
-    if (msg) {
-      doc.output = {
-        content_type: 'text/plain',
-        content: msg
-      };
+    if (output) {
+      doc.output = this._formatOutput(output);
     }
 
     return this.client.update({
@@ -97,22 +97,30 @@ export default class Job extends events.EventEmitter {
     });
   }
 
+  _formatOutput(output) {
+    const unknownMime = false;
+    const docOutput = {};
+
+    if (typeof output === 'object' && output.content) {
+      docOutput.content = output.content;
+      docOutput.content_type = output.content_type || unknownMime;
+    } else {
+      docOutput.content = output || '';
+      docOutput.content_type = unknownMime;
+    }
+
+    return docOutput;
+  }
+
   _performJob(job) {
     this.debug(`Starting job ${job._id}`);
 
     return Bluebird.fromCallback((cb) => this.workerFn(job._source.payload, cb))
     .then((output) => {
-      const completedTime = moment().toISOString();
-      const unknownMime = false;
-      const docOutput = {};
+      this.debug(`Completed job ${job._id}`);
 
-      if (typeof output === 'object' && output.content) {
-        docOutput.content = output.content;
-        docOutput.content_type = output.content_type || unknownMime;
-      } else {
-        docOutput.content = output || '';
-        docOutput.content_type = unknownMime;
-      }
+      const completedTime = moment().toISOString();
+      const docOutput = this._formatOutput(output);
 
       const doc = {
         status: jobStatuses.JOB_STATUS_COMPLETED,
@@ -132,25 +140,14 @@ export default class Job extends events.EventEmitter {
         throw err;
       });
     }, (jobErr) => {
-      const completedTime = moment().toISOString();
-      const doc = {
-        status: jobStatuses.JOB_STATUS_FAILED,
-        completed_at: completedTime,
-        output: {
-          content_type: false,
-          content: jobErr.toString()
-        }
-      };
+      this.debug(`Failure occurred during job ${job._id}`);
 
-      return this.client.update({
-        index: job._index,
-        type: job._type,
-        id: job._id,
-        version: job._version,
-        body: { doc }
-      })
+      return this._failJob(job, jobErr.toString())
       .catch(() => false)
-      .then(() => { throw jobErr; });
+      .then(() => {
+        this.emit('job_error', jobErr);
+        throw jobErr;
+      });
     });
   }