diff --git a/engine/engine.go b/engine/engine.go
index 5e014937..a4277144 100644
--- a/engine/engine.go
+++ b/engine/engine.go
@@ -264,12 +264,14 @@ func (e Engine) launchResolution(publicID string, async bool, sm *semaphore.Weig
 	}
 	debugLogger.Debugf("Engine: Resolve() %s RECAP BEFORE resolve: state: %s, steps: %s", publicID, res.State, strings.Join(recap, ", "))
 	e.wg.Add(1)
+
+	err = nil
 	if async {
 		go resolve(dbp, res, t, sm, e.wg, debugLogger)
 	} else {
-		resolve(dbp, res, t, sm, e.wg, debugLogger)
+		err = resolve(dbp, res, t, sm, e.wg, debugLogger)
 	}
-	return res, nil
+	return res, err
 }
 
 func initialize(dbp zesty.DBProvider, publicID string, debugLogger *logrus.Entry) (*resolution.Resolution, *task.Task, error) {
@@ -377,13 +379,17 @@ func initialize(dbp zesty.DBProvider, publicID string, debugLogger *logrus.Entry
 	return res, t, nil
 }
 
-func resolve(dbp zesty.DBProvider, res *resolution.Resolution, t *task.Task, sm *semaphore.Weighted, wg *sync.WaitGroup, debugLogger *logrus.Entry) {
+func resolve(dbp zesty.DBProvider, res *resolution.Resolution, t *task.Task, sm *semaphore.Weighted, wg *sync.WaitGroup, debugLogger *logrus.Entry) error {
 	defer wg.Done()
 	// keep track of steps which get executed during each run, to avoid looping+retrying the same failing step endlessly
 	executedSteps := map[string]bool{}
 	stepChan := make(chan *step.Step)
 
-	expectedMessages := runAvailableSteps(dbp, map[string]bool{}, res, t, stepChan, executedSteps, []string{}, wg, debugLogger)
+	expectedMessages, err := runAvailableSteps(dbp, map[string]bool{}, res, stepChan, executedSteps, []string{}, wg, debugLogger)
+	if err != nil {
+		debugLogger.Debugf("Engine: resolve() %s loop, ERROR WHILE runAvailableSteps: %s", res.PublicID, err)
+		return err
+	}
 
 	for expectedMessages > 0 {
 		debugLogger.Debugf("Engine: resolve() %s loop, %d expected steps", res.PublicID, expectedMessages)
@@ -451,7 +457,13 @@ func resolve(dbp zesty.DBProvider, res *resolution.Resolution, t *task.Task, sm
 			// one less step to go
 			expectedMessages--
 			// state change might unlock more steps for execution
-			expectedMessages += runAvailableSteps(dbp, modifiedSteps, res, t, stepChan, executedSteps, []string{}, wg, debugLogger)
+			newAvailableSteps, err := runAvailableSteps(dbp, modifiedSteps, res, stepChan, executedSteps, []string{}, wg, debugLogger)
+			if err != nil {
+				debugLogger.Debugf("Engine: resolve() %s loop, ERROR WHILE runAvailableSteps: %s", res.PublicID, err)
+				return err
+			}
+
+			expectedMessages += newAvailableSteps
 
 			// attempt to persist all changes in db
 			if err := commit(dbp, res, t); err != nil {
@@ -584,6 +596,8 @@ func resolve(dbp zesty.DBProvider, res *resolution.Resolution, t *task.Task, sm
 	if err := resumeParentTask(dbp, t, sm, debugLogger); err != nil {
 		debugLogger.WithError(err).Debugf("Engine: resolver(): failed to resume parent task: %s", err)
 	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func resumeParentTask(dbp zesty.DBProvider, currentTask *task.Task, sm *semaphore.Weighted, debugLogger *logrus.Entry) error {
@@ -639,7 +653,7 @@ func commit(dbp zesty.DBProvider, res *resolution.Resolution, t *task.Task) erro
 	return dbp.Commit()
 }
 
-func runAvailableSteps(dbp zesty.DBProvider, modifiedSteps map[string]bool, res *resolution.Resolution, t *task.Task, stepChan chan<- *step.Step, executedSteps map[string]bool, expandedSteps []string, wg *sync.WaitGroup, debugLogger *logrus.Entry) int {
+func runAvailableSteps(dbp zesty.DBProvider, modifiedSteps map[string]bool, res *resolution.Resolution, stepChan chan<- *step.Step, executedSteps map[string]bool, expandedSteps []string, wg *sync.WaitGroup, debugLogger *logrus.Entry) (int, error) {
 	av := availableSteps(modifiedSteps, res, executedSteps, expandedSteps, debugLogger)
 	expandedSteps = []string{}
 	preRunModifiedSteps := map[string]bool{}
@@ -647,7 +661,7 @@ func runAvailableSteps(dbp zesty.DBProvider, modifiedSteps map[string]bool, res
 
 	select {
 	case <-shutdownCtx.Done():
-		return 0
+		return 0, nil
 	default:
 		for name, s := range av {
 			// prepare step
@@ -688,7 +702,9 @@ func runAvailableSteps(dbp zesty.DBProvider, modifiedSteps map[string]bool, res
 				}
 				// rebuild step dependency tree to include generated loop steps
 				res.BuildStepTree()
-				commit(dbp, res, nil)
+				if err := commit(dbp, res, nil); err != nil {
+					return 0, err
+				}
 				go func() { stepChan <- s }()
 			} else { // regular step
 				s.ResultValidate = jsonschema.Validator(s.Name, s.Schema)
@@ -699,7 +715,9 @@ func runAvailableSteps(dbp zesty.DBProvider, modifiedSteps map[string]bool, res
 				if s.State != step.StateAfterrunError {
 					res.SetStepState(s.Name, step.StateRunning)
 					step.PreRun(s, res.Values, resolutionStateSetter(res, preRunModifiedSteps), executedSteps)
-					commit(dbp, res, nil)
+					if err := commit(dbp, res, nil); err != nil {
+						return 0, err
+					}
 				}
 
 				// run
@@ -714,10 +732,15 @@ func runAvailableSteps(dbp zesty.DBProvider, modifiedSteps map[string]bool, res
 	// - loop step generated new steps
 	if len(preRunModifiedSteps) > 0 || expanded > 0 {
 		pruneSteps(res, preRunModifiedSteps)
-		return len(av) + runAvailableSteps(dbp, preRunModifiedSteps, res, t, stepChan, executedSteps, expandedSteps, wg, debugLogger)
+		newAvailableSteps, err := runAvailableSteps(dbp, preRunModifiedSteps, res, stepChan, executedSteps, expandedSteps, wg, debugLogger)
+		if err != nil {
+			return 0, err
+		}
+
+		return len(av) + newAvailableSteps, nil
 	}
 
-	return len(av)
+	return len(av), nil
 }
 
 func expandStep(s *step.Step, res *resolution.Resolution) {