diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index 417ddfc..5c0d3a8 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ impl Error {
     fn kind(&self) -> Option<&UploadError> {
         self.inner.downcast_ref()
     }
+
+    pub(crate) fn root_cause(&self) -> &(dyn std::error::Error + 'static) {
+        self.inner.root_cause()
+    }
 }
 
 impl std::fmt::Debug for Error {
@@ -188,20 +192,11 @@ impl ResponseError for Error {
     }
 
     fn error_response(&self) -> HttpResponse {
-        if let Some(kind) = self.kind() {
-            HttpResponse::build(self.status_code())
-                .content_type("application/json")
-                .body(
-                    serde_json::to_string(&serde_json::json!({ "msg": kind.to_string() }))
-                        .unwrap_or_else(|_| r#"{"msg":"Request failed"}"#.to_string()),
-                )
-        } else {
-            HttpResponse::build(self.status_code())
-                .content_type("application/json")
-                .body(
-                    serde_json::to_string(&serde_json::json!({ "msg": "Unknown error" }))
-                        .unwrap_or_else(|_| r#"{"msg":"Request failed"}"#.to_string()),
-                )
-        }
+        HttpResponse::build(self.status_code())
+            .content_type("application/json")
+            .body(
+                serde_json::to_string(&serde_json::json!({ "msg": self.root_cause().to_string() }))
+                    .unwrap_or_else(|_| r#"{"msg":"Request failed"}"#.to_string()),
+            )
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/process.rs b/src/process.rs
index 3246b86..2fbd08e 100644
--- a/src/process.rs
+++ b/src/process.rs
@@ -44,9 +44,12 @@ pin_project_lite::pin_project! {
 
 #[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
 pub(crate) enum ProcessError {
-    #[error("Required command {0} not found")]
+    #[error("Required command {0} not found, make sure it exists in pict-rs' $PATH")]
     NotFound(String),
 
+    #[error("Cannot run command {0} due to invalid permissions on binary, make sure the pict-rs user has permission to run it")]
+    PermissionDenied(String),
+
     #[error("Reached process spawn limit")]
     LimitReached,
 
@@ -66,6 +69,9 @@ impl Process {
             Ok(this) => Ok(this),
             Err(e) => match e.kind() {
                 std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => Err(ProcessError::NotFound(command.to_string())),
+                std::io::ErrorKind::PermissionDenied => {
+                    Err(ProcessError::PermissionDenied(command.to_string()))
+                }
                 std::io::ErrorKind::WouldBlock => Err(ProcessError::LimitReached),
                 _ => Err(ProcessError::Other(e)),
             },
diff --git a/src/queue/process.rs b/src/queue/process.rs
index ea46fd3..0c055e1 100644
--- a/src/queue/process.rs
+++ b/src/queue/process.rs
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ where
             tracing::warn!("Failed to ingest\n{}\n{}", format!("{e}"), format!("{e:?}"));
 
             UploadResult::Failure {
-                message: e.to_string(),
+                message: e.root_cause().to_string(),
             }
         }
     };