diff --git a/src/controllers/project.controller.js b/src/controllers/project.controller.js
index fbc9f4a5..0537b583 100644
--- a/src/controllers/project.controller.js
+++ b/src/controllers/project.controller.js
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ export const update = async (req, res) => {
     });
   } catch (err) {
     res.status(400).json({
-      message: 'Error adding update to stage',
+      message: err.message,
     });
     logger.error('Error adding update to stage', err);
   }
diff --git a/tests/resources/projects.spec.js b/tests/resources/projects.spec.js
index ca690e3e..173f419f 100644
--- a/tests/resources/projects.spec.js
+++ b/tests/resources/projects.spec.js
@@ -1,285 +1,287 @@
-import chai from 'chai';
-import _ from 'lodash';
-import * as testFixtures from '../test-fixtures';
-import sinon from 'sinon';
-import datalayer from '../../src/datalayer';
-const { expect } = chai;
-import newProject from '../test-data/new-project.json';
-import supertest from 'supertest';
-import app from '../../src/server';
-import { Organization } from '../../src/models/organizations/index.js';
-import { pullPickListValues } from '../../src/utils/data-loaders';
-import { Staging, Project } from '../../src/models/index.js';
-import { uuid as uuidv4 } from 'uuidv4';
-import { prepareDb, seedDb, sequelize } from '../../src/database';
-const TEST_WAIT_TIME = datalayer.POLLING_INTERVAL * 2;
-
-describe('Project Resource CRUD', function () {
-  afterEach(function () {
-    sinon.restore();
-  });
-
-  before(async function () {
-    await pullPickListValues();
-    await new Promise((resolve) => {
-      setTimeout(() => {
-        resolve();
-      }, 5000);
-    });
-    await prepareDb();
-    await seedDb(sequelize);
-  });
-
-  beforeEach(async function () {
-    await supertest(app).get(`/v1/staging/clean`);
-  });
-
-  describe('GET projects', function () {
-    describe('error states', function () {
-      it('errors if there if there is no connection to the datalayer', async function () {
-        sinon.stub(datalayer, 'dataLayerAvailable').resolves(false);
-        const response = await supertest(app).get('/v1/projects');
-        expect(response.statusCode).to.equal(400);
-
-        console.log(response.body);
-
-        expect(response.body.error).to.equal(
-          'Can not establish connection to Chia Datalayer',
-        );
-      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
-    });
-
-    describe('success states', function () {
-      it('gets all the projects available', async function () {
-        // no query params
-        const projects = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery();
-        expect(projects.length).to.equal(11);
-      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
-
-      it('gets all the projects filtered by orgUid', async function () {
-        // ?orgUid=XXXX
-        const projects = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery({
-          orgUid: 'a807e453-6524-49df-a32d-785e56cf560e',
-        });
-        expect(projects.length).to.equal(3);
-      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
-
-      it('gets all the projects for a search term', async function () {
-        // ?search=XXXX
-        const projects = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery({
-          search: 'City of Arcata',
-        });
-        expect(projects.length).to.equal(1);
-      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
-
-      it('gets all the projects for a search term filtered by orgUid', async function () {
-        // ?orgUid=XXXX&search=XXXX
-        const projects = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery({
-          orgUid: 'a807e453-6524-49df-a32d-785e56cf560e',
-          search: 'City of Arcata',
-        });
-
-        expect(projects.length).to.equal(1);
-      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
-
-      it('gets optional paginated results', async function () {
-        // ?page=X&limit=10
-        const projectsPage1 = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery({
-          page: 1,
-          limit: 3,
-        });
-        expect(projectsPage1.data.length).to.equal(3);
-
-        const projectsPage2 = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery({
-          page: 2,
-          limit: 3,
-        });
-
-        expect(projectsPage2.data.length).to.equal(3);
-        expect(projectsPage1.data).to.not.deep.equal(projectsPage2.data);
-
-        const projectsLimit2 = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery({
-          page: 1,
-          limit: 2,
-        });
-        expect(projectsLimit2.data.length).to.equal(2);
-      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
-
-      it('finds a single result by warehouseProjectId', async function () {
-        // ?warehouseProjectId=XXXX
-        const projects = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery({
-          warehouseProjectId: '7f3a656e-d21c-409f-ae38-f97c89f0ae66',
-        });
-
-        // should get only 1 result
-        expect(projects).to.be.a('object');
-      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
-    });
-  });
-
-  describe('POST Projects - Create', function () {
-    describe('error states', function () {
-      it.skip('errors if no home organization exists', async function () {
-        await Organization.destroy({
-          where: {},
-          truncate: true,
-        });
-        const response = await supertest(app)
-          .post('/v1/projects')
-          .send(newProject);
-
-        expect(response.body).to.deep.equal(
-          'No Home organization found, please create an organization to write data',
-        );
-        expect(response.statusCode).to.equal(400);
-
-        await supertest(app).post(`/v1/organizations`).send({
-          name: 'Test',
-          icon: 'https://climate-warehouse.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public/orgs/me.svg',
-        });
-      });
-
-      it('errors if there is a current set of pending commits', async function () {
-        const uuid = uuidv4();
-        await Staging.create({
-          uuid,
-          commited: true,
-          action: 'INSERT',
-          table: Project.stagingTableName,
-          data: JSON.stringify([{}]),
-        });
-
-        const response = await supertest(app)
-          .post('/v1/projects')
-          .send(newProject);
-
-        expect(response.body.error).to.equal(
-          'You currently have changes pending on the blockchain. Please wait for them to propagate before making more changes',
-        );
-        expect(response.statusCode).to.equal(400);
-      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
-
-      it('errors if there if there is no connection to the datalayer', async function () {
-        sinon.stub(datalayer, 'dataLayerAvailable').resolves(false);
-        const response = await supertest(app)
-          .post('/v1/projects')
-          .send(newProject);
-
-        expect(response.body.error).to.equal(
-          'Can not establish connection to Chia Datalayer',
-        );
-        expect(response.statusCode).to.equal(400);
-      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
-    });
-
-    describe('success states', function () {
-      it('creates a new project with no child tables', async function () {
-        await Staging.destroy({
-          where: {},
-          truncate: true,
-        });
-        const projectData = _.clone(newProject);
-        delete projectData.labels;
-        delete projectData.issuances;
-        delete projectData.coBenefits;
-        delete projectData.relatedProjects;
-        delete projectData.projectRatings;
-        delete projectData.estimations;
-        delete projectData.projectLocations;
-
-        const response = await supertest(app)
-          .post('/v1/projects')
-          .send({
-            ...projectData,
-          });
-
-        expect(response.body.message).to.equal('Project staged successfully');
-        expect(response.statusCode).to.equal(200);
-      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
-
-      it('creates a new project with all child tables', async function () {
-        await Staging.destroy({
-          where: {},
-          truncate: true,
-        });
-
-        const response = await supertest(app)
-          .post('/v1/projects')
-          .send({
-            ...newProject,
-          });
-
-        expect(response.body.message).to.equal('Project staged successfully');
-        expect(response.statusCode).to.equal(200);
-      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
-    });
-  });
-
-  describe('PUT Projects - Update', function () {
-    describe('error states', function () {
-      it('errors if no home organization exists', async function () {
-        const responseCreate = await supertest(app)
-          .get('/v1/projects')
-          .send({
-            ...newProject,
-          });
-
-        const warehouseProjectId = _.head(responseCreate.body);
-
-        await Organization.destroy({
-          where: {},
-          truncate: true,
-        });
-
-        const response = await supertest(app)
-          .put(`/v1/projects`)
-          .send({
-            ...newProject,
-            warehouseProjectId: warehouseProjectId.toString(),
-          });
-
-        expect(response.body.error).to.deep.equal(
-          'No Home organization found, please create an organization to write data',
-        );
-
-        expect(response.statusCode).to.equal(400);
-
-        await supertest(app).post(`/v1/organizations`).send({
-          name: 'Test',
-          icon: 'https://climate-warehouse.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public/orgs/me.svg',
-        });
-      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
-      it('errors if there is a current set of pending commits', function () {});
-      it('errors if there if there is no connection to the datalayer', function () {});
-      it('errors if the warehouseProjectId is not in the payload', function () {});
-      it('errors if the warehouseProjectId is an existing record', function () {});
-      it('errors if trying to update a child table that is not an existing record', function () {});
-      it('errors if the orgUid of the project does not equal the home organization', function () {});
-    });
-
-    describe('success states', function () {
-      it('updates a new project with no child tables', function () {});
-      it('updates a new project with all child tables', function () {});
-    });
-  });
-
-  describe('DELETE Projects - Delete', function () {
-    describe('error states', function () {
-      it('errors if no home organization exists', function () {});
-      it('errors if there is a current set of pending commits', function () {});
-      it('errors if there if there is no connection to the datalayer', function () {});
-      it('errors if the warehouseProjectId is not in the payload', function () {});
-      it('errors if the warehouseProjectId is an existing record', function () {});
-      it('errors if the orgUid of the project does not equal the home organization', function () {});
-    });
-
-    describe('success states', function () {
-      it('updates a new project with no child tables', function () {});
-      it('updates a new project with all child tables', function () {});
-    });
-  });
-
-  describe('websocket', function () {
-    it('flags a change when projects are updated', function () {});
-  });
-});
+import chai from 'chai';
+import _ from 'lodash';
+import * as testFixtures from '../test-fixtures';
+import sinon from 'sinon';
+import datalayer from '../../src/datalayer';
+const { expect } = chai;
+import newProject from '../test-data/new-project.json';
+import supertest from 'supertest';
+import app from '../../src/server';
+import { Organization } from '../../src/models/organizations/index.js';
+import { pullPickListValues } from '../../src/utils/data-loaders';
+import { Staging, Project } from '../../src/models/index.js';
+import { uuid as uuidv4 } from 'uuidv4';
+import { prepareDb, seedDb, sequelize } from '../../src/database';
+const TEST_WAIT_TIME = datalayer.POLLING_INTERVAL * 2;
+
+describe('Project Resource CRUD', function () {
+  afterEach(function () {
+    sinon.restore();
+  });
+
+  before(async function () {
+    await pullPickListValues();
+    await new Promise((resolve) => {
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        resolve();
+      }, 5000);
+    });
+    await prepareDb();
+    await seedDb(sequelize);
+  });
+
+  beforeEach(async function () {
+    await supertest(app).get(`/v1/staging/clean`);
+  });
+
+  describe('GET projects', function () {
+    describe('error states', function () {
+      it('errors if there if there is no connection to the datalayer', async function () {
+        sinon.stub(datalayer, 'dataLayerAvailable').resolves(false);
+        const response = await supertest(app).get('/v1/projects');
+        expect(response.statusCode).to.equal(400);
+
+        console.log(response.body);
+
+        expect(response.body.error).to.equal(
+          'Can not establish connection to Chia Datalayer',
+        );
+      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
+    });
+
+    describe('success states', function () {
+      it('gets all the projects available', async function () {
+        // no query params
+        const projects = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery();
+        expect(projects.length).to.equal(11);
+      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
+
+      it('gets all the projects filtered by orgUid', async function () {
+        // ?orgUid=XXXX
+        const projects = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery({
+          orgUid: 'a807e453-6524-49df-a32d-785e56cf560e',
+        });
+        expect(projects.length).to.equal(3);
+      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
+
+      it('gets all the projects for a search term', async function () {
+        // ?search=XXXX
+        const projects = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery({
+          search: 'City of Arcata',
+        });
+        expect(projects.length).to.equal(1);
+      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
+
+      it('gets all the projects for a search term filtered by orgUid', async function () {
+        // ?orgUid=XXXX&search=XXXX
+        const projects = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery({
+          orgUid: 'a807e453-6524-49df-a32d-785e56cf560e',
+          search: 'City of Arcata',
+        });
+
+        expect(projects.length).to.equal(1);
+      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
+
+      it('gets optional paginated results', async function () {
+        // ?page=X&limit=10
+        const projectsPage1 = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery({
+          page: 1,
+          limit: 3,
+        });
+        expect(projectsPage1.data.length).to.equal(3);
+
+        const projectsPage2 = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery({
+          page: 2,
+          limit: 3,
+        });
+
+        expect(projectsPage2.data.length).to.equal(3);
+        expect(projectsPage1.data).to.not.deep.equal(projectsPage2.data);
+
+        const projectsLimit2 = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery({
+          page: 1,
+          limit: 2,
+        });
+        expect(projectsLimit2.data.length).to.equal(2);
+      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
+
+      it('finds a single result by warehouseProjectId', async function () {
+        // ?warehouseProjectId=XXXX
+        const projects = await testFixtures.getProjectByQuery({
+          warehouseProjectId: '7f3a656e-d21c-409f-ae38-f97c89f0ae66',
+        });
+
+        // should get only 1 result
+        expect(projects).to.be.a('object');
+      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('POST Projects - Create', function () {
+    describe('error states', function () {
+      it.skip('errors if no home organization exists', async function () {
+        await Organization.destroy({
+          where: {},
+          truncate: true,
+        });
+        const response = await supertest(app)
+          .post('/v1/projects')
+          .send(newProject);
+
+        expect(response.body).to.deep.equal(
+          'No Home organization found, please create an organization to write data',
+        );
+        expect(response.statusCode).to.equal(400);
+
+        await supertest(app).post(`/v1/organizations`).send({
+          name: 'Test',
+          icon: 'https://climate-warehouse.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public/orgs/me.svg',
+        });
+      });
+
+      it('errors if there is a current set of pending commits', async function () {
+        const uuid = uuidv4();
+        await Staging.create({
+          uuid,
+          commited: true,
+          action: 'INSERT',
+          table: Project.stagingTableName,
+          data: JSON.stringify([{}]),
+        });
+
+        const response = await supertest(app)
+          .post('/v1/projects')
+          .send(newProject);
+
+        expect(response.body.error).to.equal(
+          'You currently have changes pending on the blockchain. Please wait for them to propagate before making more changes',
+        );
+        expect(response.statusCode).to.equal(400);
+      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
+
+      it('errors if there if there is no connection to the datalayer', async function () {
+        sinon.stub(datalayer, 'dataLayerAvailable').resolves(false);
+        const response = await supertest(app)
+          .post('/v1/projects')
+          .send(newProject);
+
+        expect(response.body.error).to.equal(
+          'Can not establish connection to Chia Datalayer',
+        );
+        expect(response.statusCode).to.equal(400);
+      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
+    });
+
+    describe('success states', function () {
+      it('creates a new project with no child tables', async function () {
+        await Staging.destroy({
+          where: {},
+          truncate: true,
+        });
+        const projectData = _.clone(newProject);
+        delete projectData.labels;
+        delete projectData.issuances;
+        delete projectData.coBenefits;
+        delete projectData.relatedProjects;
+        delete projectData.projectRatings;
+        delete projectData.estimations;
+        delete projectData.projectLocations;
+
+        const response = await supertest(app)
+          .post('/v1/projects')
+          .send({
+            ...projectData,
+          });
+
+        expect(response.body.message).to.equal('Project staged successfully');
+        expect(response.statusCode).to.equal(200);
+      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
+
+      it('creates a new project with all child tables', async function () {
+        await Staging.destroy({
+          where: {},
+          truncate: true,
+        });
+
+        const response = await supertest(app)
+          .post('/v1/projects')
+          .send({
+            ...newProject,
+          });
+
+        expect(response.body.message).to.equal('Project staged successfully');
+        expect(response.statusCode).to.equal(200);
+      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('PUT Projects - Update', function () {
+    describe('error states', function () {
+      it('errors if no home organization exists', async function () {
+        const responseCreate = await supertest(app)
+          .get('/v1/projects')
+          .send({
+            ...newProject,
+          });
+
+        const warehouseProjectId = _.head(responseCreate.body);
+
+        await Organization.destroy({
+          where: {},
+          truncate: true,
+        });
+
+        const response = await supertest(app)
+          .put(`/v1/projects`)
+          .send({
+            ...newProject,
+            warehouseProjectId: warehouseProjectId.toString(),
+          });
+
+        console.log(response.body);
+
+        expect(response.body.message).to.deep.equal(
+          'No Home organization found, please create an organization to write data',
+        );
+
+        expect(response.statusCode).to.equal(400);
+
+        await supertest(app).post(`/v1/organizations`).send({
+          name: 'Test',
+          icon: 'https://climate-warehouse.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public/orgs/me.svg',
+        });
+      }).timeout(TEST_WAIT_TIME * 10);
+      it('errors if there is a current set of pending commits', function () {});
+      it('errors if there if there is no connection to the datalayer', function () {});
+      it('errors if the warehouseProjectId is not in the payload', function () {});
+      it('errors if the warehouseProjectId is an existing record', function () {});
+      it('errors if trying to update a child table that is not an existing record', function () {});
+      it('errors if the orgUid of the project does not equal the home organization', function () {});
+    });
+
+    describe('success states', function () {
+      it('updates a new project with no child tables', function () {});
+      it('updates a new project with all child tables', function () {});
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('DELETE Projects - Delete', function () {
+    describe('error states', function () {
+      it('errors if no home organization exists', function () {});
+      it('errors if there is a current set of pending commits', function () {});
+      it('errors if there if there is no connection to the datalayer', function () {});
+      it('errors if the warehouseProjectId is not in the payload', function () {});
+      it('errors if the warehouseProjectId is an existing record', function () {});
+      it('errors if the orgUid of the project does not equal the home organization', function () {});
+    });
+
+    describe('success states', function () {
+      it('updates a new project with no child tables', function () {});
+      it('updates a new project with all child tables', function () {});
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('websocket', function () {
+    it('flags a change when projects are updated', function () {});
+  });
+});