diff --git a/executor/api/rest/client.go b/executor/api/rest/client.go
index a70a867316..ed20df2864 100644
--- a/executor/api/rest/client.go
+++ b/executor/api/rest/client.go
@@ -4,6 +4,15 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"net"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
+
 	http2 "github.com/cloudevents/sdk-go/pkg/bindings/http"
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	"github.com/golang/protobuf/jsonpb"
@@ -19,15 +28,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/seldonio/seldon-core/executor/api/util"
 	"github.com/seldonio/seldon-core/executor/k8s"
 	v1 "github.com/seldonio/seldon-core/operator/apis/machinelearning.seldon.io/v1"
-	"io"
-	"io/ioutil"
-	"net"
-	"net/http"
-	"net/url"
 	logf "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/log"
-	"strconv"
-	"strings"
-	"time"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -50,7 +51,13 @@ func (smc *JSONRestClient) IsGrpc() bool {
 }
 
 func (smc *JSONRestClient) CreateErrorPayload(err error) payload.SeldonPayload {
-	respFailed := proto.SeldonMessage{Status: &proto.Status{Code: http.StatusInternalServerError, Info: err.Error()}}
+	respFailed := proto.SeldonMessage{
+		Status: &proto.Status{
+			Code:   http.StatusInternalServerError,
+			Info:   err.Error(),
+			Status: proto.Status_FAILURE,
+		},
+	}
 	m := jsonpb.Marshaler{}
 	jStr, _ := m.MarshalToString(&respFailed)
 	res := payload.BytesPayload{Msg: []byte(jStr)}
@@ -291,7 +298,16 @@ func (smc *JSONRestClient) call(ctx context.Context, modelName string, method st
 		contentType = req.GetContentType()
 		contentEncoding = req.GetContentEncoding()
 	}
+
 	sm, contentType, contentEncoding, err := smc.doHttp(ctx, modelName, method, &url, bytes, meta, contentType, contentEncoding)
+
+	// Check if a httpStatusError was returned.
+	if err != nil {
+		if _, ok := err.(*httpStatusError); !ok {
+			return smc.CreateErrorPayload(err), err
+		}
+	}
+
 	res := payload.BytesPayload{Msg: sm, ContentType: contentType, ContentEncoding: contentEncoding}
 	return &res, err
 }
diff --git a/executor/api/rest/client_test.go b/executor/api/rest/client_test.go
index 372a64858f..3ad7616c4c 100644
--- a/executor/api/rest/client_test.go
+++ b/executor/api/rest/client_test.go
@@ -329,8 +329,16 @@ func TestTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 	seldonRestClient, err := NewJSONRestClient(api.ProtocolSeldon, "test", &predictor, annotations)
 	g.Expect(err).To(BeNil())
 
-	_, err = seldonRestClient.Status(createTestContext(), "model", host, int32(port), nil, map[string][]string{})
+	r, err := seldonRestClient.Status(createTestContext(), "model", host, int32(port), nil, map[string][]string{})
 	g.Expect(err).ToNot(BeNil())
+	g.Expect(r).ToNot((BeNil()))
+
+	data := r.GetPayload().([]byte)
+	var smRes proto.SeldonMessage
+	err = jsonpb.UnmarshalString(string(data), &smRes)
+	g.Expect(err).Should(BeNil())
+	g.Expect(smRes.GetStatus().GetCode()).Should(BeEquivalentTo(int32(500)))
+	g.Expect(smRes.GetStatus().GetInfo()).Should(ContainSubstring("Client.Timeout exceeded while awaiting headers"))
 }
 
 func TestMarshall(t *testing.T) {