diff --git a/coins/monero/src/rpc/mod.rs b/coins/monero/src/rpc/mod.rs
index df1dfb6f4..eaa8f4f40 100644
--- a/coins/monero/src/rpc/mod.rs
+++ b/coins/monero/src/rpc/mod.rs
@@ -131,23 +131,21 @@ impl<R: RpcConnection> Rpc<R> {
     route: &str,
     params: Option<Params>,
   ) -> Result<Response, RpcError> {
-    serde_json::from_str(
-      std_shims::str::from_utf8(
-        &self
-          .0
-          .post(
-            route,
-            if let Some(params) = params {
-              serde_json::to_string(&params).unwrap().into_bytes()
-            } else {
-              vec![]
-            },
-          )
-          .await?,
+    let res = self
+      .0
+      .post(
+        route,
+        if let Some(params) = params {
+          serde_json::to_string(&params).unwrap().into_bytes()
+        } else {
+          vec![]
+        },
       )
-      .map_err(|_| RpcError::InvalidNode("response wasn't utf-8"))?,
-    )
-    .map_err(|_| RpcError::InvalidNode("response wasn't json"))
+      .await?;
+    let res_str = std_shims::str::from_utf8(&res)
+      .map_err(|_| RpcError::InvalidNode("response wasn't utf-8"))?;
+    serde_json::from_str(res_str)
+      .map_err(|_| RpcError::InvalidNode("response wasn't json: {res_str}"))
   }
 
   /// Perform a JSON-RPC call with the specified method with the provided parameters
diff --git a/tests/coordinator/src/tests/batch.rs b/tests/coordinator/src/tests/batch.rs
index c1a802e94..8945716c7 100644
--- a/tests/coordinator/src/tests/batch.rs
+++ b/tests/coordinator/src/tests/batch.rs
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ pub async fn batch(
       participants.insert(known_signer_i);
       participants
     }
-    _ => panic!("coordinator didn't send back SubstratePreprocesses"),
+    other => panic!("coordinator didn't send back SubstratePreprocesses: {:?}", other),
   };
 
   for i in participants.clone() {
diff --git a/tests/full-stack/src/tests/mint_and_burn.rs b/tests/full-stack/src/tests/mint_and_burn.rs
index fc3c5ee86..2c3615e17 100644
--- a/tests/full-stack/src/tests/mint_and_burn.rs
+++ b/tests/full-stack/src/tests/mint_and_burn.rs
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ async fn mint_and_burn_test() {
       {
         let rpc = handles[0].bitcoin(&ops).await;
 
-        // Check for up to 5 minutes
+        // Check for up to 15 minutes
         let mut found = false;
         let mut i = 0;
         while i < (15 * 6) {
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ async fn mint_and_burn_test() {
           }
         }
         if !found {
-          panic!("couldn't find the expected Bitcoin transaction within 5 minutes");
+          panic!("couldn't find the expected Bitcoin transaction within 15 minutes");
         }
       }