diff --git a/backend/eventloop/application_event_loop/application_event_runner_deployments.go b/backend/eventloop/application_event_loop/application_event_runner_deployments.go
index 36ff2d9b07..17188c9794 100644
--- a/backend/eventloop/application_event_loop/application_event_runner_deployments.go
+++ b/backend/eventloop/application_event_loop/application_event_runner_deployments.go
@@ -244,10 +244,10 @@ func (a applicationEventLoopRunner_Action) handleNewGitOpsDeplEvent(ctx context.
 	isWorkspaceTarget := gitopsDeployment.Spec.Destination.Environment == ""
 	managedEnv, engineInstance, destinationName, err := a.reconcileManagedEnvironmentOfGitOpsDeployment(ctx, gitopsDeployment,
 		gitopsDeplNamespace, isWorkspaceTarget)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err != nil || managedEnv == nil {
 
 		userError := "Unable to reconcile the ManagedEnvironment. Verify that the ManagedEnvironment and Secret are correctly defined, and have valid credentials"
-		devError := fmt.Errorf("unable to get or create managed environment, isworkspacetarget:%v: %v", isWorkspaceTarget, err)
+		devError := fmt.Errorf("unable to get or create managed environment, isworkspacetarget:%v: %w", isWorkspaceTarget, err)
 
 		return nil, nil, deploymentModifiedResult_Failed, gitopserrors.NewUserDevError(userError, devError)
 
diff --git a/backend/eventloop/shared_resource_loop/sharedresourceloop_managedenv.go b/backend/eventloop/shared_resource_loop/sharedresourceloop_managedenv.go
index 073651502b..fa9a184279 100644
--- a/backend/eventloop/shared_resource_loop/sharedresourceloop_managedenv.go
+++ b/backend/eventloop/shared_resource_loop/sharedresourceloop_managedenv.go
@@ -254,8 +254,12 @@ func internalProcessMessage_internalReconcileSharedManagedEnv(ctx context.Contex
 func getManagedEnvironmentCRs(ctx context.Context,
 	managedEnvironmentCRName string,
 	managedEnvironmentCRNamespace string,
-	workspaceClient client.Client, workspaceNamespace corev1.Namespace, k8sClientFactory SRLK8sClientFactory, dbQueries db.DatabaseQueries,
-	clusterUser db.ClusterUser, log logr.Logger) (managedgitopsv1alpha1.GitOpsDeploymentManagedEnvironment, corev1.Secret, bool, error) {
+	workspaceClient client.Client,
+	workspaceNamespace corev1.Namespace,
+	k8sClientFactory SRLK8sClientFactory,
+	dbQueries db.DatabaseQueries,
+	clusterUser db.ClusterUser,
+	log logr.Logger) (managedgitopsv1alpha1.GitOpsDeploymentManagedEnvironment, corev1.Secret, bool, error) {
 
 	const (
 		resourceDoesNotExist = true
diff --git a/tests-e2e/core/gitopsdeployment_resource_test.go b/tests-e2e/core/gitopsdeployment_resource_test.go
index 7dfe39a4f6..948845f9de 100644
--- a/tests-e2e/core/gitopsdeployment_resource_test.go
+++ b/tests-e2e/core/gitopsdeployment_resource_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ var _ = Describe("GitOpsDeployment Condition Tests", func() {
 			gitOpsDeploymentResource := gitopsDeplFixture.BuildGitOpsDeploymentResource("managed-environment-gitops-depl",
 				fixture.RepoURL, fixture.GitopsDeploymentPath,
 				managedgitopsv1alpha1.GitOpsDeploymentSpecType_Automated)
+
 			gitOpsDeploymentResource.Spec.Destination = managedgitopsv1alpha1.ApplicationDestination{
 				Environment: "does-not-exist", // This is the invalid value, which should return a condition error
 				Namespace:   "",
@@ -29,13 +30,12 @@ var _ = Describe("GitOpsDeployment Condition Tests", func() {
 			k8sClient, err := fixture.GetE2ETestUserWorkspaceKubeClient()
 			Expect(err).To(Succeed())
 
-			err = k8s.Create(&gitOpsDeploymentResource, k8sClient)
-			Expect(err).To(Succeed())
+			Expect(k8s.Create(&gitOpsDeploymentResource, k8sClient)).To(Succeed())
 
 			expectedConditions := []managedgitopsv1alpha1.GitOpsDeploymentCondition{
 				{
 					Type:    managedgitopsv1alpha1.GitOpsDeploymentConditionErrorOccurred,
-					Message: "an unknown error occurred",
+					Message: "Unable to reconcile the ManagedEnvironment. Verify that the ManagedEnvironment and Secret are correctly defined, and have valid credentials",
 					Status:  managedgitopsv1alpha1.GitOpsConditionStatusTrue,
 					Reason:  managedgitopsv1alpha1.GitopsDeploymentReasonErrorOccurred,
 				},
@@ -48,8 +48,7 @@ var _ = Describe("GitOpsDeployment Condition Tests", func() {
 			)
 
 			By("delete the GitOpsDeployment resource")
-			err = k8s.Delete(&gitOpsDeploymentResource, k8sClient)
-			Expect(err).To(Succeed())
+			Expect(k8s.Delete(&gitOpsDeploymentResource, k8sClient)).To(Succeed())
 		})
 	})
 })