diff --git a/api/blueprints/finstitutions/payments/callback.py b/api/blueprints/finstitutions/payments/callback.py
index 3599ef9..439e511 100644
--- a/api/blueprints/finstitutions/payments/callback.py
+++ b/api/blueprints/finstitutions/payments/callback.py
@@ -198,11 +198,12 @@ async def safaricom_m_pesa_express_callback(
     # Figure out which of the above codes is relevant to you:
     pg_reference_id = inbound_data["Body"]["stkCallback"]["CheckoutRequestID"]
     pg_result_code = int(inbound_data["Body"]["stkCallback"]["ResultCode"])
+    pg_result_desc = inbound_data["Body"]["stkCallback"]["ResultDesc"]
     relevant_code = code_map.get(
         pg_result_code,
         {
             "status": "unknown",
-            "message": f"Unknown code '{pg_result_code}' from the payment gateway."
+            "message": f"Unknown code '{pg_result_code}' from the payment gateway. PG: '{pg_result_desc}'"
         }
     )
 
diff --git a/controllers/api/payment.py b/controllers/api/payment.py
index ba0b237..5b120b4 100644
--- a/controllers/api/payment.py
+++ b/controllers/api/payment.py
@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@ class PaymentController:
             payment_id = payment_id,
             event = PaymentEvent(
                 paymentStatus = "initiated" if client_response.success else "initFailed",
+                message = f"PG: {client_response.message}",
                 initByPG = False,
                 httpCode = client_response.httpCode,
                 headers = await client_response.get_headers(),
@@ -241,12 +242,12 @@ class PaymentController:
 
         # Done here:
         result.success = client_response.success and event_note_success
-        result.message = "; ".join([
-            "payment requested successfully" if client_response.success
-            else f"payment request failed (PG: {client_response.message})",
-            "event noted successfully" if event_note_success
-            else "event noting failed",
-        ])
+        result.message = " ".join([
+            "Payment requested successfully." if client_response.success
+            else f"Payment request FAILED (PG: '{client_response.message}').",
+            " " if event_note_success
+            else "Event noting FAILED.",
+        ]).strip()
         return result
 
     async def request_payment(
@@ -272,6 +273,7 @@ class PaymentController:
                     payerNo = payment_request.payerNo,
                     email = payment_request.email
                 ),
+                lastEventMessage = "Payment Request Queued",
                 lastPaymentStatus = "queued",
                 tokenId = auth_token.authTokenId,
                 amount = payment_request.amount,
diff --git a/controllers/core/payment.py b/controllers/core/payment.py
index d81cad8..6cbea46 100644
--- a/controllers/core/payment.py
+++ b/controllers/core/payment.py
@@ -317,8 +317,9 @@ class CorePaymentController(BaseModel):
                 "events": event.model_dump()
             },
             "$set": {
-                "lastEventTs": date_time.get_current_ist_date_time(as_string = False),
-                "lastPaymentStatus": event.paymentStatus
+                "lastEventTs": event.eventTs,
+                "lastEventMessage": event.message,
+                "lastPaymentStatus": event.paymentStatus,
             }
         }
         if client_reference_id: update_json["$set"]["clientPaymentReferenceId"] = client_reference_id
@@ -354,7 +355,8 @@ class CorePaymentController(BaseModel):
                 "events": event.model_dump()
             },
             "$set": {
-                "lastEventTs": date_time.get_current_ist_date_time(as_string = False),
+                "lastEventTs": event.eventTs,
+                "lastEventMessage": event.message,
                 "lastPaymentStatus": event.paymentStatus
             }
         }
diff --git a/models/core/payment.py b/models/core/payment.py
index f0acba4..4610e9c 100644
--- a/models/core/payment.py
+++ b/models/core/payment.py
@@ -235,6 +235,12 @@ class CorePaymentModel(BaseModel):
         default = None
     )
 
+    lastEventMessage: str | None = Field(
+        description = "a short, human-readable message",
+        frozen = False,
+        default = None
+    )
+
     lastPaymentStatus: str = Field(
         description = "the status of the payment request to see what stage of the process we are in",
         frozen = False
diff --git a/utils_v2/payments/safaricom/controllers/m_pesa_express.py b/utils_v2/payments/safaricom/controllers/m_pesa_express.py
index e2052d7..147b225 100644
--- a/utils_v2/payments/safaricom/controllers/m_pesa_express.py
+++ b/utils_v2/payments/safaricom/controllers/m_pesa_express.py
@@ -346,12 +346,12 @@ class SafaricomMPesaExpress:
         )
 
         # If the call failed:
-        if api_response.httpCode == 400:
+        if api_response.httpCode not in [200]:
             api_json = await api_response.get_json()
             api_response.message = f"{api_json['errorCode']} -> {api_json['errorMessage']}"
 
         # If the call failed:
-        if api_response.httpCode in [200]:
+        else:
             api_json = await api_response.get_json()
             success = True if str(api_json.get("ResponseCode")) == "0" else False
             api_response.message = api_json.get("ResponseDescription", "N/A")