diff --git a/inventory_provider/tasks/worker.py b/inventory_provider/tasks/worker.py
index b5c7a0c1061604d4ed37239f62988b1bcfb56a0a..3b7db454efc165a0ec5a5b20e2e8cb70f47ab5e2 100644
--- a/inventory_provider/tasks/worker.py
+++ b/inventory_provider/tasks/worker.py
@@ -416,5 +416,13 @@ def check_task_status(task_id):
         'success': r.status == states.SUCCESS,
     }
     if r.result:
-        result['result'] = r.result
+        # TODO: only discovered this case by testing, is this the only one?
+        #       ... otherwise need to pre-test json serialization
+        if isinstance(r.result, Exception):
+            result['result'] = {
+                'error type': type(r.result).__name__,
+                'message': str(r.result)
+            }
+        else:
+            result['result'] = r.result
     return result