diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/error.py b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/error.py
index 1096c4c..8f76926 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/error.py
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/error.py
@@ -66,3 +66,10 @@ class LockedError(Exception):
 
     """
     pass
+
+
+class SignerError(Exception):
+    """Exception raised when signer is unavailable or generates an error
+
+    """
+    pass
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/account.py b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/account.py
index 8efe4e5..41b30e7 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/account.py
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/account.py
@@ -21,8 +21,14 @@ from cic_eth.db.models.base import SessionBase
 from cic_eth.db.models.role import AccountRole
 from cic_eth.db.models.tx import TxCache
 from cic_eth.eth.util import unpack_signed_raw_tx
-from cic_eth.error import RoleMissingError
-from cic_eth.task import CriticalSQLAlchemyTask
+from cic_eth.error import (
+        RoleMissingError,
+        SignerError,
+        )
+from cic_eth.task import (
+        CriticalSQLAlchemyTask,
+        CriticalSQLAlchemyAndSignerTask,
+        )
 
 #logg = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 logg = logging.getLogger()
@@ -139,7 +145,7 @@ def unpack_gift(data):
      
 
 # TODO: Separate out nonce initialization task
-@celery_app.task(base=CriticalSQLAlchemyTask)
+@celery_app.task(base=CriticalSQLAlchemyAndSignerTask)
 def create(password, chain_str):
     """Creates and stores a new ethereum account in the keystore.
 
@@ -154,7 +160,13 @@ def create(password, chain_str):
     """
     chain_spec = ChainSpec.from_chain_str(chain_str)
     c = RpcClient(chain_spec)
-    a = c.w3.eth.personal.new_account(password)
+    a = None
+    try:
+        a = c.w3.eth.personal.new_account(password)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        pass
+    if a == None:
+        raise SignerError('create account')
     logg.debug('created account {}'.format(a))
 
     # Initialize nonce provider record for account
@@ -165,7 +177,7 @@ def create(password, chain_str):
     return a
 
 
-@celery_app.task(bind=True, throws=(RoleMissingError,), base=CriticalSQLAlchemyTask)
+@celery_app.task(bind=True, throws=(RoleMissingError,), base=CriticalSQLAlchemyAndSignerTask)
 def register(self, account_address, chain_str, writer_address=None):
     """Creates a transaction to add the given address to the accounts index.
 
@@ -215,7 +227,7 @@ def register(self, account_address, chain_str, writer_address=None):
     return account_address
 
 
-@celery_app.task(bind=True, base=CriticalSQLAlchemyTask)
+@celery_app.task(bind=True, base=CriticalSQLAlchemyAndSignerTask)
 def gift(self, account_address, chain_str):
     """Creates a transaction to invoke the faucet contract for the given address.
 
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/task.py b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/task.py
index 67ff956..60bbb59 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/task.py
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/task.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from cic_registry.chain import ChainSpec
 # local imports
 from cic_eth.eth import RpcClient
 from cic_eth.queue.tx import create as queue_create
+from cic_eth.error import SignerError
 
 celery_app = celery.current_app
 logg = celery_app.log.get_default_logger()
@@ -26,7 +27,13 @@ def sign_tx(tx, chain_str):
     """
     chain_spec = ChainSpec.from_chain_str(chain_str)
     c = RpcClient(chain_spec)
-    tx_transfer_signed = c.w3.eth.sign_transaction(tx) 
+    tx_transfer_signed = None
+    try:
+        tx_transfer_signed = c.w3.eth.sign_transaction(tx)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        pass
+    if tx_transfer_signed == None:
+        raise SignerError('sign tx')
     logg.debug('tx_transfer_signed {}'.format(tx_transfer_signed))
     tx_hash = c.w3.keccak(hexstr=tx_transfer_signed['raw'])
     tx_hash_hex = tx_hash.hex()
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/token.py b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/token.py
index 10f38bf..0783c9f 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/token.py
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/token.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from cic_eth.ext.address import translate_address
 from cic_eth.task import (
         CriticalSQLAlchemyTask,
         CriticalWeb3Task,
+        CriticalSQLAlchemyAndSignerTask,
     )
 
 celery_app = celery.current_app
@@ -212,7 +213,7 @@ def balance(tokens, holder_address, chain_str):
     return tokens
 
 
-@celery_app.task(bind=True, base=CriticalSQLAlchemyTask)
+@celery_app.task(bind=True, base=CriticalSQLAlchemyAndSignerTask)
 def transfer(self, tokens, holder_address, receiver_address, value, chain_str):
     """Transfer ERC20 tokens between addresses
 
@@ -268,7 +269,7 @@ def transfer(self, tokens, holder_address, receiver_address, value, chain_str):
     return tx_hash_hex
 
 
-@celery_app.task(bind=True, base=CriticalSQLAlchemyTask)
+@celery_app.task(bind=True, base=CriticalSQLAlchemyAndSignerTask)
 def approve(self, tokens, holder_address, spender_address, value, chain_str):
     """Approve ERC20 transfer on behalf of holder address
 
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/tx.py b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/tx.py
index 2e43f5f..2780faa 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/tx.py
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/eth/tx.py
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ from cic_eth.admin.ctrl import lock_send
 from cic_eth.task import (
         CriticalSQLAlchemyTask,
         CriticalWeb3Task,
+        CriticalWeb3AndSignerTask,
+        CriticalSQLAlchemyAndSignerTask,
         )
 
 celery_app = celery.current_app
@@ -418,7 +420,7 @@ def send(self, txs, chain_str):
 
 # TODO: if this method fails the nonce will be out of sequence. session needs to be extended to include the queue create, so that nonce is rolled back if the second sql query fails. Better yet, split each state change into separate tasks.
 # TODO: method is too long, factor out code for clarity
-@celery_app.task(bind=True, throws=(web3.exceptions.TransactionNotFound,), base=CriticalWeb3Task)
+@celery_app.task(bind=True, throws=(web3.exceptions.TransactionNotFound,), base=CriticalWeb3AndSignerTask)
 def refill_gas(self, recipient_address, chain_str):
     """Executes a native token transaction to fund the recipient's gas expenditures.
 
@@ -511,7 +513,7 @@ def refill_gas(self, recipient_address, chain_str):
     return tx_send_gas_signed['raw']
 
 
-@celery_app.task(bind=True)
+@celery_app.task(bind=True, base=CriticalSQLAlchemyAndSignerTask)
 def resend_with_higher_gas(self, txold_hash_hex, chain_str, gas=None, default_factor=1.1):
     """Create a new transaction from an existing one with same nonce and higher gas price.
 
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/task.py b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/task.py
index 7e02fdb..2b5f6af 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/task.py
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/cic_eth/task.py
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ import requests
 import celery
 import sqlalchemy
 
+# local imports
+from cic_eth.error import SignerError
+
 
 class CriticalTask(celery.Task):
     retry_jitter = True
@@ -31,3 +34,16 @@ class CriticalSQLAlchemyAndWeb3Task(CriticalTask):
         sqlalchemy.exc.TimeoutError,
         requests.exceptions.ConnectionError,
         )
+
+class CriticalSQLAlchemyAndSignerTask(CriticalTask):
+     autoretry_for = (
+        sqlalchemy.exc.DatabaseError,
+        sqlalchemy.exc.TimeoutError,
+        SignerError,
+        ) 
+
+class CriticalWeb3AndSignerTask(CriticalTask):
+    autoretry_for = (
+        requests.exceptions.ConnectionError,
+        SignerError,
+        )
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/config/database.ini b/apps/cic-eth/config/database.ini
index 43de56b..50a2dd0 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/config/database.ini
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/config/database.ini
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@ HOST=localhost
 PORT=5432
 ENGINE=postgresql
 DRIVER=psycopg2
-DEBUG=
+DEBUG=0
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/config/tasks.ini b/apps/cic-eth/config/tasks.ini
index 5519eaa..732d797 100644
--- a/apps/cic-eth/config/tasks.ini
+++ b/apps/cic-eth/config/tasks.ini
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 [tasks]
 transfer_callbacks = taskcall:cic_eth.callbacks.noop.noop
-trace_queue_status = 
+trace_queue_status = 1
diff --git a/apps/cic-eth/tests/tasks/test_debug.py b/apps/cic-eth/tests/tasks/test_debug.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 65d8eed..0000000
--- a/apps/cic-eth/tests/tasks/test_debug.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-# external imports
-import celery
-
-# local imports
-from cic_eth.db.models.debug import Debug
-
-
-def test_debug_alert(
-        init_database,
-        celery_session_worker,
-        ):
-
-    s = celery.signature(
-            'cic_eth.admin.debug.alert',
-            [
-                'foo',
-                'bar',
-                'baz',
-                ],
-            queue=None,
-            )
-    t = s.apply_async()
-    r = t.get()
-    assert r == 'foo'
-
-    q = init_database.query(Debug)
-    q = q.filter(Debug.tag=='bar')
-    o = q.first()
-    assert o.description == 'baz'