diff --git a/parity/account_utils.rs b/parity/account_utils.rs
index 9fc748a43..1261ab2de 100644
--- a/parity/account_utils.rs
+++ b/parity/account_utils.rs
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ mod accounts {
 mod accounts {
 	use super::*;
 	use upgrade::upgrade_key_location;
-	use ethereum_types::H160;
+	use ethereum_types::{H160, H256};
 	use std::str::FromStr;
 
 	pub use accounts::AccountProvider;
@@ -132,9 +132,17 @@ mod accounts {
 		LocalAccounts(account_provider)
 	}
 
-	pub fn miner_author(spec: &SpecType, dirs: &Directories, account_provider: &Arc<AccountProvider>, engine_signer: Address, passwords: &[Password]) -> Result<Option<::ethcore::miner::Author>, String> {
+	pub fn miner_author(
+		spec: &SpecType,
+		dirs: &Directories,
+		account_provider: &Arc<AccountProvider>,
+		engine_signer: Address,
+		passwords: &[Password]
+	) -> Result<Option<ethcore::miner::Author>, String> {
 		use engine::signer::EngineSigner;
 
+		const SECP_TEST_MESSAGE: H256 = H256([1_u8; 32]);
+
 		// Check if engine signer exists
 		if !account_provider.has_account(engine_signer) {
 			return Err(format!("Consensus signer account not found for the current chain. {}", build_create_account_hint(spec, &dirs.keys)));
@@ -145,25 +153,27 @@ mod accounts {
 			return Err(format!("No password found for the consensus signer {}. {}", engine_signer, VERIFY_PASSWORD_HINT));
 		}
 
-		let mut author = None;
-		for password in passwords {
+		let mut invalid_reasons = std::collections::HashSet::new();
+		for (idx, password) in passwords.iter().enumerate() {
 			let signer = parity_rpc::signer::EngineSigner::new(
 				account_provider.clone(),
 				engine_signer,
 				password.clone(),
 			);
-			if signer.sign(Default::default()).is_ok() {
-				author = Some(::ethcore::miner::Author::Sealer(Box::new(signer)));
+			if let Err(e) = signer.sign(SECP_TEST_MESSAGE) {
+				debug!(target: "account", "Signing test of `EngineSigner ({})` with password index: {} failed because of: {:?}", engine_signer, idx, e);
+				invalid_reasons.insert(e.to_string());
+			} else {
+				return Ok(Some(ethcore::miner::Author::Sealer(Box::new(signer))));
 			}
 		}
-		if author.is_none() {
-			return Err(format!("No valid password for the consensus signer {}. {}", engine_signer, VERIFY_PASSWORD_HINT));
-		}
 
-		Ok(author)
+		Err(format!(
+				"No valid password found for EngineSigner {}, the following errors were found during testing: {:?}. {}",
+				engine_signer, invalid_reasons, VERIFY_PASSWORD_HINT
+		))
 	}
 
-
 	mod private_tx {
 		use super::*;
 		use parity_crypto::publickey::{Signature, Message};
diff --git a/rpc/src/v1/helpers/engine_signer.rs b/rpc/src/v1/helpers/engine_signer.rs
index 7602673fb..032fc97de 100644
--- a/rpc/src/v1/helpers/engine_signer.rs
+++ b/rpc/src/v1/helpers/engine_signer.rs
@@ -36,16 +36,14 @@ impl EngineSigner {
 
 impl engine::signer::EngineSigner for EngineSigner {
 	fn sign(&self, message: Message) -> Result<Signature, Error> {
-		match self.accounts.sign(self.address, Some(self.password.clone()), message) {
-			Ok(ok) => Ok(ok),
-			Err(_) => Err(Error::InvalidSecretKey),
-		}
+		self.accounts.sign(self.address, Some(self.password.clone()), message).map_err(|e| {
+			Error::Custom(e.to_string())
+		})
 	}
 
 	fn decrypt(&self, auth_data: &[u8], cipher: &[u8]) -> Result<Vec<u8>, Error> {
 		self.accounts.decrypt(self.address, None, auth_data, cipher).map_err(|e| {
-			warn!("Unable to decrypt message: {:?}", e);
-			Error::InvalidMessage
+			Error::Custom(e.to_string())
 		})
 	}