diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/AutoScalingHandler.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/AutoScalingHandler.java
index d27710c0721..b16e9b46635 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/AutoScalingHandler.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/AutoScalingHandler.java
@@ -250,7 +250,13 @@ public class AutoScalingHandler extends RequestHandlerBase implements Permission
       op.addError("set-cluster-policy expects an array of objects");
       return currentConfig;
     }
-    List<Clause> cp = clusterPolicy.stream().map(Clause::new).collect(Collectors.toList());
+    List<Clause> cp = null;
+    try {
+      cp = clusterPolicy.stream().map(Clause::new).collect(Collectors.toList());
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      op.addError(e.getMessage());
+      return currentConfig;
+    }
     Policy p = currentConfig.getPolicy().withClusterPolicy(cp);
     currentConfig = currentConfig.withPolicy(p);
     return currentConfig;
@@ -263,7 +269,13 @@ public class AutoScalingHandler extends RequestHandlerBase implements Permission
       op.addError("A list of cluster preferences not found");
       return currentConfig;
     }
-    List<Preference> prefs = preferences.stream().map(Preference::new).collect(Collectors.toList());
+    List<Preference> prefs = null;
+    try {
+      prefs = preferences.stream().map(Preference::new).collect(Collectors.toList());
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      op.addError(e.getMessage());
+      return currentConfig;
+    }
     Policy p = currentConfig.getPolicy().withClusterPreferences(prefs);
     currentConfig = currentConfig.withPolicy(p);
     return currentConfig;
@@ -305,8 +317,14 @@ public class AutoScalingHandler extends RequestHandlerBase implements Permission
     }
     List<String> params = new ArrayList<>(currentConfig.getPolicy().getParams());
     Map<String, List<Clause>> mergedPolicies = new HashMap<>(currentConfig.getPolicy().getPolicies());
-    Map<String, List<Clause>> newPolicies = Policy.policiesFromMap((Map<String, List<Map<String, Object>>>)op.getCommandData(),
-            params);
+    Map<String, List<Clause>> newPolicies = null;
+    try {
+      newPolicies = Policy.policiesFromMap((Map<String, List<Map<String, Object>>>) op.getCommandData(),
+          params);
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      op.addError(e.getMessage());
+      return currentConfig;
+    }
     mergedPolicies.putAll(newPolicies);
     Policy p = currentConfig.getPolicy().withPolicies(mergedPolicies).withParams(params);
     currentConfig = currentConfig.withPolicy(p);
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/servlet/ResponseUtils.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/servlet/ResponseUtils.java
index 90ca968c073..6c8977bfd81 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/servlet/ResponseUtils.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/servlet/ResponseUtils.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public class ResponseUtils {
       info.add("metadata", errorMetadata);
       if (ex instanceof ApiBag.ExceptionWithErrObject) {
         ApiBag.ExceptionWithErrObject exception = (ApiBag.ExceptionWithErrObject) ex;
-        info.add(CommandOperation.ERR_MSGS, exception.getErrs() );
+        info.add("details", exception.getErrs() );
       }
     }
     
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/AutoScalingHandlerTest.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/AutoScalingHandlerTest.java
index 01332f14252..d9c7193cee2 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/AutoScalingHandlerTest.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/AutoScalingHandlerTest.java
@@ -344,10 +344,10 @@ public class AutoScalingHandlerTest extends SolrCloudTestCase {
     try {
       solrClient.request(req);
       fail("expected exception");
-    } catch (HttpSolrClient.RemoteSolrException e) {
+    } catch (HttpSolrClient.RemoteExecutionException e) {
       // expected
-      assertTrue(String.valueOf(getObjectByPath(((HttpSolrClient.RemoteExecutionException) e).getMetaData(),
-          false, "error/errorMessages[0]/errorMessages[0]")).contains("Cannot remove trigger: node_lost_trigger because it has active listeners: ["));
+      assertTrue(String.valueOf(getObjectByPath(e.getMetaData(),
+          false, "error/details[0]/errorMessages[0]")).contains("Cannot remove trigger: node_lost_trigger because it has active listeners: ["));
     }
 
     String removeListenerCommand = "{\n" +
@@ -403,10 +403,31 @@ public class AutoScalingHandlerTest extends SolrCloudTestCase {
     } catch (HttpSolrClient.RemoteSolrException e) {
       // expected
       assertTrue(String.valueOf(getObjectByPath(((HttpSolrClient.RemoteExecutionException) e).getMetaData(),
-          false, "error/errorMessages[0]/errorMessages[0]")).contains("A trigger with the name node_lost_trigger does not exist"));
+          false, "error/details[0]/errorMessages[0]")).contains("A trigger with the name node_lost_trigger does not exist"));
     }
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testErrorHandling() throws Exception {
+    CloudSolrClient solrClient = cluster.getSolrClient();
+
+    String setClusterPolicyCommand = "{" +
+        " 'set-cluster-policy': [" +
+        "      {'cores':'<10', 'node':'#ANY'}," +
+        "      {'shard': '#EACH', 'node': '#ANY'}," +
+        "      {'nodeRole':'overseer', 'replica':0}" +
+        "    ]" +
+        "}";
+    try {
+      SolrRequest req = createAutoScalingRequest(SolrRequest.METHOD.POST, setClusterPolicyCommand);
+      solrClient.request(req);
+      fail("expect exception");
+    } catch (HttpSolrClient.RemoteExecutionException e) {
+      String message = String.valueOf(Utils.getObjectByPath(e.getMetaData(), true, "error/details[0]/errorMessages[0]"));
+      assertTrue(message.contains("replica is required in"));
+    }
+
+  }
   @Test
   public void testPolicyAndPreferences() throws Exception {
     CloudSolrClient solrClient = cluster.getSolrClient();
@@ -428,7 +449,8 @@ public class AutoScalingHandlerTest extends SolrCloudTestCase {
       fail("Adding a policy with 'cores' attribute should not have succeeded.");
     } catch (HttpSolrClient.RemoteSolrException e)  {
       // expected
-      assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("cores is only allowed in 'cluster-policy'"));
+      assertTrue(String.valueOf(getObjectByPath(((HttpSolrClient.RemoteExecutionException) e).getMetaData(),
+          false, "error/details[0]/errorMessages[0]")).contains("cores is only allowed in 'cluster-policy'"));
     }
 
     setPolicyCommand =  "{'set-policy': {" +
@@ -754,7 +776,7 @@ public class AutoScalingHandlerTest extends SolrCloudTestCase {
       solrClient.request(createAutoScalingRequest(SolrRequest.METHOD.POST, removePolicyCommand));
       fail("should have failed");
     } catch (HttpSolrClient.RemoteExecutionException e) {
-      assertTrue(String.valueOf(getObjectByPath(e.getMetaData(), true, "error/errorMessages[0]/errorMessages[0]"))
+      assertTrue(String.valueOf(getObjectByPath(e.getMetaData(), true, "error/details[0]/errorMessages[0]"))
           .contains("is being used by collection"));
     } catch (Exception e) {
       fail("Only RemoteExecutionException expected");