diff --git a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/AbstractRecordProcessor.java b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/AbstractRecordProcessor.java
index 8ccea5a898..1ea70e2081 100644
--- a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/AbstractRecordProcessor.java
+++ b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/AbstractRecordProcessor.java
@@ -174,6 +174,15 @@ public abstract class AbstractRecordProcessor extends AbstractProcessor {
             });
         } catch (final Exception e) {
             getLogger().error("Failed to process {}; will route to failure", new Object[] {flowFile, e});
+            // Since we are wrapping the exceptions above there should always be a cause
+            // but it's possible it might not have a message. This handles that by logging
+            // the name of the class thrown.
+            Throwable c = e.getCause();
+            if (c != null) {
+                session.putAttribute(flowFile, "record.error.message", (c.getLocalizedMessage() != null) ? c.getLocalizedMessage() : c.getClass().getCanonicalName() + " Thrown");
+            } else {
+                session.putAttribute(flowFile, "record.error.message", e.getClass().getCanonicalName() + " Thrown");
+            }
             session.transfer(flowFile, REL_FAILURE);
             return;
         }
diff --git a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/ConvertRecord.java b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/ConvertRecord.java
index 1be1794217..a1e6f99782 100644
--- a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/ConvertRecord.java
+++ b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/ConvertRecord.java
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ import java.util.List;
 @Tags({"convert", "record", "generic", "schema", "json", "csv", "avro", "log", "logs", "freeform", "text"})
 @WritesAttributes({
     @WritesAttribute(attribute = "mime.type", description = "Sets the mime.type attribute to the MIME Type specified by the Record Writer"),
-    @WritesAttribute(attribute = "record.count", description = "The number of records in the FlowFile")
+    @WritesAttribute(attribute = "record.count", description = "The number of records in the FlowFile"),
+    @WritesAttribute(attribute = "record.error.message", description = "This attribute provides on failure the error message encountered by the Reader or Writer.")
 })
 @CapabilityDescription("Converts records from one data format to another using configured Record Reader and Record Write Controller Services. "
     + "The Reader and Writer must be configured with \"matching\" schemas. By this, we mean the schemas must have the same field names. The types of the fields "
diff --git a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/UpdateRecord.java b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/UpdateRecord.java
index 8ee5f433c3..65abdc9dc9 100644
--- a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/UpdateRecord.java
+++ b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/UpdateRecord.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import org.apache.nifi.annotation.behavior.InputRequirement.Requirement;
 import org.apache.nifi.annotation.behavior.SideEffectFree;
 import org.apache.nifi.annotation.behavior.SupportsBatching;
 import org.apache.nifi.annotation.behavior.WritesAttribute;
+import org.apache.nifi.annotation.behavior.WritesAttributes;
 import org.apache.nifi.annotation.documentation.CapabilityDescription;
 import org.apache.nifi.annotation.documentation.SeeAlso;
 import org.apache.nifi.annotation.documentation.Tags;
@@ -67,7 +68,10 @@ import java.util.stream.Stream;
     + "This Processor requires that at least one user-defined Property be added. The name of the Property should indicate a RecordPath that determines the field that should "
     + "be updated. The value of the Property is either a replacement value (optionally making use of the Expression Language) or is itself a RecordPath that extracts a value from "
     + "the Record. Whether the Property value is determined to be a RecordPath or a literal value depends on the configuration of the <Replacement Value Strategy> Property.")
-@WritesAttribute(attribute = "record.index", description = "This attribute provides the current row index and is only available inside the literal value expression.")
+@WritesAttributes({
+    @WritesAttribute(attribute = "record.index", description = "This attribute provides the current row index and is only available inside the literal value expression."),
+    @WritesAttribute(attribute = "record.error.message", description = "This attribute provides on failure the error message encountered by the Reader or Writer.")
+})
 @SeeAlso({ConvertRecord.class})
 public class UpdateRecord extends AbstractRecordProcessor {
     private static final String FIELD_NAME = "field.name";
diff --git a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/TestConvertRecord.java b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/TestConvertRecord.java
index 822f664aed..7870a040a2 100644
--- a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/TestConvertRecord.java
+++ b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-standard-bundle/nifi-standard-processors/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/processors/standard/TestConvertRecord.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 package org.apache.nifi.processors.standard;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
 import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
 import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
@@ -120,7 +119,7 @@ public class TestConvertRecord {
     }
 
     @Test
-    public void testReadFailure() throws InitializationException {
+    public void testReadFailure() throws InitializationException, IOException {
         final MockRecordParser readerService = new MockRecordParser(2);
         final MockRecordWriter writerService = new MockRecordWriter("header", false);
 
@@ -146,12 +145,13 @@ public class TestConvertRecord {
         // Original FlowFile should be routed to 'failure' relationship without modification
         runner.assertAllFlowFilesTransferred(ConvertRecord.REL_FAILURE, 1);
         final MockFlowFile out = runner.getFlowFilesForRelationship(ConvertRecord.REL_FAILURE).get(0);
-        assertTrue(original == out);
+        out.assertContentEquals(original.toByteArray());
+        out.assertAttributeEquals("record.error.message","Intentional Unit Test Exception because 2 records have been read");
     }
 
 
     @Test
-    public void testWriteFailure() throws InitializationException {
+    public void testWriteFailure() throws InitializationException, IOException {
         final MockRecordParser readerService = new MockRecordParser();
         final MockRecordWriter writerService = new MockRecordWriter("header", false, 2);
 
@@ -177,7 +177,8 @@ public class TestConvertRecord {
         // Original FlowFile should be routed to 'failure' relationship without modification
         runner.assertAllFlowFilesTransferred(ConvertRecord.REL_FAILURE, 1);
         final MockFlowFile out = runner.getFlowFilesForRelationship(ConvertRecord.REL_FAILURE).get(0);
-        assertTrue(original == out);
+        out.assertContentEquals(original.toByteArray());
+        out.assertAttributeEquals("record.error.message","Unit Test intentionally throwing IOException after 2 records were written");
     }
 
     @Test