diff --git a/tests/dat/actions/asyncError.js b/tests/dat/actions/asyncError.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e81afa44cbe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/dat/actions/asyncError.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+function main(params) {
+    var str = params.payload;
+
+    return whisk.invoke({
+        name: '!',    // Invalid action name
+        parameters: {
+            payload: str
+        },
+        blocking: true
+    }).then(function (activation) {
+        return {};
+    });
+}
diff --git a/tests/src/system/basic/WskBasicTests.scala b/tests/src/system/basic/WskBasicTests.scala
index 24492e96fda..e68524ba5ad 100644
--- a/tests/src/system/basic/WskBasicTests.scala
+++ b/tests/src/system/basic/WskBasicTests.scala
@@ -295,6 +295,17 @@ class WskBasicTests
                 .stderr should include regex (""""error": "This error thrown on purpose by the action."""")
     }
 
+    it should "create and invoke a blocking action resulting in an error response object" in withAssetCleaner(wskprops) {
+        (wp, assetHelper) =>
+            val name = "errorResponseObject"
+            assetHelper.withCleaner(wsk.action, name) {
+                (action, _) => action.create(name, Some(TestUtils.getTestActionFilename("asyncError.js")))
+            }
+
+            wsk.action.invoke(name, blocking = true, expectedExitCode = 246)
+              .stderr should include regex (""""error": "name '!' contains illegal characters \(.+\)"""")
+    }
+
     it should "invoke a blocking action and get only the result" in withAssetCleaner(wskprops) {
         (wp, assetHelper) =>
             val name = "basicInvoke"
diff --git a/tools/cli/go-whisk/whisk/client.go b/tools/cli/go-whisk/whisk/client.go
index 0b2cff7923b..1b3f8224d09 100644
--- a/tools/cli/go-whisk/whisk/client.go
+++ b/tools/cli/go-whisk/whisk/client.go
@@ -307,10 +307,10 @@ func parseWhiskErrorResponse(resp *http.Response, data []byte, v interface{}) (*
     err := json.Unmarshal(data, whiskErrorResponse)
 
     // Determine if a whisk.error() response was received. Otherwise, the body contents are unknown (#6)
-    if err == nil && whiskErrorResponse.Response.Result.Error != nil {
-        Debug(DbgInfo, "Detected that a whisk.error(\"%s\") was returned\n", *whiskErrorResponse.Response.Result.Error)
+    if err == nil && whiskErrorResponse.Response.Status != nil {
+        Debug(DbgInfo, "Detected that a whisk.error(\"%s\") was returned\n", *whiskErrorResponse.Response.Status)
         errMsg := wski18n.T("The following application error was received: {{.err}}",
-            map[string]interface{}{"err": *whiskErrorResponse.Response.Result.Error})
+            map[string]interface{}{"err": *whiskErrorResponse.Response.Status})
         whiskErr := MakeWskError(errors.New(errMsg), resp.StatusCode - 256, NO_DISPLAY_MSG, NO_DISPLAY_USAGE,
             NO_MSG_DISPLAYED, APPLICATION_ERR)
         return parseSuccessResponse(resp, data, v), whiskErr
@@ -361,13 +361,7 @@ type WhiskErrorResponse struct {
 }
 
 type WhiskErrorResult struct {
-    Status  string              `json:"status"`
-    Success bool                `json:"success"`
-    Result  WhiskErrorMessage   `json:"result"`
-}
-
-type WhiskErrorMessage struct {
-    Error *string `json:"error"`
+    Status  *string              `json:"status"`
 }
 
 func (r ErrorResponse) Error() string {