diff --git a/mistralclient/api/releasenotes/notes/fix-cli-error-messages-2f59329557a5734f.yaml b/mistralclient/api/releasenotes/notes/fix-cli-error-messages-2f59329557a5734f.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..530ef979
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mistralclient/api/releasenotes/notes/fix-cli-error-messages-2f59329557a5734f.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Some cli mistral calls when failed would return unhelpful messages like
+    error(400) that is not what the mistral api is returning. This changes
+    those messages to the useful messages sent by the api.
+    The affected are the run-action, the crud for actions, workflows, and
+    workbooks.
diff --git a/mistralclient/api/v2/action_executions.py b/mistralclient/api/v2/action_executions.py
index becb316c..7115925e 100644
--- a/mistralclient/api/v2/action_executions.py
+++ b/mistralclient/api/v2/action_executions.py
@@ -38,16 +38,12 @@ class ActionExecutionManager(base.ResourceManager):
         if params:
             data['params'] = json.dumps(params)
 
-        resp = self.http_client.post(
+        return self._create(
             '/action_executions',
-            json.dumps(data)
+            data,
+            dump_json=True
         )
 
-        if resp.status_code != 201:
-            self._raise_api_exception(resp)
-
-        return self.resource_class(self, base.get_json(resp))
-
     def update(self, id, state=None, output=None):
         self._ensure_not_empty(id=id)
 
diff --git a/mistralclient/api/v2/actions.py b/mistralclient/api/v2/actions.py
index 20866f7d..c5acc347 100644
--- a/mistralclient/api/v2/actions.py
+++ b/mistralclient/api/v2/actions.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 import six
 
+from keystoneauth1 import exceptions
 from mistralclient.api import base
 from mistralclient import utils
 
@@ -34,11 +35,14 @@ class ActionManager(base.ResourceManager):
         # definition file
         definition = utils.get_contents_if_file(definition)
 
-        resp = self.http_client.post(
-            '/actions?scope=%s' % scope,
-            definition,
-            headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
-        )
+        try:
+            resp = self.http_client.post(
+                '/actions?scope=%s' % scope,
+                definition,
+                headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
+            )
+        except exceptions.HttpError as ex:
+            self._raise_api_exception(ex.response)
 
         if resp.status_code != 201:
             self._raise_api_exception(resp)
@@ -55,11 +59,14 @@ class ActionManager(base.ResourceManager):
         # definition file
         definition = utils.get_contents_if_file(definition)
 
-        resp = self.http_client.put(
-            '%s?scope=%s' % (url_pre, scope),
-            definition,
-            headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
-        )
+        try:
+            resp = self.http_client.put(
+                '%s?scope=%s' % (url_pre, scope),
+                definition,
+                headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
+            )
+        except exceptions.HttpError as ex:
+            self._raise_api_exception(ex.response)
 
         if resp.status_code != 200:
             self._raise_api_exception(resp)
@@ -111,11 +118,14 @@ class ActionManager(base.ResourceManager):
         # definition file
         definition = utils.get_contents_if_file(definition)
 
-        resp = self.http_client.post(
-            '/actions/validate',
-            definition,
-            headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
-        )
+        try:
+            resp = self.http_client.post(
+                '/actions/validate',
+                definition,
+                headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
+            )
+        except exceptions.HttpError as ex:
+            self._raise_api_exception(ex.response)
 
         if resp.status_code != 200:
             self._raise_api_exception(resp)
diff --git a/mistralclient/api/v2/workbooks.py b/mistralclient/api/v2/workbooks.py
index 88a51128..957aca70 100644
--- a/mistralclient/api/v2/workbooks.py
+++ b/mistralclient/api/v2/workbooks.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #    See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 #    limitations under the License.
 
+from keystoneauth1 import exceptions
 from mistralclient.api import base
 from mistralclient import utils
 
@@ -31,11 +32,14 @@ class WorkbookManager(base.ResourceManager):
         # definition file
         definition = utils.get_contents_if_file(definition)
 
-        resp = self.http_client.post(
-            '/workbooks',
-            definition,
-            headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
-        )
+        try:
+            resp = self.http_client.post(
+                '/workbooks',
+                definition,
+                headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
+            )
+        except exceptions.HttpError as ex:
+            self._raise_api_exception(ex.response)
 
         if resp.status_code != 201:
             self._raise_api_exception(resp)
@@ -49,11 +53,14 @@ class WorkbookManager(base.ResourceManager):
         # definition file
         definition = utils.get_contents_if_file(definition)
 
-        resp = self.http_client.put(
-            '/workbooks',
-            definition,
-            headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
-        )
+        try:
+            resp = self.http_client.put(
+                '/workbooks',
+                definition,
+                headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
+            )
+        except exceptions.HttpError as ex:
+            self._raise_api_exception(ex.response)
 
         if resp.status_code != 200:
             self._raise_api_exception(resp)
@@ -80,11 +87,14 @@ class WorkbookManager(base.ResourceManager):
         # definition file
         definition = utils.get_contents_if_file(definition)
 
-        resp = self.http_client.post(
-            '/workbooks/validate',
-            definition,
-            headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
-        )
+        try:
+            resp = self.http_client.post(
+                '/workbooks/validate',
+                definition,
+                headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
+            )
+        except exceptions.HttpError as ex:
+            self._raise_api_exception(ex.response)
 
         if resp.status_code != 200:
             self._raise_api_exception(resp)
diff --git a/mistralclient/api/v2/workflows.py b/mistralclient/api/v2/workflows.py
index 04479591..b72e1e92 100644
--- a/mistralclient/api/v2/workflows.py
+++ b/mistralclient/api/v2/workflows.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 import six
 
+from keystoneauth1 import exceptions
 from mistralclient.api import base
 from mistralclient import utils
 
@@ -36,11 +37,14 @@ class WorkflowManager(base.ResourceManager):
         # definition file
         definition = utils.get_contents_if_file(definition)
 
-        resp = self.http_client.post(
-            '/workflows?scope=%s&namespace=%s' % (scope, namespace),
-            definition,
-            headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
-        )
+        try:
+            resp = self.http_client.post(
+                '/workflows?scope=%s&namespace=%s' % (scope, namespace),
+                definition,
+                headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
+            )
+        except exceptions.HttpError as ex:
+            self._raise_api_exception(ex.response)
 
         if resp.status_code != 201:
             self._raise_api_exception(resp)
@@ -57,11 +61,14 @@ class WorkflowManager(base.ResourceManager):
         # definition file
         definition = utils.get_contents_if_file(definition)
 
-        resp = self.http_client.put(
-            '%s?namespace=%s&scope=%s' % (url_pre, namespace, scope),
-            definition,
-            headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
-        )
+        try:
+            resp = self.http_client.put(
+                '%s?namespace=%s&scope=%s' % (url_pre, namespace, scope),
+                definition,
+                headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
+            )
+        except exceptions.HttpError as ex:
+            self._raise_api_exception(ex.response)
 
         if resp.status_code != 200:
             self._raise_api_exception(resp)
@@ -126,11 +133,14 @@ class WorkflowManager(base.ResourceManager):
         # definition file
         definition = utils.get_contents_if_file(definition)
 
-        resp = self.http_client.post(
-            '/workflows/validate',
-            definition,
-            headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
-        )
+        try:
+            resp = self.http_client.post(
+                '/workflows/validate',
+                definition,
+                headers={'content-type': 'text/plain'}
+            )
+        except exceptions.HttpError as ex:
+            self._raise_api_exception(ex.response)
 
         if resp.status_code != 200:
             self._raise_api_exception(resp)