diff --git a/js/spec/binary-client.spec.ts b/js/spec/binary-client.spec.ts
index d7c0444..88a85f5 100644
--- a/js/spec/binary-client.spec.ts
+++ b/js/spec/binary-client.spec.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import * as fs from "fs";
 import { Client } from "pg";
 import { encodeContent } from "../src";
-import { binaryClient, grpcClient, tmpdir } from "./util";
+import { binaryClient, binaryClientWithLogger, grpcClient, tmpdir } from "./util";
 
 beforeEach(async () => {
   const client = new Client({
@@ -190,3 +190,22 @@ describe("Gadget file match tests", () => {
     expect(result).toBe(false);
   });
 });
+
+describe.only("The client handles and formats errors coming out of the subprocess call", () => {
+  it("stderr from the subprocess properly handles non-JSON output streams", async () => {
+    const project = 1337n;
+    await grpcClient.newProject(project, []);
+
+    //spy on this output to confirm the tests
+
+    // const spy = jest.spyOn(console, "log");
+    try {
+      const bClientWithLogger = binaryClientWithLogger;
+      await bClientWithLogger.gcProject(1337, 0);
+    } catch (err) {}
+
+    // console.log(spy.mock.calls, "calls to spy");
+
+    // expect(spy.mock.calls).not.toContain("line");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/js/spec/util.ts b/js/spec/util.ts
index 922fe24..d34098b 100644
--- a/js/spec/util.ts
+++ b/js/spec/util.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,18 @@ export const binaryClient = new DateiLagerBinaryClient({
   command: path.join(__dirname, "..", "..", "bin", "client"),
 });
 
+export const binaryClientWithLogger = new DateiLagerBinaryClient({
+  server: {
+    host: "localhost",
+  },
+  token: devAdminToken,
+  command: path.join(__dirname, "..", "..", "bin", "client"),
+  logger: {
+    level: "info",
+    log: (level, msg, fields) => console.log(msg, fields),
+  },
+});
+
 export function tmpdir(): string {
   const name = Date.now();
   const dir = path.resolve(__dirname, "..", "..", "tmp", "tests", "js", name.toString());
diff --git a/js/src/binary-client.ts b/js/src/binary-client.ts
index d58c946..5d7ba1d 100644
--- a/js/src/binary-client.ts
+++ b/js/src/binary-client.ts
@@ -380,23 +380,55 @@ export class DateiLagerBinaryClient {
 
     if (this._options.logger && subprocess.stderr) {
       readline.createInterface(subprocess.stderr).on("line", (line) => {
-        try {
-          // we purposefully extract and ignore the `ts` field
-          // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
-          const { level, msg, ts, ...fields } = JSON.parse(line) as {
-            [key: string]: unknown;
-            level: "debug" | "info" | "warn" | "error";
-            msg: string;
-            ts: string | number;
-          };
-
-          this._options.logger?.log(level, msg, fields);
-        } catch (error) {
-          this._options.logger?.log("warn", "failed to log line", { error, line });
-        }
+        this.mikesStdErrHandler(line)
+        // try {
+        //   // we purposefully extract and ignore the `ts` field
+        //   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
+        //   const { level, msg, ts, ...fields } = JSON.parse(line) as {
+        //     [key: string]: unknown;
+        //     level: "debug" | "info" | "warn" | "error";
+        //     msg: string;
+        //     ts: string | number;
+        //   };
+
+        //   this._options.logger?.log(level, msg, fields);
+        // } catch (error) {
+        //   this._options.logger?.log("warn", "failed to log line", { error, line });
+        // }
       });
     }
 
     return subprocess;
   }
+
+  mikesStdErrHandler(line: string) {
+    try {
+      // we purposefully extract and ignore the `ts` field
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
+      const { level, msg, ts, ...fields } = JSON.parse(line) as {
+        [key: string]: unknown;
+        level: "debug" | "info" | "warn" | "error";
+        msg: string;
+        ts: string | number;
+      };
+
+      this._options.logger?.log(level, msg, fields);
+    } catch (error) {
+      const stdOutChopped = line.split(":");
+      if (stdOutChopped.length > 3) {
+        const errorName = stdOutChopped.slice(1, 2).join().trim();
+        const stack = stdOutChopped.slice(2).join().trim();
+
+        this._options.logger?.log("warn", "failed to log line", {
+          error: {
+            name: errorName,
+            stack: stack,
+          },
+          line,
+        });
+      } else {
+        this._options.logger?.log("warn", "failed to log line", { error, line });
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }