diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Runner.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Runner.pm
index 28d2ac84..940c7480 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Runner.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Runner.pm
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ sub run {
 
   # run 00init primary
   $self->run_workers("nd2worker_${action}_00init_primary");
-  return $self->jobstat if $self->jobstat->not_ok;
+  return if $self->jobstat->not_ok;
 
   # run each 00init worker
   $self->run_workers("nd2worker_${action}_00init");
@@ -73,8 +73,6 @@ sub run {
 
   # run each worker
   $self->run_workers($_) for (@phase_hooks);
-
-  return $self->jobstat;
 }
 
 sub run_workers {
@@ -83,7 +81,7 @@ sub run_workers {
 
   my $store = Dancer::Factory::Hook->instance();
   $store->hook_is_registered($hook)
-    or return Status->error("no such hook: $hook");
+    or return $self->jobstat->error("no such hook: $hook");
 
   foreach my $worker (@{ $store->get_hooks_for($hook) }) {
     try {
@@ -91,7 +89,7 @@ sub run_workers {
       # could die or return undef or a scalar or Status or another class
       $self->jobstat($retval) if ref $retval eq 'App::Netdisco::Worker::Status';
     }
-    catch { $self->jobstat->log($_) };
+    catch { $self->jobstat->error($_) };
 
     last if $hook =~ m/_primary$/ and $self->jobstat->is_ok;
   }
diff --git a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Status.pm b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Status.pm
index d6efa105..010d17b2 100644
--- a/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Status.pm
+++ b/lib/App/Netdisco/Worker/Status.pm
@@ -31,9 +31,18 @@ Shorthand for new() with setting param, accepts log as arg.
 
 =cut
 
-sub done  { return (shift)->new({done_slot  => 1, log => shift}) }
-sub error { return (shift)->new({error_slot => 1, log => shift}) }
-sub defer { return (shift)->new({defer_slot => 1, log => shift}) }
+sub _make_new {
+  my ($self, $log, $slot) = @_;
+  my $new = (ref $self ? $self : $self->new());
+  $new->log($log);
+  $new->$_(0) for (qw/done_slot error_slot defer_slot/);
+  $new->$slot(1);
+  return $new;
+}
+
+sub error { (shift)->_make_new(@_, 'error_slot') }
+sub done  { (shift)->_make_new(@_, 'done_slot')  }
+sub defer { (shift)->_make_new(@_, 'defer_slot') }
 
 =head2 is_ok