diff --git a/cmd/frontend/internal/bird/bird.go b/cmd/frontend/internal/bird/bird.go
index 69c19b26..c4595539 100644
--- a/cmd/frontend/internal/bird/bird.go
+++ b/cmd/frontend/internal/bird/bird.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/nordix/meridio/pkg/log"
 )
 
-var regexError *regexp.Regexp = regexp.MustCompile(`Error|<ERROR>|<BUG>|<FATAL>`)
+var regexError *regexp.Regexp = regexp.MustCompile(`Error|<ERROR>|<BUG>|<FATAL>|syntax error`)
 var regexInfo *regexp.Regexp = regexp.MustCompile(`<INFO>|<WARNING>|BGP session|Connected|Received:|Started|Neighbor|Startup delayed`)
 
 func NewRoutingService(ctx context.Context, commSocket string, configFile string) *RoutingService {
diff --git a/cmd/frontend/internal/bird/proto.go b/cmd/frontend/internal/bird/proto.go
index 8e18246b..80aec82d 100644
--- a/cmd/frontend/internal/bird/proto.go
+++ b/cmd/frontend/internal/bird/proto.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package bird
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
+	"fmt"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 )
@@ -95,11 +96,12 @@ func bfdDown(p *Protocol) bool {
 	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(strings.NewReader(p.BfdSessions()))
 	for scanner.Scan() {
 		if bfdMatch := regexBFD.FindStringSubmatch(scanner.Text()); bfdMatch != nil {
-			p.Log(" bfd: " + bfdMatch[0])
+			p.Log(fmt.Sprintf(" bfd: %s", bfdMatch[0]))
 			return bfdMatch[1] != "Up"
 		}
 	}
 	// did not find the BFD session
+	p.Log(" bfd: no session")
 	return true
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/frontend/internal/bird/static_test.go b/cmd/frontend/internal/bird/static_test.go
index ac8128ce..76e7747f 100644
--- a/cmd/frontend/internal/bird/static_test.go
+++ b/cmd/frontend/internal/bird/static_test.go
@@ -242,9 +242,9 @@ func TestParseProtocolsStaticWithMissingBfd(t *testing.T) {
 	expectedLog := `BIRD 2.0.7 ready.` + "\n" +
 		`Name       Proto      Table      State  Since         Info` + "\n" +
 		`NBR-gateway1 Static     master4    up     21:10:21.868 bfd: 169.254.100.254           ext-vlan   Up         22:13:19.019    0.100    0.500` + "\n" +
-		`NBR-gateway2 Static     master6    up     21:10:21.868` + "\n" +
+		`NBR-gateway2 Static     master6    up     21:10:21.868 bfd: no session` + "\n" +
 		`NBR-gateway3 Static     master4    up     21:10:21.886 bfd: 169.254.100.253           ext-vlan   Up         22:13:19.439    0.100    0.500` + "\n" +
-		`NBR-gateway4 Static     master6    up     21:10:21.886` + "\n"
+		`NBR-gateway4 Static     master6    up     21:10:21.886 bfd: no session` + "\n"
 
 	assert.NotNil(t, cs)
 	assert.Empty(t, cs.Log())
diff --git a/cmd/frontend/internal/frontend/service.go b/cmd/frontend/internal/frontend/service.go
index 1647a93f..b933bd94 100644
--- a/cmd/frontend/internal/frontend/service.go
+++ b/cmd/frontend/internal/frontend/service.go
@@ -963,7 +963,7 @@ func (fes *FrontEndService) reconfigurationAgent(ctx context.Context, reconfCh <
 func (fes *FrontEndService) reconfigure(ctx context.Context, path string) error {
 	stringOut, err := fes.routingService.Configure(ctx, path)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return fmt.Errorf("%v; %v", err, stringOut)
 	} else {
 		fes.logger.V(1).Info("routing service reconfigured", "out", strings.Split(stringOut, "\n"))
 		fes.logger.Info("routing service configuration applied")