diff --git a/fairmq/Device.cxx b/fairmq/Device.cxx
index 19c8cb172..d9961ed91 100644
--- a/fairmq/Device.cxx
+++ b/fairmq/Device.cxx
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ void Device::InitTaskWrapper()
 
 void Device::RunWrapper()
 {
-    LOG(info) << "DEVICE: Running...";
+    LOG(info) << "fair::mq::Device running...";
 
     // start the rate logger thread
     future<void> rateLogger = async(launch::async, &Device::LogSocketRates, this);
@@ -445,46 +445,43 @@ void Device::RunWrapper()
         t.second->Resume();
     }
 
-    try {
-        PreRun();
-
-        // process either data callbacks or ConditionalRun/Run
-        if (fDataCallbacks) {
-            // if only one input channel, do lightweight handling without additional polling.
-            if (fInputChannelKeys.size() == 1 && fChannels.at(fInputChannelKeys.at(0)).size() == 1) {
-                HandleSingleChannelInput();
-            } else {// otherwise do full handling with polling
-                HandleMultipleChannelInput();
-            }
-        } else {
-            tools::RateLimiter rateLimiter(fRate);
+    // change to Error state in case of an exception, to release LogSocketRates
+    tools::CallOnDestruction cod([&](){
+        ChangeState(Transition::ErrorFound);
+    });
 
-            while (!NewStatePending() && ConditionalRun()) {
-                if (fRate > 0.001) {
-                    rateLimiter.maybe_sleep();
-                }
-            }
+    PreRun();
 
-            Run();
+    // process either data callbacks or ConditionalRun/Run
+    if (fDataCallbacks) {
+        // if only one input channel, do lightweight handling without additional polling.
+        if (fInputChannelKeys.size() == 1 && fChannels.at(fInputChannelKeys.at(0)).size() == 1) {
+            HandleSingleChannelInput();
+        } else {// otherwise do full handling with polling
+            HandleMultipleChannelInput();
         }
+    } else {
+        tools::RateLimiter rateLimiter(fRate);
 
-        // if Run() exited and the state is still RUNNING, transition to READY.
-        if (!NewStatePending()) {
-            UnblockTransports();
-            ChangeState(Transition::Stop);
+        while (!NewStatePending() && ConditionalRun()) {
+            if (fRate > 0.001) {
+                rateLimiter.maybe_sleep();
+            }
         }
 
-        PostRun();
-    } catch (const out_of_range& oor) {
-        LOG(error) << "out of range: " << oor.what();
-        LOG(error) << "incorrect/incomplete channel configuration?";
-        ChangeState(Transition::ErrorFound);
-        throw;
-    } catch (...) {
-        ChangeState(Transition::ErrorFound);
-        throw;
+        Run();
     }
 
+    // if Run() exited and the state is still RUNNING, transition to READY.
+    if (!NewStatePending()) {
+        UnblockTransports();
+        ChangeState(Transition::Stop);
+    }
+
+    PostRun();
+
+    cod.disable();
+
     rateLogger.get();
 }
 
diff --git a/fairmq/Device.h b/fairmq/Device.h
index bcfa3275b..77a563935 100644
--- a/fairmq/Device.h
+++ b/fairmq/Device.h
@@ -320,10 +320,7 @@ class Device
     try {
         return fChannels.at(channelName).at(index);
     } catch (const std::out_of_range& oor) {
-        LOG(error)
-            << "requested channel has not been configured? check channel names/configuration.";
-        LOG(error) << "channel: " << channelName << ", index: " << index;
-        LOG(error) << "out of range: " << oor.what();
+        LOG(error) << "GetChannel(): '" << channelName << "[" << index << "]' does not exist.";
         throw;
     }
 
diff --git a/fairmq/StateMachine.cxx b/fairmq/StateMachine.cxx
index e1de38547..83baec907 100644
--- a/fairmq/StateMachine.cxx
+++ b/fairmq/StateMachine.cxx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
  ********************************************************************************/
 
 #include <fairmq/StateMachine.h>
+#include <fairmq/tools/Exceptions.h>
 
 #include <fairlogger/Logger.h>
 
@@ -204,6 +205,7 @@ struct Machine_ : public state_machine_def<Machine_>
         }
 
         if (fState == State::Error) {
+            LOG(trace) << "Device transitioned to error state";
             throw StateMachine::ErrorStateException("Device transitioned to error state");
         }
     }
@@ -366,20 +368,18 @@ void StateMachine::ProcessWork()
 {
     auto fsm = static_pointer_cast<FairMQFSM>(fFsm);
 
-    try {
-        fsm->CallStateChangeCallbacks(State::Idle);
-        fsm->ProcessWork();
-    } catch(ErrorStateException& ese) {
-        LOG(trace) << "ErrorStateException caught in ProcessWork(), rethrowing";
-        throw;
-    } catch(...) {
-        LOG(debug) << "Exception caught in ProcessWork(), going to Error state and rethrowing";
+    fair::mq::tools::CallOnDestruction cod([&](){
+        LOG(debug) << "Exception caught in ProcessWork(), going to Error state";
         {
             lock_guard<mutex> lock(fsm->fStateMtx);
             fsm->fState = State::Error;
             fsm->CallStateChangeCallbacks(State::Error);
         }
         ChangeState(Transition::ErrorFound);
-        throw;
-    }
+    });
+
+    fsm->CallStateChangeCallbacks(State::Idle);
+    fsm->ProcessWork();
+
+    cod.disable();
 }
diff --git a/fairmq/Tools.h b/fairmq/Tools.h
index 3ec4aff97..781918697 100644
--- a/fairmq/Tools.h
+++ b/fairmq/Tools.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 // IWYU pragma: begin_exports
 #include <fairmq/tools/CppSTL.h>
+#include <fairmq/tools/Exceptions.h>
 #include <fairmq/tools/InstanceLimit.h>
 #include <fairmq/tools/Network.h>
 #include <fairmq/tools/Process.h>
diff --git a/fairmq/tools/Exceptions.h b/fairmq/tools/Exceptions.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ce3ad6a7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fairmq/tools/Exceptions.h
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/********************************************************************************
+ *    Copyright (C) 2021 GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH    *
+ *                                                                              *
+ *              This software is distributed under the terms of the             *
+ *              GNU Lesser General Public Licence (LGPL) version 3,             *
+ *                  copied verbatim in the file "LICENSE"                       *
+ ********************************************************************************/
+
+#ifndef FAIR_MQ_TOOLS_EXCEPTIONS_H
+#define FAIR_MQ_TOOLS_EXCEPTIONS_H
+
+#include <functional>
+
+namespace fair::mq::tools
+{
+
+/**
+ * Executes the given callback in the destructor.
+ * Can be used to execute something in case of an exception when catch is undesirable, e.g.:
+ *
+ * {
+ *    // callback will be executed only if f throws an exception
+ *    CallOnDestruction cod([](){ cout << "exception was thrown"; }, true);
+ *    f();
+ *    cod.disable();
+ * }
+ */
+
+class CallOnDestruction
+{
+  public:
+    CallOnDestruction(std::function<void()> c, bool enable = true)
+        : callback(c)
+        , enabled(enable)
+    {}
+
+    ~CallOnDestruction()
+    {
+        if (enabled) {
+            callback();
+        }
+    }
+
+    void enable() { enabled = true; }
+    void disable() { enabled = false; }
+
+  private:
+    std::function<void()> callback;
+    bool enabled;
+};
+
+} // namespace fair::mq::tools
+
+#endif /* FAIR_MQ_TOOLS_EXCEPTIONS_H */