diff --git a/lib/OpenQA/Worker/Job.pm b/lib/OpenQA/Worker/Job.pm
index 22543233c47..bc635594981 100644
--- a/lib/OpenQA/Worker/Job.pm
+++ b/lib/OpenQA/Worker/Job.pm
@@ -582,6 +582,9 @@ sub _format_reason {
         log_warning("Found $state_file but failed to parse the JSON: $_");
     };
 
+    # return generic phrase if the reason would otherwise just be died
+    return "$reason: terminated prematurely, see log output for details" if $reason eq WORKER_SR_DIED;
+
     # discard the reason if it is just WORKER_SR_DONE or the same as the result; otherwise return it
     return undef unless $reason ne WORKER_SR_DONE && (!defined $result || $result ne $reason);
     return $reason;
diff --git a/t/24-worker-jobs.t b/t/24-worker-jobs.t
index 3953278c8c1..3914d3d16a1 100644
--- a/t/24-worker-jobs.t
+++ b/t/24-worker-jobs.t
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ use Mojo::JSON 'encode_json';
 use Mojo::UserAgent;
 use Mojo::URL;
 use Mojo::IOLoop;
-use OpenQA::Constants qw(DEFAULT_MAX_JOB_TIME WORKER_COMMAND_QUIT WORKER_SR_SETUP_FAILURE
+use OpenQA::Constants qw(DEFAULT_MAX_JOB_TIME WORKER_COMMAND_CANCEL WORKER_COMMAND_QUIT WORKER_SR_SETUP_FAILURE
   WORKER_SR_API_FAILURE WORKER_SR_DIED WORKER_SR_DONE);
 use OpenQA::Worker::Job;
 use OpenQA::Worker::Settings;
@@ -222,10 +222,11 @@ subtest 'Format reason' => sub {
     # call the function explicitely; further cases are covered in subsequent subtests where the
     # function is called indirectly
     my $job = OpenQA::Worker::Job->new($worker, $client, {id => 1234});
-    is($job->_format_reason(PASSED, 'done'),   undef,    'no reason added if it is just "done"');
-    is($job->_format_reason('foo',  'foo'),    undef,    'no reason added if it equals the result');
-    is($job->_format_reason('foo',  'foobar'), 'foobar', 'unknown reason "passed as-is" if it differs from the result');
-    is($job->_format_reason(USER_CANCELLED, 'cancel'), undef, 'cancel omitted');
+    is($job->_format_reason(PASSED, WORKER_SR_DONE), undef, 'no reason added if it is just "done"');
+    like($job->_format_reason(INCOMPLETE, WORKER_SR_DIED), qr/died: .+/, 'generic phrase appended to died');
+    is($job->_format_reason('foo', 'foo'),    undef,    'no reason added if it equals the result');
+    is($job->_format_reason('foo', 'foobar'), 'foobar', 'unknown reason "passed as-is" if it differs from the result');
+    is($job->_format_reason(USER_CANCELLED, WORKER_COMMAND_CANCEL), undef, 'cancel omitted');
 };
 
 subtest 'Interrupted WebSocket connection' => sub {