diff --git a/crates/relayer/src/chain/axon.rs b/crates/relayer/src/chain/axon.rs
index ff5d9193f..e5f79ab6c 100644
--- a/crates/relayer/src/chain/axon.rs
+++ b/crates/relayer/src/chain/axon.rs
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ use super::{
 use tokio::runtime::Runtime as TokioRuntime;
 
 pub mod contract;
+mod eth_err;
 mod monitor;
 mod msg;
 mod rpc;
@@ -1370,9 +1371,15 @@ impl AxonChain {
 macro_rules! convert {
     ($self:ident, $msg:ident, $eventy:ty, $method:ident) => {{
         let msg: $eventy = $msg.try_into()?;
-        $self
-            .rt
-            .block_on(async { Ok($self.contract()?.$method(msg.clone()).send().await?.await?) })
+        $self.rt.block_on(async {
+            Ok($self
+                .contract()?
+                .$method(msg.clone())
+                .send()
+                .await
+                .map_err(decode_revert_error)?
+                .await?)
+        })
     }};
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/relayer/src/chain/axon/eth_err.rs b/crates/relayer/src/chain/axon/eth_err.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..140d2c9a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/relayer/src/chain/axon/eth_err.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+use ethers::abi::Uint;
+use ethers::contract::EthCall;
+
+/// For decoding and displaying `Panic(uint256)` errors.
+///
+/// EthError derived decode_with_selector is buggy, so we derive `EthCall` instead. Decode with `AbiDecode::decode`.
+#[derive(EthCall)]
+pub struct Panic(Uint);
+
+impl std::fmt::Display for Panic {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        let e = PanicError::from_code(self.0.low_u32());
+        write!(f, "Panic code: {:#x}, {e}", self.0)
+    }
+}
+
+enum PanicError {
+    Generic,
+    AssertFailed,
+    ArithmeticOverflow = 0x11,
+    DivisionByZero,
+    InvalidEnumConversion = 0x21,
+    InvalidEncoding,
+    EmptyArrayPop = 0x31,
+    OutOfBoundsAccess,
+    ExcessiveAllocation = 0x41,
+    UninitializedInternalFunction = 0x51,
+    Unknown,
+}
+
+impl PanicError {
+    fn from_code(code: u32) -> Self {
+        match code {
+            0 => PanicError::Generic,
+            0x01 => PanicError::AssertFailed,
+            0x11 => PanicError::ArithmeticOverflow,
+            0x12 => PanicError::DivisionByZero,
+            0x21 => PanicError::InvalidEnumConversion,
+            0x22 => PanicError::InvalidEncoding,
+            0x31 => PanicError::EmptyArrayPop,
+            0x32 => PanicError::OutOfBoundsAccess,
+            0x41 => PanicError::ExcessiveAllocation,
+            0x51 => PanicError::UninitializedInternalFunction,
+            _ => PanicError::Unknown,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::fmt::Display for PanicError {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        let desc = match self {
+            PanicError::Generic => "Generic compiler inserted panic",
+            PanicError::AssertFailed => "Assertion failed",
+            PanicError::ArithmeticOverflow => "Arithmetic operation resulted in overflow",
+            PanicError::DivisionByZero => "Division or modulo by zero",
+            PanicError::InvalidEnumConversion => "Invalid enum conversion",
+            PanicError::InvalidEncoding => "Invalid encoding",
+            PanicError::EmptyArrayPop => "Attempted to pop an empty array",
+            PanicError::OutOfBoundsAccess => "Out-of-bounds access",
+            PanicError::ExcessiveAllocation => "Excessive memory allocation",
+            PanicError::UninitializedInternalFunction => {
+                "Called an uninitialized internal function"
+            }
+            PanicError::Unknown => "Unknown panic",
+        };
+        write!(f, "{desc}")
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test {
+    use ethers::{abi::AbiDecode, contract::EthError};
+
+    use super::Panic;
+
+    fn parse_abi_err_data(err: &str) -> String {
+        let revert_data = hex::decode(
+            err.strip_prefix("Contract call reverted with data: 0x")
+                .unwrap(),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        if let Ok(p) = Panic::decode(&revert_data) {
+            p.to_string()
+        } else if let Some(s) = String::decode_with_selector(&revert_data) {
+            s
+        } else {
+            panic!("failed to decode")
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_sol_revert() {
+        let err_string = "Contract call reverted with data: 0x08c379a00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000020000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001c74657374206661696c656420746f2063726561746520636c69656e7400000000";
+        let err = parse_abi_err_data(err_string);
+        assert_eq!(err, "test failed to create client");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_sol_panic() {
+        let err_string = "Contract call reverted with data: 0x4e487b710000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000012";
+        let err = parse_abi_err_data(err_string);
+        assert_eq!(err, "Panic code: 0x12, Division or modulo by zero");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/relayer/src/chain/axon/utils.rs b/crates/relayer/src/chain/axon/utils.rs
index 5d141404f..bdac2b7b5 100644
--- a/crates/relayer/src/chain/axon/utils.rs
+++ b/crates/relayer/src/chain/axon/utils.rs
@@ -3,14 +3,14 @@ use std::str::FromStr;
 use axon_tools::types::{Block as AxonBlock, Proof as AxonProof, ValidatorExtend};
 
 use crate::{
-    chain::SEC_TO_NANO,
+    chain::{axon::eth_err::Panic, SEC_TO_NANO},
     client_state::{AnyClientState, IdentifiedAnyClientState},
     consensus_state::AnyConsensusState,
     error::Error,
     event::IbcEventWithHeight,
     ibc_contract::OwnableIBCHandlerEvents,
 };
-use ethers::types::H256;
+use ethers::{abi::AbiDecode, contract::ContractError, providers::Middleware, types::H256};
 use ibc_relayer_types::{
     clients::{
         ics07_axon::{client_state::AxonClientState, consensus_state::AxonConsensusState},
@@ -29,6 +29,19 @@ pub fn convert_err<T: ToString>(err: T) -> Error {
     Error::other_error(err.to_string())
 }
 
+pub fn decode_revert_error<M>(err: ContractError<M>) -> eyre::Report
+where
+    M: Middleware + 'static,
+{
+    if let Some(r) = err.decode_revert::<String>() {
+        eyre::eyre!("Contract call reverted: {r}")
+    } else if let Some(p) = err.as_revert().and_then(|d| Panic::decode(d).ok()) {
+        eyre::eyre!("Contract call reverted: {p}")
+    } else {
+        err.into()
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn to_identified_any_client_state(
     client_state: &ethers::core::types::Bytes,
 ) -> Result<IdentifiedAnyClientState, Error> {