diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/exec/BUILD b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/exec/BUILD
index 9251478..eabf79f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/exec/BUILD
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/exec/BUILD
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@
         "//src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/actions",
         "//src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/util:detailed_exit_code",
         "//src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/util:exit_code",
+        "//src/main/protobuf:failure_details_java_proto",
         "//third_party:guava",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/exec/SpawnExecException.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/exec/SpawnExecException.java
index 7c77636..ae9b7a9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/exec/SpawnExecException.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/exec/SpawnExecException.java
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.actions.ExecException;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.actions.SpawnResult;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.actions.SpawnResult.Status;
+import com.google.devtools.build.lib.server.FailureDetails.FailureDetail;
+import com.google.devtools.build.lib.server.FailureDetails.Spawn;
+import com.google.devtools.build.lib.server.FailureDetails.Spawn.Code;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.util.DetailedExitCode;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.util.ExitCode;
 
@@ -77,7 +80,12 @@
     ExitCode exitCode =
         result.status().isConsideredUserError() ? ExitCode.BUILD_FAILURE : ExitCode.REMOTE_ERROR;
     if (result.failureDetail() == null) {
-      return DetailedExitCode.justExitCode(exitCode);
+      return DetailedExitCode.of(
+          exitCode,
+          FailureDetail.newBuilder()
+              .setMessage("spawn failed")
+              .setSpawn(Spawn.newBuilder().setCode(Code.UNSPECIFIED_EXECUTION_FAILURE))
+              .build());
     }
     return DetailedExitCode.of(exitCode, result.failureDetail());
   }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/RemoteSpawnRunner.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/RemoteSpawnRunner.java
index 7966e08..649e24a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/RemoteSpawnRunner.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/RemoteSpawnRunner.java
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.remote.util.TracingMetadataUtils;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.remote.util.Utils;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.remote.util.Utils.InMemoryOutput;
+import com.google.devtools.build.lib.server.FailureDetails;
+import com.google.devtools.build.lib.server.FailureDetails.FailureDetail;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.util.ExitCode;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.util.io.FileOutErr;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.vfs.Path;
@@ -602,16 +604,31 @@
             .setRunnerName(getName())
             .setStatus(Status.TIMEOUT)
             .setExitCode(SpawnResult.POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE)
+            .setFailureDetail(
+                FailureDetail.newBuilder()
+                    .setMessage("remote spawn timed out")
+                    .setSpawn(
+                        FailureDetails.Spawn.newBuilder()
+                            .setCode(FailureDetails.Spawn.Code.TIMEOUT))
+                    .build())
             .build();
       }
     }
     final Status status;
+    FailureDetails.Spawn.Code detailedCode;
+    boolean catastrophe;
     if (RemoteRetrierUtils.causedByStatus(exception, Code.UNAVAILABLE)) {
       status = Status.EXECUTION_FAILED_CATASTROPHICALLY;
+      detailedCode = FailureDetails.Spawn.Code.EXECUTION_FAILED;
+      catastrophe = true;
     } else if (remoteCacheFailed) {
       status = Status.REMOTE_CACHE_FAILED;
+      detailedCode = FailureDetails.Spawn.Code.REMOTE_CACHE_FAILED;
+      catastrophe = false;
     } else {
       status = Status.EXECUTION_FAILED;
+      detailedCode = FailureDetails.Spawn.Code.EXECUTION_FAILED;
+      catastrophe = false;
     }
 
     final String errorMessage;
@@ -627,6 +644,14 @@
         .setStatus(status)
         .setExitCode(ExitCode.REMOTE_ERROR.getNumericExitCode())
         .setFailureMessage(errorMessage)
+        .setFailureDetail(
+            FailureDetail.newBuilder()
+                .setMessage("remote spawn failed: " + errorMessage)
+                .setSpawn(
+                    FailureDetails.Spawn.newBuilder()
+                        .setCode(detailedCode)
+                        .setCatastrophic(catastrophe))
+                .build())
         .build();
   }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/util/BUILD b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/util/BUILD
index 7612bda..e727163 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/util/BUILD
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/util/BUILD
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
         "//src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/options",
         "//src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/vfs",
         "//src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/vfs:pathfragment",
+        "//src/main/protobuf:failure_details_java_proto",
         "//third_party:guava",
         "//third_party:jsr305",
         "//third_party/grpc:grpc-jar",
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/util/Utils.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/util/Utils.java
index c6b6357..71847e7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/util/Utils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/util/Utils.java
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.remote.common.CacheNotFoundException;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.remote.common.RemoteCacheClient.ActionKey;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.remote.options.RemoteOutputsMode;
+import com.google.devtools.build.lib.server.FailureDetails;
+import com.google.devtools.build.lib.server.FailureDetails.FailureDetail;
+import com.google.devtools.build.lib.server.FailureDetails.Spawn.Code;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.vfs.PathFragment;
 import com.google.protobuf.ByteString;
 import com.google.protobuf.InvalidProtocolBufferException;
@@ -98,6 +101,13 @@
             .setCacheHit(cacheHit)
             .setSpawnMetrics(spawnMetrics)
             .setRemote(true);
+    if (exitCode != 0) {
+      builder.setFailureDetail(
+          FailureDetail.newBuilder()
+              .setMessage("remote spawn failed")
+              .setSpawn(FailureDetails.Spawn.newBuilder().setCode(Code.NON_ZERO_EXIT))
+              .build());
+    }
     if (inMemoryOutput != null) {
       builder.setInMemoryOutput(inMemoryOutput.getOutput(), inMemoryOutput.getContents());
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/sandbox/AbstractSandboxSpawnRunner.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/sandbox/AbstractSandboxSpawnRunner.java
index 886f82c..8807993 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/sandbox/AbstractSandboxSpawnRunner.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/sandbox/AbstractSandboxSpawnRunner.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.profiler.Profiler;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.profiler.SilentCloseable;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.runtime.CommandEnvironment;
+import com.google.devtools.build.lib.server.FailureDetails;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.server.FailureDetails.FailureDetail;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.server.FailureDetails.Sandbox;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.server.FailureDetails.Sandbox.Code;
@@ -193,11 +194,13 @@
           .getErrorStream()
           .write(("Action failed to execute: java.io.IOException: " + msg + "\n").getBytes(UTF_8));
       outErr.getErrorStream().flush();
+      String message = makeFailureMessage(originalSpawn, sandbox);
       return new SpawnResult.Builder()
           .setRunnerName(getName())
           .setStatus(Status.EXECUTION_FAILED)
           .setExitCode(LOCAL_EXEC_ERROR)
-          .setFailureMessage(makeFailureMessage(originalSpawn, sandbox))
+          .setFailureMessage(message)
+          .setFailureDetail(createFailureDetail(message, Code.EXECUTION_FAILED))
           .build();
     }
 
@@ -206,12 +209,40 @@
     boolean wasTimeout =
         (useSubprocessTimeout && terminationStatus.timedOut())
             || (!useSubprocessTimeout && wasTimeout(timeout, wallTime));
-    int exitCode =
-        wasTimeout ? SpawnResult.POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE : terminationStatus.getRawExitCode();
-    Status status =
-        wasTimeout
-            ? Status.TIMEOUT
-            : (exitCode == 0) ? Status.SUCCESS : Status.NON_ZERO_EXIT;
+
+    int exitCode;
+    Status status;
+    String failureMessage;
+    FailureDetail failureDetail;
+    if (wasTimeout) {
+      exitCode = SpawnResult.POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE;
+      status = Status.TIMEOUT;
+      failureMessage = makeFailureMessage(originalSpawn, sandbox);
+      failureDetail =
+          FailureDetail.newBuilder()
+              .setMessage(failureMessage)
+              .setSpawn(
+                  FailureDetails.Spawn.newBuilder().setCode(FailureDetails.Spawn.Code.TIMEOUT))
+              .build();
+    } else {
+      exitCode = terminationStatus.getRawExitCode();
+      if (exitCode == 0) {
+        status = Status.SUCCESS;
+        failureMessage = "";
+        failureDetail = null;
+      } else {
+        status = Status.NON_ZERO_EXIT;
+        failureMessage = makeFailureMessage(originalSpawn, sandbox);
+        failureDetail =
+            FailureDetail.newBuilder()
+                .setMessage(failureMessage)
+                .setSpawn(
+                    FailureDetails.Spawn.newBuilder()
+                        .setCode(FailureDetails.Spawn.Code.NON_ZERO_EXIT)
+                        .setSpawnExitCode(exitCode))
+                .build();
+      }
+    }
 
     SpawnResult.Builder spawnResultBuilder =
         new SpawnResult.Builder()
@@ -219,10 +250,11 @@
             .setStatus(status)
             .setExitCode(exitCode)
             .setWallTime(wallTime)
-            .setFailureMessage(
-                status != Status.SUCCESS || exitCode != 0
-                    ? makeFailureMessage(originalSpawn, sandbox)
-                    : "");
+            .setFailureMessage(failureMessage);
+
+    if (failureDetail != null) {
+      spawnResultBuilder.setFailureDetail(failureDetail);
+    }
 
     Path statisticsPath = sandbox.getStatisticsPath();
     if (statisticsPath != null) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/worker/WorkerSpawnRunner.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/worker/WorkerSpawnRunner.java
index 898a6ac..bdb9b1d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/worker/WorkerSpawnRunner.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/worker/WorkerSpawnRunner.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.actions.SpawnExecutedEvent;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.actions.SpawnMetrics;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.actions.SpawnResult;
+import com.google.devtools.build.lib.actions.SpawnResult.Status;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.actions.Spawns;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.actions.UserExecException;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.events.Event;
@@ -209,19 +210,28 @@
     response.getOutputBytes().writeTo(outErr.getErrorStream());
 
     int exitCode = response.getExitCode();
-    SpawnResult result =
+    SpawnResult.Builder builder =
         new SpawnResult.Builder()
             .setRunnerName(getName())
             .setExitCode(exitCode)
-            .setStatus(
-                exitCode == 0 ? SpawnResult.Status.SUCCESS : SpawnResult.Status.NON_ZERO_EXIT)
+            .setStatus(exitCode == 0 ? Status.SUCCESS : Status.NON_ZERO_EXIT)
             .setWallTime(wallTime)
             .setSpawnMetrics(
                 SpawnMetrics.Builder.forWorkerExec()
                     .setTotalTime(wallTime)
                     .setExecutionWallTime(wallTime)
-                    .build())
-            .build();
+                    .build());
+    if (exitCode != 0) {
+      builder.setFailureDetail(
+          FailureDetail.newBuilder()
+              .setMessage("worker spawn failed")
+              .setSpawn(
+                  FailureDetails.Spawn.newBuilder()
+                      .setCode(FailureDetails.Spawn.Code.NON_ZERO_EXIT)
+                      .setSpawnExitCode(exitCode))
+              .build());
+    }
+    SpawnResult result = builder.build();
     reporter.post(new SpawnExecutedEvent(spawn, result, startTime));
     return result;
   }
diff --git a/src/main/protobuf/failure_details.proto b/src/main/protobuf/failure_details.proto
index 7beafc6..d125f39 100644
--- a/src/main/protobuf/failure_details.proto
+++ b/src/main/protobuf/failure_details.proto
@@ -205,6 +205,9 @@
     INVALID_TIMEOUT = 9 [(metadata) = { exit_code: 1 }];
     INVALID_REMOTE_EXECUTION_PROPERTIES = 10 [(metadata) = { exit_code: 1 }];
     NO_USABLE_STRATEGY_FOUND = 11 [(metadata) = { exit_code: 1 }];
+    // TODO(b/138456686): this code should be deprecated when SpawnResult is
+    //   refactored to prohibit undetailed failures
+    UNSPECIFIED_EXECUTION_FAILURE = 12 [(metadata) = { exit_code: 1 }];
   }
   Code code = 1;
 
@@ -653,6 +656,7 @@
     MOUNT_SOURCE_DOES_NOT_EXIST = 7 [(metadata) = { exit_code: 1 }];
     MOUNT_SOURCE_TARGET_TYPE_MISMATCH = 8 [(metadata) = { exit_code: 1 }];
     MOUNT_TARGET_DOES_NOT_EXIST = 9 [(metadata) = { exit_code: 1 }];
+    EXECUTION_FAILED = 10 [(metadata) = { exit_code: 1 }];
   }
 
   Code code = 1;