diff --git a/x/wasm/keeper/msg_dispatcher.go b/x/wasm/keeper/msg_dispatcher.go
index edbfe162..51bb37cc 100644
--- a/x/wasm/keeper/msg_dispatcher.go
+++ b/x/wasm/keeper/msg_dispatcher.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package keeper
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+
 	wasmvmtypes "github.com/CosmWasm/wasmvm/types"
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
 	sdkerrors "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types/errors"
@@ -131,8 +133,10 @@ func (d MessageDispatcher) DispatchSubmessages(ctx sdk.Context, contractAddr sdk
 				},
 			}
 		} else {
+			// Issue #759 - we don't return error string for worries of non-determinism
+			moduleLogger(ctx).Info("Redacting submessage error", "cause", err)
 			result = wasmvmtypes.SubcallResult{
-				Err: err.Error(),
+				Err: redactError(err),
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -155,6 +159,15 @@ func (d MessageDispatcher) DispatchSubmessages(ctx sdk.Context, contractAddr sdk
 	return rsp, nil
 }
 
+func redactError(err error) string {
+	// FIXME: do we want to hardcode some constant string mappings here as well?
+	// Or better document them? (SDK error string may change on a patch release to fix wording)
+	// sdk/11 is out of gas
+	// sdk/5 is insufficient funds (on bank send)
+	codespace, code, _ := sdkerrors.ABCIInfo(err, false)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("codespace: %s, code: %d", codespace, code)
+}
+
 func filterEvents(events []sdk.Event) []sdk.Event {
 	// pre-allocate space for efficiency
 	res := make([]sdk.Event, 0, len(events))
diff --git a/x/wasm/keeper/msg_dispatcher_test.go b/x/wasm/keeper/msg_dispatcher_test.go
index b1a806a6..b53eac72 100644
--- a/x/wasm/keeper/msg_dispatcher_test.go
+++ b/x/wasm/keeper/msg_dispatcher_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/log"
+
 	wasmvmtypes "github.com/CosmWasm/wasmvm/types"
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -347,7 +349,7 @@ func TestDispatchSubmessages(t *testing.T) {
 			em := sdk.NewEventManager()
 			ctx := sdk.Context{}.WithMultiStore(&mockStore).
 				WithGasMeter(sdk.NewGasMeter(100)).
-				WithEventManager(em)
+				WithEventManager(em).WithLogger(log.TestingLogger())
 			d := NewMessageDispatcher(spec.msgHandler, spec.replyer)
 			gotData, gotErr := d.DispatchSubmessages(ctx, RandomAccountAddress(t), "any_port", spec.msgs)
 			if spec.expErr {
diff --git a/x/wasm/keeper/submsg_test.go b/x/wasm/keeper/submsg_test.go
index 2fdb17eb..29c3ad8e 100644
--- a/x/wasm/keeper/submsg_test.go
+++ b/x/wasm/keeper/submsg_test.go
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ func TestDispatchSubMsgErrorHandling(t *testing.T) {
 			msg:         invalidBankSend,
 			subMsgError: true,
 			// uses less gas than the send tokens (cost of bank transfer)
-			resultAssertions: []assertion{assertGasUsed(76000, 79000), assertErrorString("insufficient funds")},
+			resultAssertions: []assertion{assertGasUsed(76000, 79000), assertErrorString("codespace: sdk, code: 5")},
 		},
 		"out of gas panic with no gas limit": {
 			submsgID:        7,
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ func TestDispatchSubMsgErrorHandling(t *testing.T) {
 			subMsgError: true,
 			gasLimit:    &subGasLimit,
 			// uses same gas as call without limit (note we do not charge the 40k on reply)
-			resultAssertions: []assertion{assertGasUsed(79000, 79040), assertErrorString("insufficient funds")},
+			resultAssertions: []assertion{assertGasUsed(77800, 77900), assertErrorString("codespace: sdk, code: 5")},
 		},
 		"out of gas caught with gas limit": {
 			submsgID:    17,
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ func TestDispatchSubMsgErrorHandling(t *testing.T) {
 			subMsgError: true,
 			gasLimit:    &subGasLimit,
 			// uses all the subGasLimit, plus the 52k or so for the main contract
-			resultAssertions: []assertion{assertGasUsed(subGasLimit+73000, subGasLimit+80000), assertErrorString("out of gas")},
+			resultAssertions: []assertion{assertGasUsed(subGasLimit+73000, subGasLimit+74000), assertErrorString("codespace: sdk, code: 11")},
 		},
 		"instantiate contract gets address in data and events": {
 			submsgID:         21,