diff --git a/changelog/unreleased/kong/fix-error-message-print.yml b/changelog/unreleased/kong/fix-error-message-print.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c3e87303f08b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/unreleased/kong/fix-error-message-print.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+message: print error message correctly when plugin fails
+type: bugfix
+scope: Core
diff --git a/kong/plugins/aws-lambda/handler.lua b/kong/plugins/aws-lambda/handler.lua
index 2e1b78002d03..78699df1d4ad 100644
--- a/kong/plugins/aws-lambda/handler.lua
+++ b/kong/plugins/aws-lambda/handler.lua
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ function AWSLambdaHandler:access(conf)
 
   local content = res.body
   if res.status >= 400 then
-    return error(content)
+    return error(content.Message)
   end
 
   -- TRACING: set KONG_WAITING_TIME stop