diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-sample.yml b/.github/workflows/check-sample.yml
index cd90562f..736c492f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-sample.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-sample.yml
@@ -45,48 +45,59 @@ jobs:
             const fs = require('fs');
             const pr_number = context.issue.number;
             const marker = '## Samples Checklist';
-
-            // Read the checklist from the file
-            let checklist = fs.readFileSync('checklist.txt', 'utf8').trim();
+            
+            let checklist;
             let error = false;
 
-            if(!checklist) {
-              checklist = "✅ All good!"
-            }
-            else {
-              error = true;
+            try {
+              // Read the checklist from the file
+              checklist = fs.readFileSync('checklist.txt', 'utf8');
+              checklist = checklist.trim();
+              if(!checklist) {
+                checklist = "✅ All good!"
+              }
+              else {
+                error = true;
+              }
+            } catch (readFileError) {
+              throw new Error("Could not read samples checklist from file. Please fix the issues and try again.")
             }
 
-            // Get the current PR
-            const { data: pullRequest } = await github.rest.pulls.get({
-                owner: context.repo.owner,
-                repo: context.repo.repo,
-                pull_number: pr_number
-            });
+            try {
+              // Get the current PR
+              const { data: pullRequest } = await github.rest.pulls.get({
+                  owner: context.repo.owner,
+                  repo: context.repo.repo,
+                  pull_number: pr_number
+              });
 
-            let newBody;
-            const body = pullRequest.body || "";
-            const markerIndex = body.indexOf(marker);
+              let newBody;
+              const body = pullRequest.body || "";
+              const markerIndex = body.indexOf(marker);
 
-            if (markerIndex !== -1) {
-                // Replace the content below the marker
-                newBody = body.substring(0, markerIndex + marker.length) + "\n" + checklist;
-            } else {
-                // Append the checklist if the marker doesn't exist
-                newBody = body + "\n" + marker + "\n" + checklist;
-            }
+              if (markerIndex !== -1) {
+                  // Replace the content below the marker
+                  newBody = body.substring(0, markerIndex + marker.length) + "\n" + checklist;
+              } else {
+                  // Append the checklist if the marker doesn't exist
+                  newBody = body + "\n" + marker + "\n" + checklist;
+              }
 
-            // Update the PR description
-            await github.rest.pulls.update({
-                owner: context.repo.owner,
-                repo: context.repo.repo,
-                pull_number: pr_number,
-                body: newBody
-            });
+              // Update the PR description
+              await github.rest.pulls.update({
+                  owner: context.repo.owner,
+                  repo: context.repo.repo,
+                  pull_number: pr_number,
+                  body: newBody
+              });
+            } catch (updatePrError) {
+              throw new Error("Could not update PR description based on samples checklist. Please fix the issues and try again.")
+            }
 
-            if(error) {
+            if (error) {
               throw new Error("Incomplete samples checklist. Please fix the issues and try again.");
             }
+            
 
       - name: Create / Update Template Repo
         uses: actions/github-script@v7
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish-sample-template.yml b/.github/workflows/publish-sample-template.yml
index 742ec8b8..c572ef2d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish-sample-template.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish-sample-template.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ on:
       - main
 
 jobs:
-  check_samples:
+  publish_samples:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions: 
       contents: write
diff --git a/scripts/check-sample-files.sh b/scripts/check-sample-files.sh
index a47533d6..ca5394a5 100755
--- a/scripts/check-sample-files.sh
+++ b/scripts/check-sample-files.sh
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@ for dir in ./samples/*/; do
     # if there is a compose.yaml file, check if it is valid
     (
       cd $dir
-      if ! defang compose config > /dev/null 2>/dev/null; then
-        echo " - [ ] ${dir}compose.yaml contains errors"
+      output=$(defang compose config 2>&1)
+      if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then
+        echo " - [ ] ${dir}compose.yaml is not valid according to \`defang compose config\`:  $output"
       fi
     )
   fi