diff --git a/workflow/executor.go b/workflow/executor.go
index 9739bca2..bcb02c26 100644
--- a/workflow/executor.go
+++ b/workflow/executor.go
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ func (e *executor) verifyStageInputs(
 		if providedInputForField == nil {
 			// not present
 			if stageInputSchema.RequiredValue {
-				return fmt.Errorf("required input %s of type %s not found for step %s",
+				return fmt.Errorf("required input '%s' of type '%s' not found for step '%s'",
 					name, stageInputSchema.TypeID(), stepID)
 			}
 		} else {
@@ -773,8 +773,8 @@ func (e *executor) prepareDependencies( //nolint:gocognit,gocyclo
 			for _, dependency := range dependencies {
 				dependencyKind := dependency[1]
 				switch dependencyKind {
-				case "input":
-					inputNode, err := dag.GetNodeByID("input")
+				case WorkflowInputKey:
+					inputNode, err := dag.GetNodeByID(WorkflowInputKey)
 					if err != nil {
 						return fmt.Errorf("failed to find input node (%w)", err)
 					}
@@ -784,7 +784,7 @@ func (e *executor) prepareDependencies( //nolint:gocognit,gocyclo
 							return fmt.Errorf("failed to connect input to %s (%w)", currentNode.ID(), err)
 						}
 					}
-				case "steps":
+				case WorkflowStepsKey:
 					var prevNodeID string
 					switch dependencyNodes := len(dependency); {
 					case dependencyNodes == 4: // Example: $.steps.example.outputs
diff --git a/workflow/executor_test.go b/workflow/executor_test.go
index daecaf7c..9615b4f5 100644
--- a/workflow/executor_test.go
+++ b/workflow/executor_test.go
@@ -126,7 +126,9 @@ input:
       properties: {}
 steps:
   incomplete_wait:
-    plugin: "n/a"
+    plugin: 
+      src: "n/a"
+      deployment_type: builtin
     step: wait
     # Missing input
 outputs:
@@ -155,9 +157,12 @@ func TestMissingInput(t *testing.T) {
 	// For this test, a workflow's step will be missing its inputs.
 	_, err := getTestImplPreparedWorkflow(t, missingInputWorkflowDefinition1)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "required input 'input' of type 'scope' not found for step 'incomplete_wait'")
 
 	_, err = getDummyDeployerPreparedWorkflow(t, missingInputWorkflowDefinition2)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "required input 'name' of type 'string' not found for step 'say_hi'")
+
 }
 
 var mismatchedStepInputTypesWorkflowDefinition = `
@@ -170,12 +175,16 @@ input:
       properties: {}
 steps:
   wait_1:
-    plugin: "n/a"
+    plugin: 
+      src: "n/a"
+      deployment_type: builtin
     step: wait
     input:
       wait_time_ms: 0
   wait_2:
-    plugin: "n/a"
+    plugin:
+      src: "n/a"
+      deployment_type: builtin
     step: wait
     input:
       # Should fail during preparation, due to message being a string, and wait_time_ms expecting an int
@@ -188,6 +197,7 @@ outputs:
 func TestMismatchedStepInputTypes(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := getTestImplPreparedWorkflow(t, mismatchedStepInputTypesWorkflowDefinition)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "unsupported data type for 'int' type: *schema.StringSchema")
 }
 
 var mismatchedInputTypesWorkflowDefinition = `
@@ -207,7 +217,9 @@ input:
             type_id: string
 steps:
   wait_1:
-    plugin: "n/a"
+    plugin: 
+      src: "n/a"
+      deployment_type: builtin
     step: wait
     input:
       # This is trying to put a string into an int field
@@ -220,4 +232,5 @@ outputs:
 func TestMismatchedInputTypes(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := getTestImplPreparedWorkflow(t, mismatchedInputTypesWorkflowDefinition)
 	assert.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "unsupported data type for 'int' type: *schema.StringSchema")
 }