diff --git a/containers/message-refiner/app/refine.py b/containers/message-refiner/app/refine.py
index abbfd9ee9e..17d1f7e045 100644
--- a/containers/message-refiner/app/refine.py
+++ b/containers/message-refiner/app/refine.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import logging
 from typing import Dict
 from typing import List
 from typing import Optional
@@ -5,9 +6,12 @@
 
 from lxml import etree
 
-# read json that contains details for refining and is the base of what drives `refine`
 from app.utils import read_json_from_assets
 
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__).error
+
+
+# read json that contains details for refining and is the base of what drives `refine`
 REFINER_DETAILS = read_json_from_assets("refiner_details.json")
 
 # extract section LOINC codes from the REFINER_DETAILS dictionary
@@ -34,8 +38,9 @@ def validate_message(raw_message: str) -> tuple[bytes | None, str]:
         validated_message = etree.fromstring(raw_message)
         return (validated_message, error_message)
     except etree.XMLSyntaxError as error:
-        error_message = f"XMLSyntaxError: {error}"
-        return (None, str(error_message))
+        error_message = "Invalid XML format."
+        log(f"XMLSyntaxError: {error}")
+        return (None, error_message)
 
 
 def validate_sections_to_include(sections_to_include: str | None) -> tuple[list, str]:
@@ -57,7 +62,8 @@ def validate_sections_to_include(sections_to_include: str | None) -> tuple[list,
     sections = sections_to_include.split(",")
     for section in sections:
         if section not in SECTION_LOINCS:
-            error_message = f"{section} is invalid. Please provide a valid section."
+            error_message = "Invalid section provided."
+            log(f"Invalid section: {section}")
             return (section_loincs, error_message)
         section_loincs.append(section)
 
diff --git a/containers/message-refiner/tests/test_refine.py b/containers/message-refiner/tests/test_refine.py
index 052f26a31e..a2a48d4fc3 100644
--- a/containers/message-refiner/tests/test_refine.py
+++ b/containers/message-refiner/tests/test_refine.py
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ def normalize_xml(xml_string):
         # Test case: invalid sections_to_include
         (
             "blah blah blah",
-            ([], "blah blah blah is invalid. Please provide a valid section."),
+            ([], "Invalid section provided."),
         ),
     ],
 )
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ def test_validate_message():
     raw_message = "this is not a valid XML"
     actual_response, error_message = validate_message(raw_message)
     assert actual_response is None
-    assert "XMLSyntaxError" in error_message
+    assert "Invalid XML format." in error_message
 
 
 def test_generate_combined_xpath():
diff --git a/containers/message-refiner/tests/test_refiner.py b/containers/message-refiner/tests/test_refiner.py
index 98b6d0fd1d..7e141cae58 100644
--- a/containers/message-refiner/tests/test_refiner.py
+++ b/containers/message-refiner/tests/test_refiner.py
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ def test_ecr_refiner():
     assert actual_flattened == expected_flattened
 
     # Test case: sections_to_include is invalid
-    expected_response = "blah blah blah is invalid. Please provide a valid section."
+    expected_response = "Invalid section provided."
     content = test_eICR_xml
     sections_to_include = "blah blah blah"
     endpoint = f"/ecr/?sections_to_include={sections_to_include}"
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ def test_ecr_refiner():
     endpoint = "/ecr/"
     actual_response = client.post(endpoint, content=content)
     assert actual_response.status_code == 400
-    assert "XMLSyntaxError" in actual_response.content.decode()
+    assert "Invalid XML format." in actual_response.content.decode()
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio