diff --git a/org.knime.core/.settings/.api_filters b/org.knime.core/.settings/.api_filters
index 95db648945..aca26314d6 100644
--- a/org.knime.core/.settings/.api_filters
+++ b/org.knime.core/.settings/.api_filters
@@ -8,4 +8,12 @@
             </message_arguments>
         </filter>
     </resource>
+    <resource path="src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/execresult/NodeContainerExecutionStatus.java" type="org.knime.core.node.workflow.execresult.NodeContainerExecutionStatus">
+        <filter comment="added as part of AP-25686 - interface is internal API" id="403804204">
+            <message_arguments>
+                <message_argument value="org.knime.core.node.workflow.execresult.NodeContainerExecutionStatus"/>
+                <message_argument value="getNodeMessage()"/>
+            </message_arguments>
+        </filter>
+    </resource>
 </component>
diff --git a/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/NodeExecutionJob.java b/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/NodeExecutionJob.java
index 47f1e1b73f..423b464dfb 100644
--- a/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/NodeExecutionJob.java
+++ b/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/NodeExecutionJob.java
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@
 import org.knime.core.node.port.PortObject;
 import org.knime.core.node.port.PortType;
 import org.knime.core.node.util.StringFormat;
-import org.knime.core.node.workflow.execresult.NodeContainerExecutionResult;
 import org.knime.core.node.workflow.execresult.NodeContainerExecutionStatus;
 import org.knime.core.util.ThreadPool;
 
@@ -245,9 +244,9 @@ private static boolean checkForTryCatchScope(final SingleNodeContainer snc,
             // failure inside an active try-catch:
             // make node inactive and preserve error message(s)
             if (snc.setInactive()) {
-                String errorMessage = (status instanceof NodeContainerExecutionResult)
-                    ? ((NodeContainerExecutionResult)status).getNodeMessage().getMessage() : status.toString();
-                snc.setNodeMessage(NodeMessage.newError("Execution failed in Try-Catch block: " + errorMessage));
+                final NodeMessage msg = status.getNodeMessage().prependMessage("Execution failed in Try-Catch block: ");
+                String errorMessage = msg.getMessage();
+                snc.setNodeMessage(msg);
                 // and store information such that the catch-node can report it
                 tcslc.setErrorToFlowObjectStack(snc.getName(), errorMessage, null, null,
                     snc.getOutgoingFlowObjectStack());
diff --git a/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/SubNodeContainer.java b/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/SubNodeContainer.java
index fef11e6958..47b984551a 100644
--- a/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/SubNodeContainer.java
+++ b/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/SubNodeContainer.java
@@ -1554,7 +1554,7 @@ public Boolean call() throws Exception {
                         .filter(m -> NodeMessage.Type.RESET != m.getMessageType()) //
                         .orElse(NodeMessage.newError("<reason unknown>"));
                 setNodeMessage(nodeMessage);
-                return NodeContainerExecutionStatus.newFailure(nodeMessage.getMessage());
+                return NodeContainerExecutionStatus.newFailure(nodeMessage);
             }
             return allExecuted ? NodeContainerExecutionStatus.SUCCESS : NodeContainerExecutionStatus.FAILURE;
         } finally {
diff --git a/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/execresult/NodeContainerExecutionResult.java b/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/execresult/NodeContainerExecutionResult.java
index 4b66ead8ba..42c7cb6598 100644
--- a/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/execresult/NodeContainerExecutionResult.java
+++ b/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/execresult/NodeContainerExecutionResult.java
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ protected NodeContainerExecutionResult(final NodeContainerExecutionResult toCopy
     /** Get a node message that was set during execution.
      * @return The node message. */
     @JsonProperty("nodeMessage")
+    @Override
     public NodeMessage getNodeMessage() {
         return m_message;
     }
diff --git a/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/execresult/NodeContainerExecutionStatus.java b/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/execresult/NodeContainerExecutionStatus.java
index 8773f37af1..ff8f871f31 100644
--- a/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/execresult/NodeContainerExecutionStatus.java
+++ b/org.knime.core/src/eclipse/org/knime/core/node/workflow/execresult/NodeContainerExecutionStatus.java
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 package org.knime.core.node.workflow.execresult;
 
 import org.knime.core.node.workflow.NodeID;
+import org.knime.core.node.workflow.NodeMessage;
 import org.knime.core.node.workflow.SingleNodeContainer;
 
 /**
@@ -74,6 +75,12 @@ public interface NodeContainerExecutionStatus {
      */
     public boolean isSuccess();
 
+    /** The node's message, corresponding to the node's execution status.
+     * @return the message, not null.
+     * @since 5.12
+     */
+    NodeMessage getNodeMessage();
+
     /** Query the execution status for a child given its
      * {@linkplain NodeID#getIndex() node id suffix}. If the child is unknown,
      * the implementation should return {@link #FAILURE}.
@@ -85,8 +92,19 @@ public interface NodeContainerExecutionStatus {
     /** Convenience shortcut to create failure with no children but custom error message.
      * @param message the message
      * @return a new failure with a custom message.
-     * @since 3.0 */
-    static public NodeContainerExecutionStatus newFailure(final String message) {
+     * @since 3.0
+     * @deprecated Use {@link #newFailure(NodeMessage)} instead.
+     */
+    @Deprecated(since = "5.12", forRemoval = true)
+    static NodeContainerExecutionStatus newFailure(final String message) {
+        return newFailure(new NodeMessage(NodeMessage.Type.ERROR, message));
+    }
+
+    /** Convenience shortcut to create failure with no children but custom error message.
+     * @param message the message
+     * @return a new failure with a custom message.
+     * @since 5.12 */
+    static NodeContainerExecutionStatus newFailure(final NodeMessage message) {
         return new NodeContainerExecutionStatus() {
 
             /**
@@ -98,6 +116,12 @@ public NodeContainerExecutionStatus getChildStatus(final int idSuffix) {
                 return this;
             }
 
+
+            @Override
+            public NodeMessage getNodeMessage() {
+                return message;
+            }
+
             /** @return false */
             @Override
             public boolean isSuccess() {
@@ -107,7 +131,7 @@ public boolean isSuccess() {
             /** {@inheritDoc} */
             @Override
             public String toString() {
-                return message;
+                return message.getMessage();
             }
         };
     }
@@ -129,6 +153,11 @@ public NodeContainerExecutionStatus getChildStatus(
             return SUCCESS;
         }
 
+        @Override
+        public NodeMessage getNodeMessage() {
+            return NodeMessage.NONE;
+        }
+
         /** @return true */
         @Override
         public boolean isSuccess() {