diff --git a/engine/src/main/java/io/camunda/zeebe/process/test/engine/GrpcToLogStreamGateway.java b/engine/src/main/java/io/camunda/zeebe/process/test/engine/GrpcToLogStreamGateway.java
index 3d965735..d6b017de 100644
--- a/engine/src/main/java/io/camunda/zeebe/process/test/engine/GrpcToLogStreamGateway.java
+++ b/engine/src/main/java/io/camunda/zeebe/process/test/engine/GrpcToLogStreamGateway.java
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ public void completeJob(
 
     final String variables = request.getVariables();
     if (!variables.isEmpty()) {
-      jobRecord.setVariables(BufferUtil.wrapArray(MsgPackConverter.convertToMsgPack(variables)));
+      jobRecord.setVariables(convertVariablesToMessagePack(variables));
     }
 
     writer.writeCommandWithKey(request.getJobKey(), jobRecord, recordMetadata);
@@ -371,6 +371,11 @@ public void throwError(
     jobRecord.setErrorCode(BufferUtil.wrapString(request.getErrorCode()));
     jobRecord.setErrorMessage(request.getErrorMessage());
 
+    final String variables = request.getVariables();
+    if (!variables.isEmpty()) {
+      jobRecord.setVariables(convertVariablesToMessagePack(variables));
+    }
+
     writer.writeCommandWithKey(request.getJobKey(), jobRecord, recordMetadata);
   }
 
@@ -395,8 +400,7 @@ public void publishMessage(
     messageRecord.setTimeToLive(request.getTimeToLive());
     final String variables = request.getVariables();
     if (!variables.isEmpty()) {
-      messageRecord.setVariables(
-          BufferUtil.wrapArray(MsgPackConverter.convertToMsgPack(variables)));
+      messageRecord.setVariables(convertVariablesToMessagePack(variables));
     }
 
     writer.writeCommandWithoutKey(messageRecord, recordMetadata);
@@ -437,8 +441,7 @@ public void setVariables(
 
     final String variables = request.getVariables();
     if (!variables.isEmpty()) {
-      variableDocumentRecord.setVariables(
-          BufferUtil.wrapArray(MsgPackConverter.convertToMsgPack(variables)));
+      variableDocumentRecord.setVariables(convertVariablesToMessagePack(variables));
     }
 
     variableDocumentRecord.setScopeKey(request.getElementInstanceKey());
@@ -591,8 +594,7 @@ public void broadcastSignal(
     final SignalRecord command = new SignalRecord().setSignalName(request.getSignalName());
 
     if (!request.getVariables().isEmpty()) {
-      command.setVariables(
-          BufferUtil.wrapArray(MsgPackConverter.convertToMsgPack(request.getVariables())));
+      command.setVariables(convertVariablesToMessagePack(request.getVariables()));
     }
 
     writer.writeCommandWithoutKey(
@@ -624,9 +626,7 @@ final var record = new ProcessInstanceModificationRecord();
         instruction.addVariableInstruction(
             new ProcessInstanceModificationVariableInstruction()
                 .setElementId(variable.getScopeId())
-                .setVariables(
-                    BufferUtil.wrapArray(
-                        MsgPackConverter.convertToMsgPack(variable.getVariables()))));
+                .setVariables(convertVariablesToMessagePack(variable.getVariables())));
       }
 
       record.addActivateInstruction(instruction);
@@ -663,8 +663,7 @@ private ProcessInstanceCreationRecord createProcessInstanceCreationRecord(
 
     final String variables = request.getVariables();
     if (!variables.isEmpty()) {
-      processInstanceCreationRecord.setVariables(
-          BufferUtil.wrapArray(MsgPackConverter.convertToMsgPack(variables)));
+      processInstanceCreationRecord.setVariables(convertVariablesToMessagePack(variables));
     }
     return processInstanceCreationRecord;
   }
@@ -681,12 +680,16 @@ private DecisionEvaluationRecord createDecisionEvaluationRecord(
 
     final String variables = request.getVariables();
     if (!variables.isEmpty()) {
-      record.setVariables(BufferUtil.wrapArray(MsgPackConverter.convertToMsgPack(variables)));
+      record.setVariables(convertVariablesToMessagePack(variables));
     }
 
     return record;
   }
 
+  private static DirectBuffer convertVariablesToMessagePack(final String variables) {
+    return BufferUtil.wrapArray(MsgPackConverter.convertToMsgPack(variables));
+  }
+
   public String getAddress() {
     return "0.0.0.0:" + port;
   }
diff --git a/engine/src/test/java/io/camunda/zeebe/process/test/engine/EngineClientTest.java b/engine/src/test/java/io/camunda/zeebe/process/test/engine/EngineClientTest.java
index 15c354f4..b8078c5e 100644
--- a/engine/src/test/java/io/camunda/zeebe/process/test/engine/EngineClientTest.java
+++ b/engine/src/test/java/io/camunda/zeebe/process/test/engine/EngineClientTest.java
@@ -772,6 +772,7 @@ void shouldThrowErrorOnJob() {
                 .serviceTask("task", (task) -> task.zeebeJobType("jobType"))
                 .boundaryEvent("error")
                 .error("0xCAFE")
+                .zeebeOutputExpression("error_var", "error_var")
                 .endEvent()
                 .done(),
             "simpleProcess.bpmn")
@@ -782,10 +783,10 @@ void shouldThrowErrorOnJob() {
         .newCreateInstanceCommand()
         .bpmnProcessId("simpleProcess")
         .latestVersion()
-        .variables(Map.of("test", 1))
         .send()
         .join();
 
+    // when
     Awaitility.await()
         .untilAsserted(
             () -> {
@@ -796,7 +797,6 @@ void shouldThrowErrorOnJob() {
                       .maxJobsToActivate(32)
                       .timeout(Duration.ofMinutes(1))
                       .workerName("yolo")
-                      .fetchVariables(List.of("test"))
                       .send()
                       .join();
 
@@ -804,34 +804,50 @@ void shouldThrowErrorOnJob() {
               assertThat(jobs).isNotEmpty();
               final ActivatedJob job = jobs.get(0);
 
-              // when - then
               zeebeClient
                   .newThrowErrorCommand(job.getKey())
                   .errorCode("0xCAFE")
                   .errorMessage("What just happened.")
+                  .variable("error_var", "Out of coffee")
                   .send()
                   .join();
+            });
 
-              Awaitility.await()
-                  .untilAsserted(
-                      () -> {
-                        final Optional<Record<ProcessInstanceRecordValue>> boundaryEvent =
-                            StreamSupport.stream(
-                                    RecordStream.of(zeebeEngine.getRecordStreamSource())
-                                        .processInstanceRecords()
-                                        .spliterator(),
-                                    false)
-                                .filter(
-                                    r -> r.getIntent() == ProcessInstanceIntent.ELEMENT_COMPLETED)
-                                .filter(
-                                    r ->
-                                        r.getValue().getBpmnElementType()
-                                            == BpmnElementType.BOUNDARY_EVENT)
-                                .filter(r -> r.getValue().getBpmnEventType() == BpmnEventType.ERROR)
-                                .findFirst();
+    // then
+    Awaitility.await()
+        .untilAsserted(
+            () -> {
+              final Optional<Record<ProcessInstanceRecordValue>> boundaryEvent =
+                  StreamSupport.stream(
+                          RecordStream.of(zeebeEngine.getRecordStreamSource())
+                              .processInstanceRecords()
+                              .spliterator(),
+                          false)
+                      .filter(r -> r.getIntent() == ProcessInstanceIntent.ELEMENT_COMPLETED)
+                      .filter(
+                          r -> r.getValue().getBpmnElementType() == BpmnElementType.BOUNDARY_EVENT)
+                      .filter(r -> r.getValue().getBpmnEventType() == BpmnEventType.ERROR)
+                      .findFirst();
 
-                        assertThat(boundaryEvent).isNotEmpty();
-                      });
+              assertThat(boundaryEvent)
+                  .describedAs("Expect that the error boundary event is completed")
+                  .isNotEmpty();
+
+              final var errorVariable =
+                  StreamSupport.stream(
+                          RecordStream.of(zeebeEngine.getRecordStreamSource())
+                              .variableRecords()
+                              .spliterator(),
+                          false)
+                      .filter(r -> r.getValue().getName().equals("error_var"))
+                      .findFirst();
+
+              assertThat(errorVariable)
+                  .describedAs("Expect that the error variable is set")
+                  .isPresent()
+                  .hasValueSatisfying(
+                      record ->
+                          assertThat(record.getValue().getValue()).isEqualTo("\"Out of coffee\""));
             });
   }