diff --git a/services/real-time/app/js/ChannelManager.js b/services/real-time/app/js/ChannelManager.js
index da0490ff9a..8e2bb57863 100644
--- a/services/real-time/app/js/ChannelManager.js
+++ b/services/real-time/app/js/ChannelManager.js
@@ -23,12 +23,13 @@ module.exports = {
     const channel = `${baseChannel}:${id}`
     const actualSubscribe = function () {
       // subscribe is happening in the foreground and it should reject
-      const p = rclient.subscribe(channel)
-      p.finally(function () {
-        if (clientChannelMap.get(channel) === subscribePromise) {
-          clientChannelMap.delete(channel)
-        }
-      })
+      return rclient
+        .subscribe(channel)
+        .finally(function () {
+          if (clientChannelMap.get(channel) === subscribePromise) {
+            clientChannelMap.delete(channel)
+          }
+        })
         .then(function () {
           logger.log({ channel }, 'subscribed to channel')
           metrics.inc(`subscribe.${baseChannel}`)
@@ -37,9 +38,10 @@ module.exports = {
           logger.error({ channel, err }, 'failed to subscribe to channel')
           metrics.inc(`subscribe.failed.${baseChannel}`)
           // add context for the stack-trace at the call-site
-          OError.tag(err, 'failed to subscribe to channel', { channel })
+          throw new OError('failed to subscribe to channel', {
+            channel
+          }).withCause(err)
         })
-      return p
     }
 
     const pendingActions = clientChannelMap.get(channel) || Promise.resolve()
diff --git a/services/real-time/app/js/ConnectedUsersManager.js b/services/real-time/app/js/ConnectedUsersManager.js
index 340d0706fd..ed37db1ef6 100644
--- a/services/real-time/app/js/ConnectedUsersManager.js
+++ b/services/real-time/app/js/ConnectedUsersManager.js
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ module.exports = {
 
     multi.exec(function (err) {
       if (err) {
-        OError.tag(err, 'problem marking user as connected')
+        err = new OError('problem marking user as connected').withCause(err)
       }
       callback(err)
     })
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ module.exports = {
     multi.del(Keys.connectedUser({ project_id, client_id }))
     multi.exec(function (err) {
       if (err) {
-        OError.tag(err, 'problem marking user as disconnected')
+        err = new OError('problem marking user as disconnected').withCause(err)
       }
       callback(err)
     })
@@ -116,9 +116,9 @@ module.exports = {
       result
     ) {
       if (err) {
-        OError.tag(err, 'problem fetching connected user details', {
+        err = new OError('problem fetching connected user details', {
           other_client_id: client_id
-        })
+        }).withCause(err)
         return callback(err)
       }
       if (!(result && result.user_id)) {
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ module.exports = {
       results
     ) {
       if (err) {
-        OError.tag(err, 'problem getting clients in project')
+        err = new OError('problem getting clients in project').withCause(err)
         return callback(err)
       }
       const jobs = results.map((client_id) => (cb) =>
diff --git a/services/real-time/app/js/DocumentUpdaterManager.js b/services/real-time/app/js/DocumentUpdaterManager.js
index 587b6f959d..2d7f2890c6 100644
--- a/services/real-time/app/js/DocumentUpdaterManager.js
+++ b/services/real-time/app/js/DocumentUpdaterManager.js
@@ -136,12 +136,12 @@ const DocumentUpdaterManager = {
       error
     ) {
       if (error) {
-        OError.tag(error, 'error pushing update into redis')
+        error = new OError('error pushing update into redis').withCause(error)
         return callback(error)
       }
       rclient.rpush('pending-updates-list', doc_key, function (error) {
         if (error) {
-          OError.tag(error, 'error pushing doc_id into redis')
+          error = new OError('error pushing doc_id into redis').withCause(error)
         }
         callback(error)
       })
diff --git a/services/real-time/test/unit/js/ChannelManagerTests.js b/services/real-time/test/unit/js/ChannelManagerTests.js
index 6026f6ab5c..95e9000a49 100644
--- a/services/real-time/test/unit/js/ChannelManagerTests.js
+++ b/services/real-time/test/unit/js/ChannelManagerTests.js
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@ describe('ChannelManager', function () {
         )
         p.then(() => done(new Error('should not subscribe but fail'))).catch(
           (err) => {
-            err.message.should.equal('some redis error')
+            err.message.should.equal('failed to subscribe to channel')
+            err.cause.message.should.equal('some redis error')
             this.ChannelManager.getClientMapEntry(this.rclient)
               .has('applied-ops:1234567890abcdef')
               .should.equal(false)