diff --git a/server/fishtest/actiondb.py b/server/fishtest/actiondb.py
index df0d5b01e..c3d6eadcc 100644
--- a/server/fishtest/actiondb.py
+++ b/server/fishtest/actiondb.py
@@ -218,8 +218,10 @@ def insert_action(self, **action):
         action["time"] = datetime.now(timezone.utc).timestamp()
         try:
             validate(action_schema, action, "action")
-        except ValidationError:
-            message = f"Internal Error. Request {str(action)} does not validate"
+        except ValidationError as e:
+            message = (
+                f"Internal Error. Request {str(action)} does not validate: {str(e)}"
+            )
             print(message, flush=True)
             self.log_message(
                 username="fishtest.system",
diff --git a/server/fishtest/schemas.py b/server/fishtest/schemas.py
index 56306cce5..272d6f8f4 100644
--- a/server/fishtest/schemas.py
+++ b/server/fishtest/schemas.py
@@ -10,8 +10,10 @@
 
 from bson.objectid import ObjectId
 from vtjson import (
+    anything,
     at_least_one_of,
     at_most_one_of,
+    cond,
     div,
     email,
     glob,
@@ -21,6 +23,7 @@
     ip_address,
     keys,
     lax,
+    nothing,
     number,
     one_of,
     quote,
@@ -125,150 +128,236 @@ def first_test_before_last(x):
 }
 
 
-action_schema = union(
-    {
-        "_id?": ObjectId,
-        "time": float,
-        "action": "failed_task",
-        "username": str,
-        "worker": long_worker_name,
-        "run_id": run_id,
-        "run": run_name,
-        "task_id": int,
-        "message": action_message,
-    },
-    {
-        "_id?": ObjectId,
-        "time": float,
-        "action": "crash_or_time",
-        "username": str,
-        "worker": long_worker_name,
-        "run_id": run_id,
-        "run": run_name,
-        "task_id": int,
-        "message": action_message,
-    },
-    {
-        "_id?": ObjectId,
-        "time": float,
-        "action": "dead_task",
-        "username": str,
-        "worker": long_worker_name,
-        "run_id": run_id,
-        "run": run_name,
-        "task_id": int,
-    },
-    {
-        "_id?": ObjectId,
-        "time": float,
-        "action": "system_event",
-        "username": "fishtest.system",
-        "message": action_message,
-    },
-    {
-        "_id?": ObjectId,
-        "time": float,
-        "action": "new_run",
-        "username": str,
-        "run_id": run_id,
-        "run": run_name,
-        "message": action_message,
-    },
-    {
-        "_id?": ObjectId,
-        "time": float,
-        "action": "upload_nn",
-        "username": str,
-        "nn": str,
-    },
-    {
-        "_id?": ObjectId,
-        "time": float,
-        "action": "modify_run",
-        "username": str,
-        "run_id": run_id,
-        "run": run_name,
-        "message": action_message,
-    },
-    {
-        "_id?": ObjectId,
-        "time": float,
-        "action": "delete_run",
-        "username": str,
-        "run_id": run_id,
-        "run": run_name,
-    },
-    intersect(
+action_name = set_name(
+    union(
+        "failed_task",
+        "crash_or_time",
+        "dead_task",
+        "system_event",
+        "new_run",
+        "upload_nn",
+        "modify_run",
+        "delete_run",
+        "stop_run",
+        "finished_run",
+        "approve_run",
+        "purge_run",
+        "block_user",
+        "accept_user",
+        "block_worker",
+        "log_message",
+    ),
+    "action_name",
+)
+
+
+def action_is(x):
+    return lax({"action": x})
+
+
+action_schema = intersect(
+    # First make sure that we recognize the action name.
+    lax(
         {
-            "_id?": ObjectId,
-            "time": float,
-            "action": "stop_run",
-            "username": str,
-            "run_id": run_id,
-            "run": run_name,
-            "message": action_message,
-            "worker?": long_worker_name,
-            "task_id?": int,
-        },
-        ifthen(at_least_one_of("worker", "task_id"), keys("worker", "task_id")),
+            "action": action_name,
+        }
+    ),
+    # For every action name introduce a specific schema.
+    cond(
+        (
+            action_is("failed_task"),
+            {
+                "_id?": ObjectId,
+                "time": float,
+                "action": "failed_task",
+                "username": str,
+                "worker": long_worker_name,
+                "run_id": run_id,
+                "run": run_name,
+                "task_id": int,
+                "message": action_message,
+            },
+        ),
+        (
+            action_is("crash_or_time"),
+            {
+                "_id?": ObjectId,
+                "time": float,
+                "action": "crash_or_time",
+                "username": str,
+                "worker": long_worker_name,
+                "run_id": run_id,
+                "run": run_name,
+                "task_id": int,
+                "message": action_message,
+            },
+        ),
+        (
+            action_is("dead_task"),
+            {
+                "_id?": ObjectId,
+                "time": float,
+                "action": "dead_task",
+                "username": str,
+                "worker": long_worker_name,
+                "run_id": run_id,
+                "run": run_name,
+                "task_id": int,
+            },
+        ),
+        (
+            action_is("system_event"),
+            {
+                "_id?": ObjectId,
+                "time": float,
+                "action": "system_event",
+                "username": "fishtest.system",
+                "message": action_message,
+            },
+        ),
+        (
+            action_is("new_run"),
+            {
+                "_id?": ObjectId,
+                "time": float,
+                "action": "new_run",
+                "username": str,
+                "run_id": run_id,
+                "run": run_name,
+                "message": action_message,
+            },
+        ),
+        (
+            action_is("upload_nn"),
+            {
+                "_id?": ObjectId,
+                "time": float,
+                "action": "upload_nn",
+                "username": str,
+                "nn": str,
+            },
+        ),
+        (
+            action_is("modify_run"),
+            {
+                "_id?": ObjectId,
+                "time": float,
+                "action": "modify_run",
+                "username": str,
+                "run_id": run_id,
+                "run": run_name,
+                "message": action_message,
+            },
+        ),
+        (
+            action_is("delete_run"),
+            {
+                "_id?": ObjectId,
+                "time": float,
+                "action": "delete_run",
+                "username": str,
+                "run_id": run_id,
+                "run": run_name,
+            },
+        ),
+        (
+            action_is("stop_run"),
+            intersect(
+                {
+                    "_id?": ObjectId,
+                    "time": float,
+                    "action": "stop_run",
+                    "username": str,
+                    "run_id": run_id,
+                    "run": run_name,
+                    "message": action_message,
+                    "worker?": long_worker_name,
+                    "task_id?": int,
+                },
+                ifthen(at_least_one_of("worker", "task_id"), keys("worker", "task_id")),
+            ),
+        ),
+        (
+            action_is("finished_run"),
+            {
+                "_id?": ObjectId,
+                "time": float,
+                "action": "finished_run",
+                "username": str,
+                "run_id": run_id,
+                "run": run_name,
+                "message": action_message,
+            },
+        ),
+        (
+            action_is("approve_run"),
+            {
+                "_id?": ObjectId,
+                "time": float,
+                "action": "approve_run",
+                "username": str,
+                "run_id": run_id,
+                "run": run_name,
+            },
+        ),
+        (
+            action_is("purge_run"),
+            {
+                "_id?": ObjectId,
+                "time": float,
+                "action": "purge_run",
+                "username": str,
+                "run_id": run_id,
+                "run": run_name,
+                "message": action_message,
+            },
+        ),
+        (
+            action_is("block_user"),
+            {
+                "_id?": ObjectId,
+                "time": float,
+                "action": "block_user",
+                "username": str,
+                "user": str,
+                "message": union("blocked", "unblocked"),
+            },
+        ),
+        (
+            action_is("accept_user"),
+            {
+                "_id?": ObjectId,
+                "time": float,
+                "action": "accept_user",
+                "username": str,
+                "user": str,
+                "message": "accepted",
+            },
+        ),
+        (
+            action_is("block_worker"),
+            {
+                "_id?": ObjectId,
+                "time": float,
+                "action": "block_worker",
+                "username": str,
+                "worker": short_worker_name,
+                "message": union("blocked", "unblocked"),
+            },
+        ),
+        (
+            action_is("log_message"),
+            {
+                "_id?": ObjectId,
+                "time": float,
+                "action": "log_message",
+                "username": str,
+                "message": action_message,
+            },
+        ),
+        # we should never get here
+        (anything, nothing),
     ),
-    {
-        "_id?": ObjectId,
-        "time": float,
-        "action": "finished_run",
-        "username": str,
-        "run_id": run_id,
-        "run": run_name,
-        "message": action_message,
-    },
-    {
-        "_id?": ObjectId,
-        "time": float,
-        "action": "approve_run",
-        "username": str,
-        "run_id": run_id,
-        "run": run_name,
-    },
-    {
-        "_id?": ObjectId,
-        "time": float,
-        "action": "purge_run",
-        "username": str,
-        "run_id": run_id,
-        "run": run_name,
-        "message": action_message,
-    },
-    {
-        "_id?": ObjectId,
-        "time": float,
-        "action": "block_user",
-        "username": str,
-        "user": str,
-        "message": union("blocked", "unblocked"),
-    },
-    {
-        "_id?": ObjectId,
-        "time": float,
-        "action": "accept_user",
-        "username": str,
-        "user": str,
-        "message": "accepted",
-    },
-    {
-        "_id?": ObjectId,
-        "time": float,
-        "action": "block_worker",
-        "username": str,
-        "worker": short_worker_name,
-        "message": union("blocked", "unblocked"),
-    },
-    {
-        "_id?": ObjectId,
-        "time": float,
-        "action": "log_message",
-        "username": str,
-        "message": action_message,
-    },
 )