diff --git a/pkg/controller/acmechallenges/sync.go b/pkg/controller/acmechallenges/sync.go
index bec056b50..ee8166244 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/acmechallenges/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/acmechallenges/sync.go
@@ -224,16 +224,15 @@ func (c *Controller) syncChallengeStatus(ctx context.Context, cl acmecl.Interfac
 
 	// TODO: should we validate the State returned by the ACME server here?
 	cmState := cmapi.State(acmeChallenge.Status)
-	if cmState == cmapi.Invalid {
-		// be nice to our users and check if there is an error that we
-		// can tell them about in the reason field
-		// TODO(dmo): problems may be compound and they may be tagged with
-		// a type field that suggests changes we should make (like provisioning
-		// an account). We might be able to handle errors more gracefully using
-		// this info
-		if acmeChallenge.Error != nil {
-			ch.Status.Reason = acmeChallenge.Error.Detail
-		}
+	// be nice to our users and check if there is an error that we
+	// can tell them about in the reason field
+	// TODO(dmo): problems may be compound and they may be tagged with
+	// a type field that suggests changes we should make (like provisioning
+	// an account). We might be able to handle errors more gracefully using
+	// this info
+	ch.Status.Reason = ""
+	if acmeChallenge.Error != nil {
+		ch.Status.Reason = acmeChallenge.Error.Detail
 	}
 	ch.Status.State = cmState
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/acmeorders/sync.go b/pkg/controller/acmeorders/sync.go
index 64dd66c38..3b09f5fe3 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/acmeorders/sync.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/acmeorders/sync.go
@@ -452,16 +452,15 @@ func buildChallenge(i int, o *cmapi.Order, chalSpec cmapi.ChallengeSpec) *cmapi.
 func (c *Controller) setOrderStatus(o *cmapi.OrderStatus, acmeOrder *acmeapi.Order) {
 	// TODO: should we validate the State returned by the ACME server here?
 	cmState := cmapi.State(acmeOrder.Status)
-	if cmState == cmapi.Invalid {
-		// be nice to our users and check if there is an error that we
-		// can tell them about in the reason field
-		// TODO(dmo): problems may be compound and they may be tagged with
-		// a type field that suggests changes we should make (like provisioning
-		// an account). We might be able to handle errors more gracefully using
-		// this info
-		if acmeOrder.Error != nil {
-			o.Reason = acmeOrder.Error.Detail
-		}
+	// be nice to our users and check if there is an error that we
+	// can tell them about in the reason field
+	// TODO(dmo): problems may be compound and they may be tagged with
+	// a type field that suggests changes we should make (like provisioning
+	// an account). We might be able to handle errors more gracefully using
+	// this info
+	o.Reason = ""
+	if acmeOrder.Error != nil {
+		o.Reason = acmeOrder.Error.Detail
 	}
 	c.setOrderState(o, cmState)