diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 98585e4b..1e27f579 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "@cap-js-community/event-queue",
-  "version": "2.1.0-beta.0",
+  "version": "2.1.0-beta.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "@cap-js-community/event-queue",
-      "version": "2.1.0-beta.0",
+      "version": "2.1.0-beta.1",
       "license": "Apache-2.0",
       "dependencies": {
         "@cap-js-community/common": "^0.3.4",
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
         "prettier": "^2.8.8"
       },
       "engines": {
-        "node": ">=18"
+        "node": ">=20"
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@actions/core": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2ff9cd05..d5369d4a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@cap-js-community/event-queue",
-  "version": "2.1.0-beta.0",
+  "version": "2.1.0-beta.1",
   "description": "An event queue that enables secure transactional processing of asynchronous and periodic events, featuring instant event processing with Redis Pub/Sub and load distribution across all application instances.",
   "main": "src/index.js",
   "types": "src/index.d.ts",
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@
     "multi-tenancy"
   ],
   "scripts": {
-    "start": "PORT=4005 cds-serve",
-    "watch": "PORT=4005 cds watch",
     "test:unit": "jest --selectProjects unit",
     "test:integration": "jest --selectProjects integration --runInBand",
     "voter:test:integration": "jest --selectProjects integration",
@@ -38,13 +36,12 @@
     "eslint:ci": "eslint .",
     "prettier": "prettier --write --loglevel error .",
     "prettier:ci": "prettier --check .",
-    "prepareRelease": "npm prune --production",
     "docs": "cd docs && bundle exec jekyll serve",
     "docs:install": "cd docs && npx shx rm -rf vendor Gemfile.lock && bundle install",
     "upgrade-lock": "npx shx rm -rf package-lock.json node_modules && npm i --package-lock"
   },
   "engines": {
-    "node": ">=18"
+    "node": ">=20"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@cap-js-community/common": "^0.3.4",
diff --git a/src/EventQueueProcessorBase.js b/src/EventQueueProcessorBase.js
index 2eed16d2..1ee4d39b 100644
--- a/src/EventQueueProcessorBase.js
+++ b/src/EventQueueProcessorBase.js
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ class EventQueueProcessorBase {
       UPDATE.entity(this.#config.tableNameEventQueue)
         .set({
           status: status,
-          ...(error && { error: this.#error2String(error) }),
+          ...(error && { error: this._error2String(error) }),
         })
         .where({
           ID: queueEntryIds,
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ class EventQueueProcessorBase {
         }
 
         if (data.error) {
-          data.error = this.#error2String(data.error);
+          data.error = this._error2String(data.error);
         }
 
         if (!data.startAfter && [EventProcessingStatus.Error, EventProcessingStatus.Open].includes(data.status)) {
@@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ class EventQueueProcessorBase {
     });
   }
 
-  #error2String(error) {
+  _error2String(error) {
     return JSON.stringify(error, (_, value) => this.#errorReplacer(value));
   }
 
diff --git a/src/outbox/EventQueueGenericOutboxHandler.js b/src/outbox/EventQueueGenericOutboxHandler.js
index c77d0351..a76895af 100644
--- a/src/outbox/EventQueueGenericOutboxHandler.js
+++ b/src/outbox/EventQueueGenericOutboxHandler.js
@@ -312,6 +312,10 @@ class EventQueueGenericOutboxHandler extends EventQueueBaseClass {
       return genericHandler ?? null;
     }
 
+    if (event.endsWith(EVENT_QUEUE_ACTIONS.SAGA_SUCCESS)) {
+      [event] = event.split("/");
+    }
+
     const specificHandler = this.__onHandlers[[event, saga].join("/")];
     if (specificHandler) {
       return specificHandler;
@@ -351,18 +355,17 @@ class EventQueueGenericOutboxHandler extends EventQueueBaseClass {
   }
 
   async processEvent(processContext, key, queueEntries, payload) {
+    let statusTuple;
+    const { userId, invocationFn, reg } = this.#buildDispatchData(processContext, payload, { key, queueEntries });
     try {
-      const { userId, invocationFn, reg } = this.#buildDispatchData(processContext, payload, { key, queueEntries });
       await this.#setContextUser(processContext, userId, reg);
       const result = await this.__srvUnboxed.tx(processContext)[invocationFn](reg);
-      const statusTuple = this.#determineResultStatus(result, queueEntries);
-      await this.#publishFollowupEvents(processContext, reg, statusTuple);
-      return statusTuple;
+      statusTuple = this.#determineResultStatus(result, queueEntries);
     } catch (err) {
       this.logger.error("error processing outboxed service call", err, {
         serviceName: this.eventSubType,
       });
-      return queueEntries.map((queueEntry) => [
+      statusTuple = queueEntries.map((queueEntry) => [
         queueEntry.ID,
         {
           status: EventProcessingStatus.Error,
@@ -370,6 +373,9 @@ class EventQueueGenericOutboxHandler extends EventQueueBaseClass {
         },
       ]);
     }
+
+    await this.#publishFollowupEvents(processContext, reg, statusTuple);
+    return statusTuple;
   }
 
   async #publishFollowupEvents(processContext, req, statusTuple) {
@@ -380,7 +386,7 @@ class EventQueueGenericOutboxHandler extends EventQueueBaseClass {
       return;
     }
 
-    if (req.event.endsWith(EVENT_QUEUE_ACTIONS.SAGA_SUCCESS) || req.event.endsWith(EVENT_QUEUE_ACTIONS.SAGA_FAILED)) {
+    if (req.event.endsWith(EVENT_QUEUE_ACTIONS.SAGA_FAILED)) {
       return;
     }
 
@@ -393,23 +399,32 @@ class EventQueueGenericOutboxHandler extends EventQueueBaseClass {
     }
 
     for (const [, result] of statusTuple) {
-      if (succeeded && result.status === EventProcessingStatus.Done) {
-        await this.__srv.tx(processContext).send(succeeded, result.nextData ?? req.data);
+      const data = result.nextData ?? req.data;
+      if (
+        succeeded &&
+        result.status === EventProcessingStatus.Done &&
+        !req.event.endsWith(EVENT_QUEUE_ACTIONS.SAGA_SUCCESS)
+      ) {
+        await this.__srv.tx(processContext).send(succeeded, data);
       }
 
       if (failed && result.status === EventProcessingStatus.Error) {
-        await this.__srv.tx(processContext).send(failed, result.nextData ?? req.data);
+        result.error && (data.error = this._error2String(result.error));
+        await this.__srv.tx(processContext).send(failed, data);
       }
 
       delete result.nextData;
     }
 
     if (config.insertEventsBeforeCommit) {
-      this.nextSagaEvents = tx._eventQueue.events;
+      this.nextSagaEvents = tx._eventQueue?.events;
     } else {
-      this.nextSagaEvents = tx._eventQueue.events.filter((event) => JSON.parse(event.payload).event === failed);
+      this.nextSagaEvents = tx._eventQueue?.events.filter((event) => JSON.parse(event.payload).event === failed);
+    }
+
+    if (tx._eventQueue) {
+      tx._eventQueue.events = nextEvents ?? [];
     }
-    tx._eventQueue.events = nextEvents ?? [];
   }
 
   #determineResultStatus(result, queueEntries) {
diff --git a/test/asset/outboxProject/srv/service/saga-service.js b/test/asset/outboxProject/srv/service/saga-service.js
index 09418b95..5bb4f171 100644
--- a/test/asset/outboxProject/srv/service/saga-service.js
+++ b/test/asset/outboxProject/srv/service/saga-service.js
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ class StandardService extends cds.Service {
         error: req.data.error,
       });
 
+      if (req.data.throw) {
+        throw new Error(req.data.throw);
+      }
+
       return {
         status: req.data.status ?? 2,
         ...(req.data.nextData && { nextData: req.data.nextData }),
@@ -94,7 +98,7 @@ class StandardService extends cds.Service {
       });
 
       return {
-        status: 2,
+        status: req.data.status ?? 2,
         ...(req.data.errorMessage && { error: new Error(req.data.errorMessage) }),
       };
     });
diff --git a/test/eventQueueOutbox.test.js b/test/eventQueueOutbox.test.js
index e6892a92..ecfa80d0 100644
--- a/test/eventQueueOutbox.test.js
+++ b/test/eventQueueOutbox.test.js
@@ -2508,7 +2508,10 @@ describe("event-queue outbox", () => {
 
         it("if failed handler exists and event is red, trigger next event", async () => {
           const service = await cds.connect.to("Saga");
-          await service.send("saga", { status: EventProcessingStatus.Error });
+          await service.send("saga", {
+            status: EventProcessingStatus.Error,
+            nextData: { status: EventProcessingStatus.Done },
+          });
           await commitAndOpenNew();
           await processEventQueue(tx.context, "CAP_OUTBOX", service.name);
           const [done, next] = await testHelper.selectEventQueueAndReturn(tx, {
@@ -2541,12 +2544,58 @@ describe("event-queue outbox", () => {
           expect(loggerMock.callsLengths().error).toEqual(0);
           config.insertEventsBeforeCommit = true;
         });
+
+        it("exception should trigger failed and pass error", async () => {
+          const service = await cds.connect.to("Saga");
+          await service.send("saga", { throw: "error", nextData: { status: EventProcessingStatus.Done } });
+          await commitAndOpenNew();
+          await processEventQueue(tx.context, "CAP_OUTBOX", service.name);
+          const [done, next] = await testHelper.selectEventQueueAndReturn(tx, {
+            expectedLength: 2,
+            additionalColumns: ["payload", "lastAttemptTimestamp"],
+          });
+          expect(JSON.parse(done.payload)).toMatchObject({ event: "saga" });
+          expect(done.status).toEqual(EventProcessingStatus.Error);
+
+          expect(JSON.parse(next.payload)).toMatchObject({
+            event: "saga/#failed",
+            data: { error: expect.stringContaining("error") },
+          });
+          expect(next.status).toEqual(EventProcessingStatus.Done);
+          expect(loggerMock.callsLengths().error).toEqual(1);
+        });
+
+        it("error in succeeded should trigger failed", async () => {
+          const service = await cds.connect.to("Saga");
+          await service.send("saga", {
+            status: EventProcessingStatus.Done,
+            nextData: { status: EventProcessingStatus.Error },
+          });
+          await commitAndOpenNew();
+          await processEventQueue(tx.context, "CAP_OUTBOX", service.name);
+          const [done, next, nextFailed] = await testHelper.selectEventQueueAndReturn(tx, {
+            expectedLength: 3,
+            additionalColumns: ["payload", "lastAttemptTimestamp"],
+          });
+          expect(JSON.parse(done.payload)).toMatchObject({ event: "saga" });
+          expect(done.status).toEqual(EventProcessingStatus.Done);
+
+          expect(JSON.parse(next.payload)).toMatchObject({ event: "saga/#succeeded" });
+          expect(next.status).toEqual(EventProcessingStatus.Error);
+
+          expect(JSON.parse(nextFailed.payload)).toMatchObject({ event: "saga/#failed" });
+          expect(nextFailed.status).toEqual(EventProcessingStatus.Error);
+          expect(loggerMock.callsLengths().error).toEqual(0);
+        });
       });
 
       describe("provide next data", () => {
         it("failed handler with next data", async () => {
           const service = await cds.connect.to("Saga");
-          await service.send("saga", { status: EventProcessingStatus.Error, nextData: { newData: "dummyData" } });
+          await service.send("saga", {
+            status: EventProcessingStatus.Error,
+            nextData: { newData: "dummyData", status: EventProcessingStatus.Done },
+          });
           await commitAndOpenNew();
           await processEventQueue(tx.context, "CAP_OUTBOX", service.name);
           const [done, next] = await testHelper.selectEventQueueAndReturn(tx, {