diff --git a/src/processPaymentCsv.js b/src/processPaymentCsv.js
index d62dfcc..6ec6d9c 100644
--- a/src/processPaymentCsv.js
+++ b/src/processPaymentCsv.js
@@ -140,7 +140,17 @@ async function backfillBoA() {
     const transactionId =
       headers["transactionid"] || headers["x-transactionid"] ||
       headers["x-correlation-id"] || headers["x-cashpro-transaction-id"] || null;
-    const data = JSON.parse(text);
+    let data = {};
+    let parseError = null;
+    if (text.trim()) {
+      try {
+        data = JSON.parse(text);
+      } catch (err) {
+        parseError = err;
+      }
+    } else {
+      parseError = new Error("BoA returned an empty response body");
+    }
 
     await ddb.send(new PutCommand({
       TableName: TABLE_NAME,
@@ -153,6 +163,7 @@ async function backfillBoA() {
         transaction_id: transactionId,
         check_numbers: items.map((i) => i.checkNumber),
         total_amount: items.reduce((sum, i) => sum + parseFloat(i.amount), 0).toFixed(2),
+        response_headers: JSON.stringify(headers),
         response_body: text,
         success: res.ok,
         processed_items: data.processedItems || 0,
@@ -161,7 +172,11 @@ async function backfillBoA() {
       },
     }));
 
-    return { ok: res.ok, status: res.status, data };
+    if (res.ok && parseError) {
+      throw new Error(`Backfill ${label} failed: BoA returned invalid JSON (HTTP ${res.status})`);
+    }
+
+    return { ok: res.ok, status: res.status, data, text, parseError };
   };
 
   for (let i = 0; i < toSubmit.length; i += BOA_BATCH_SIZE) {
@@ -179,14 +194,17 @@ async function backfillBoA() {
 
     // Parse the error to separate duplicates from genuinely new items
     const dupeCheckNumbers = new Set();
-    for (const item of result.data.issueList || []) {
+    for (const item of result.data?.issueList || []) {
       if (ALREADY_SUBMITTED.has(item.status)) {
         dupeCheckNumbers.add(item.checkNumber);
       }
     }
 
     if (dupeCheckNumbers.size === 0) {
-      throw new Error(`Backfill batch ${batchNum} failed with non-duplicate error: ${result.status}`);
+      const detail = result.parseError
+        ? "BoA returned a non-JSON response"
+        : "BoA returned a non-duplicate error";
+      throw new Error(`Backfill batch ${batchNum} failed: ${detail} (HTTP ${result.status})`);
     }
 
     totalSkippedDuplicates += dupeCheckNumbers.size;
@@ -198,7 +216,10 @@ async function backfillBoA() {
     const retryResult = await submitBatch(retryItems, `batch ${batchNum} retry`);
     if (!retryResult.ok) {
       console.error(`Backfill batch ${batchNum} retry failed:`, JSON.stringify(retryResult.data));
-      throw new Error(`Backfill batch ${batchNum} retry failed: ${retryResult.status}`);
+      const detail = retryResult.parseError
+        ? "BoA returned a non-JSON response"
+        : `BoA returned ${JSON.stringify(retryResult.data)}`;
+      throw new Error(`Backfill batch ${batchNum} retry failed: ${detail} (HTTP ${retryResult.status})`);
     }
     totalProcessed += retryResult.data.processedItems;
     console.log(`Backfill batch ${batchNum} retry: ${retryResult.data.processedItems} processed`);