diff --git a/file-tracker/file_tracker/client_connection.py b/file-tracker/file_tracker/client_connection.py
index 2609dc5c..6203b263 100644
--- a/file-tracker/file_tracker/client_connection.py
+++ b/file-tracker/file_tracker/client_connection.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import json
 import logging
 import os
 
@@ -8,7 +7,8 @@
     RTCPeerConnection,
     RTCSessionDescription,
 )
-from file_operations import ls, tail
+from file_operations import OperationError, ls, tail
+from operation_response import OperationResponse, OperationStatus
 
 
 class ClientConnection:
@@ -34,14 +34,24 @@ def on_datachannel(channel):
 
             @channel.on("message")
             async def on_message(message):
-                if message == "ls":
-                    contents = await ls(self.path)
-                    channel.send(json.dumps(contents))
-
-                elif message.startswith("tail:"):
-                    filename = message.split(":")[1]
-                    content = await tail(os.path.join(self.path, filename))
-                    channel.send(json.dumps(content))
+                response = OperationResponse()
+                try:
+                    if message == "ls":
+                        response.message = ls(self.path)
+
+                    elif message.startswith("tail:"):
+                        filename = message.split(":")[1]
+                        response.message = tail(
+                            os.path.join(self.path, filename))
+                    else:
+                        response = OperationResponse(
+                            status=OperationStatus.INVALID,
+                            message="Unknown command")
+                except OperationError as e:
+                    response = OperationResponse(status=OperationStatus.ERROR,
+                                                 message=str(e))
+                finally:
+                    channel.send(response.to_json_string())
 
             @channel.on("close")
             async def on_close():
diff --git a/file-tracker/file_tracker/file_operations.py b/file-tracker/file_tracker/file_operations.py
index 7f0e5a57..e97e3d2a 100644
--- a/file-tracker/file_tracker/file_operations.py
+++ b/file-tracker/file_tracker/file_operations.py
@@ -2,21 +2,25 @@
 from collections import deque
 
 
-async def ls(path):
+class OperationError(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+def ls(path):
     contents = []
     dir = os.listdir(path)
     for file in dir:
         file_path = os.path.join(path, file)
         if os.path.isdir(file_path):
-            contents.append({file: await ls(file_path)})
+            contents.append({file: ls(file_path)})
         else:
             contents.append(file)
     return contents
 
 
-async def tail(filename, lines=10):
+def tail(filename, lines=10):
     if not os.path.exists(filename):
-        return ["Error: File does not exist."]
+        raise OperationError(f"File not found: {filename}")
     with open(filename, 'rb') as f:
         f.seek(0, 2)  # Seek to the end of the file
         block_size = 1024
diff --git a/file-tracker/file_tracker/operation_response.py b/file-tracker/file_tracker/operation_response.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d86eaae6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/file-tracker/file_tracker/operation_response.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import enum
+import json
+
+
+class OperationStatus(enum.Enum):
+    SUCCESS = "success"
+    INVALID = "invalid"
+    ERROR = "error"
+
+
+class OperationResponse:
+
+    def __init__(self, status=OperationStatus.SUCCESS, message=None):
+        self.status = status
+        self.message = message
+
+    def to_dict(self):
+        return {"status": self.status.value, "message": self.message}
+
+    def to_json_string(self):
+        return json.dumps(self.to_dict())