diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index e4c19ec8..2ae0d074 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ pub mod hooks;
 pub mod message;
 pub mod metrics;
 pub mod middleware;
+pub mod panic;
 pub mod preamble;
 pub mod push;
 pub mod response;
diff --git a/src/panic.rs b/src/panic.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1950b40a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/panic.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+//! Utilities for formatting panic payloads.
+//!
+//! This module centralises panic formatting so logs and errors can present
+//! consistent messages.
+
+use std::any::Any;
+
+/// Format a panic payload into a `String` using `Debug` formatting.
+///
+/// # Examples
+/// ```
+/// # use std::any::Any;
+/// # use wireframe::panic::format_panic;
+/// let payload: Box<dyn Any + Send> = Box::new("boom");
+/// assert_eq!(format_panic(&payload), "Any { .. }");
+/// ```
+#[must_use]
+pub fn format_panic(panic: &Box<dyn Any + Send>) -> String { format!("{panic:?}") }
diff --git a/src/server/connection.rs b/src/server/connection.rs
index b0400a78..f67eb598 100644
--- a/src/server/connection.rs
+++ b/src/server/connection.rs
@@ -39,12 +39,12 @@ pub(super) fn spawn_connection_task<F, T>(
 
         if let Err(panic) = fut.await {
             crate::metrics::inc_connection_panics();
-            let panic_msg = panic
-                .downcast_ref::<&str>()
-                .copied()
-                .or_else(|| panic.downcast_ref::<String>().map(String::as_str))
-                .unwrap_or("<non-string panic>");
-            tracing::error!(panic = %panic_msg, ?peer_addr, "connection task panicked");
+            let panic_msg = crate::panic::format_panic(&panic);
+            tracing::error!(
+                panic = %panic_msg,
+                ?peer_addr,
+                "connection task panicked"
+            );
         }
     });
 }
@@ -121,26 +121,78 @@ mod tests {
                 .unwrap()
         };
         let tracker = TaskTracker::new();
-        let listener = TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").await.unwrap();
-        let addr = listener.local_addr().unwrap();
+        let listener = TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0")
+            .await
+            .expect("bind listener");
+        let addr = listener.local_addr().expect("listener.local_addr");
+
+        let handle = tokio::spawn({
+            let tracker = tracker.clone();
+            async move {
+                let (stream, _) = listener.accept().await.expect("accept");
+                spawn_connection_task::<_, ()>(stream, app_factory, None, None, &tracker);
+                tracker.close();
+                tracker.wait().await;
+            }
+        });
+
+        let client = TcpStream::connect(addr).await.expect("connect");
+        let peer_addr = client.local_addr().expect("client.local_addr");
+        client.writable().await.expect("client.writable");
+        client.try_write(&[0; 8]).expect("client.try_write");
+        drop(client);
+
+        handle.await.expect("join connection task driver");
+        tokio::task::yield_now().await;
+
+        logs_assert(|lines: &[&str]| {
+            lines
+                .iter()
+                .find(|line| {
+                    line.contains("connection task panicked")
+                        && line.contains("panic=Any")
+                        && line.contains(&format!("peer_addr=Some({peer_addr})"))
+                })
+                .map(|_| ())
+                .ok_or_else(|| "panic log not found".to_string())
+        });
+    }
+
+    /// Non-string panic payloads are formatted with `Debug` in logs.
+    #[rstest]
+    #[traced_test]
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn spawn_connection_task_logs_non_string_panic(
+        factory: impl Fn() -> WireframeApp + Send + Sync + Clone + 'static,
+    ) {
+        let app_factory = move || {
+            factory()
+                .on_connection_setup(|| async { std::panic::panic_any(5_u32) })
+                .expect("install panic setup callback")
+        };
+        let tracker = TaskTracker::new();
+        let listener = TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0")
+            .await
+            .expect("bind listener");
+        let addr = listener.local_addr().expect("listener.local_addr");
 
         let handle = tokio::spawn({
             let tracker = tracker.clone();
             async move {
-                let (stream, _) = listener.accept().await.unwrap();
+                let (stream, _) = listener.accept().await.expect("accept");
                 spawn_connection_task::<_, ()>(stream, app_factory, None, None, &tracker);
                 tracker.close();
                 tracker.wait().await;
             }
         });
 
-        let client = TcpStream::connect(addr).await.unwrap();
-        let peer_addr = client.local_addr().unwrap();
-        client.writable().await.unwrap();
-        client.try_write(&[0; 8]).unwrap();
+        let client = TcpStream::connect(addr).await.expect("connect");
+        let peer_addr = client.local_addr().expect("client.local_addr");
+        client.writable().await.expect("client.writable");
+        client.try_write(&[0; 8]).expect("client.try_write");
         drop(client);
 
-        handle.await.unwrap();
+        handle.await.expect("join connection task driver");
         tokio::task::yield_now().await;
 
         logs_assert(|lines: &[&str]| {
@@ -148,7 +200,7 @@ mod tests {
                 .iter()
                 .find(|line| {
                     line.contains("connection task panicked")
-                        && line.contains("panic=boom")
+                        && line.contains("panic=Any")
                         && line.contains(&format!("peer_addr=Some({peer_addr})"))
                 })
                 .map(|_| ())
@@ -209,7 +261,7 @@ mod tests {
                 .iter()
                 .find(|line| {
                     line.contains("connection task panicked")
-                        && line.contains("panic=boom")
+                        && line.contains("panic=Any")
                         && line.contains(&format!("peer_addr=Some({peer_addr})"))
                 })
                 .map(|_| ())
diff --git a/wireframe_testing/src/helpers.rs b/wireframe_testing/src/helpers.rs
index 77988941..27f66fdc 100644
--- a/wireframe_testing/src/helpers.rs
+++ b/wireframe_testing/src/helpers.rs
@@ -71,14 +71,10 @@ where
         match result {
             Ok(_) => Ok(()),
             Err(panic) => {
-                let msg = panic
-                    .downcast_ref::<&str>()
-                    .copied()
-                    .or_else(|| panic.downcast_ref::<String>().map(String::as_str))
-                    .unwrap_or("<non-string panic>");
+                let panic_msg = wireframe::panic::format_panic(&panic);
                 Err(io::Error::new(
                     io::ErrorKind::Other,
-                    format!("server task failed: {msg}"),
+                    format!("server task failed: {panic_msg}"),
                 ))
             }
         }