diff --git a/pkg/custompluginmonitor/custom_plugin_monitor.go b/pkg/custompluginmonitor/custom_plugin_monitor.go
index 21e2de643..b5ad08a82 100644
--- a/pkg/custompluginmonitor/custom_plugin_monitor.go
+++ b/pkg/custompluginmonitor/custom_plugin_monitor.go
@@ -123,11 +123,11 @@ func (c *customPluginMonitor) Stop() {
 // there is one customPluginMonitor, one plugin instance for each configPath.
 // each runs rules in parallel at pre-configured concurrency, and interval.
 func (c *customPluginMonitor) monitorLoop() {
-	if !*c.config.PluginGlobalConfig.SkipInitialStatus {
-		c.initializeStatus()
+	c.initializeConditions()
+	if *c.config.PluginGlobalConfig.SkipInitialStatus {
+		klog.Infof("Skipping sending initial status. Using default conditions: %+v", c.conditions)
 	} else {
-		c.conditions = initialConditions(c.config.DefaultConditions)
-		klog.Infof("Skipping condition initialization: %+v", c.conditions)
+		c.sendInitialStatus()
 	}
 
 	resultChan := c.plugin.GetResultChan()
@@ -296,11 +296,9 @@ func toConditionStatus(s cpmtypes.Status) types.ConditionStatus {
 	}
 }
 
-// initializeStatus initializes the internal condition and also reports it to the node problem detector.
-func (c *customPluginMonitor) initializeStatus() {
-	// Initialize the default node conditions
-	c.conditions = initialConditions(c.config.DefaultConditions)
-	klog.Infof("Initialize condition generated: %+v", c.conditions)
+// sendInitialStatus sends the initial status to the node problem detector.
+func (c *customPluginMonitor) sendInitialStatus() {
+	klog.Infof("Sending initial status for %s with conditions: %+v", c.config.Source, c.conditions)
 	// Update the initial status
 	c.statusChan <- &types.Status{
 		Source:     c.config.Source,
@@ -308,6 +306,12 @@ func (c *customPluginMonitor) initializeStatus() {
 	}
 }
 
+// initializeConditions initializes the internal node conditions.
+func (c *customPluginMonitor) initializeConditions() {
+	c.conditions = initialConditions(c.config.DefaultConditions)
+	klog.Infof("Initialized conditions for %s: %+v", c.configPath, c.conditions)
+}
+
 func initialConditions(defaults []types.Condition) []types.Condition {
 	conditions := make([]types.Condition, len(defaults))
 	copy(conditions, defaults)
diff --git a/pkg/custompluginmonitor/plugin/plugin.go b/pkg/custompluginmonitor/plugin/plugin.go
index 0b90e9c01..5fabcc957 100644
--- a/pkg/custompluginmonitor/plugin/plugin.go
+++ b/pkg/custompluginmonitor/plugin/plugin.go
@@ -266,7 +266,8 @@ func (p *Plugin) run(rule cpmtypes.CustomRule) (exitStatus cpmtypes.Status, outp
 		return cpmtypes.NonOK, output
 	default:
 		logPluginStderr(rule, string(stderr), 0)
-		return cpmtypes.Unknown, output
+		return cpmtypes.Unknown, fmt.Sprintf("Plugin exited with unexpected code %d. "+
+			"Please check the error log: %s", exitCode, output)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/custompluginmonitor/types/config.go b/pkg/custompluginmonitor/types/config.go
index b383c5cc4..b7c7b5b17 100644
--- a/pkg/custompluginmonitor/types/config.go
+++ b/pkg/custompluginmonitor/types/config.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ type pluginGlobalConfig struct {
 	SkipInitialStatus *bool `json:"skip_initial_status,omitempty"`
 }
 
-// Custom plugin config is the configuration of custom plugin monitor.
+// CustomPluginConfig is the configuration of custom plugin monitor.
 type CustomPluginConfig struct {
 	// Plugin is the name of plugin which is currently used.
 	// Currently supported: custom.