diff --git a/lib/rackstash/flow.rb b/lib/rackstash/flow.rb
index 6526f39..5fe67d3 100644
--- a/lib/rackstash/flow.rb
+++ b/lib/rackstash/flow.rb
@@ -235,15 +235,16 @@ module Rackstash
     private
 
     def log_error(message, exception)
+      message = Rackstash::Message.new(message, severity: ERROR)
+
       error_event = {
         FIELD_ERROR => exception.class.name,
         FIELD_ERROR_MESSAGE => exception.message,
         FIELD_ERROR_TRACE => (exception.backtrace || []).join("\n"),
 
         FIELD_TAGS => [],
-        FIELD_MESSAGE => message,
-        FIELD_TIMESTAMP => Time.now.utc.iso8601(ISO8601_PRECISION).freeze,
-        FIELD_VERSION => '1'.freeze
+        FIELD_MESSAGE => [message],
+        FIELD_TIMESTAMP => message.time
       }
       error_flow.write!(error_event)
     rescue
diff --git a/spec/rackstash/flow_spec.rb b/spec/rackstash/flow_spec.rb
index 836f3f7..1b17cff 100644
--- a/spec/rackstash/flow_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/rackstash/flow_spec.rb
@@ -83,10 +83,15 @@ describe Rackstash::Flow do
     it 'rescues any exception thrown by the adapter' do
       error_flow = instance_double(described_class)
       expect(error_flow).to receive(:write!)
-        .with hash_including(
-          'message' => /^close failed for adapter/,
+        .with(
           'error' => 'RuntimeError',
-          'error_message' => 'ERROR'
+          'error_message' => 'ERROR',
+          'error_trace' => instance_of(String),
+
+          'tags' => [],
+          'message' => [instance_of(Rackstash::Message)],
+
+          '@timestamp' => instance_of(Time)
         )
       expect(flow).to receive(:error_flow).and_return(error_flow)
 
@@ -242,10 +247,15 @@ describe Rackstash::Flow do
     it 'rescues any exception thrown by the adapter' do
       error_flow = instance_double(described_class)
       expect(error_flow).to receive(:write!)
-        .with hash_including(
-          'message' => /^reopen failed for adapter/,
+        .with(
           'error' => 'RuntimeError',
-          'error_message' => 'ERROR'
+          'error_message' => 'ERROR',
+          'error_trace' => instance_of(String),
+
+          'tags' => [],
+          'message' => [instance_of(Rackstash::Message)],
+
+          '@timestamp' => instance_of(Time)
         )
       expect(flow).to receive(:error_flow).and_return(error_flow)
 
@@ -306,10 +316,15 @@ describe Rackstash::Flow do
     it 'rescues any exception thrown by the adapter' do
       error_flow = instance_double(described_class)
       expect(error_flow).to receive(:write!)
-        .with hash_including(
-          'message' => /^write failed for adapter/,
+        .with(
           'error' => 'RuntimeError',
-          'error_message' => 'ERROR'
+          'error_message' => 'ERROR',
+          'error_trace' => instance_of(String),
+
+          'tags' => [],
+          'message' => [instance_of(Rackstash::Message)],
+
+          '@timestamp' => instance_of(Time)
         )
       expect(flow).to receive(:error_flow).and_return(error_flow)