diff --git a/muse-lang/src/runtime/list.rs b/muse-lang/src/runtime/list.rs
index eed6a6c..0cd1e97 100644
--- a/muse-lang/src/runtime/list.rs
+++ b/muse-lang/src/runtime/list.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ pub static LIST_TYPE: RustType<List> = RustType::new("List", |t| {
                 1,
                 |vm, this| {
                     let key = vm[Register(0)].take();
-                    this.get(&key)
+                    this.get_by_value(&key)
                 },
             ),
     )
@@ -67,13 +67,17 @@ impl List {
     ///
     /// Returns [`Fault::OutOfBounds`] if `index` cannot be converted to a
     /// `usize` or is out of bounds of this list.
-    pub fn get(&self, index: &Value) -> Result<Value, Fault> {
+    pub fn get_by_value(&self, index: &Value) -> Result<Value, Fault> {
         let Some(index) = index.as_usize() else {
             return Err(Fault::OutOfBounds);
         };
+        self.get(index).ok_or(Fault::OutOfBounds)
+    }
+
+    pub fn get(&self, index: usize) -> Option<Value> {
         let contents = self.0.lock();
 
-        contents.get(index).copied().ok_or(Fault::OutOfBounds)
+        contents.get(index).copied()
     }
 
     /// Inserts `value` at `index`.
diff --git a/muse-reactor/src/lib.rs b/muse-reactor/src/lib.rs
index 4b9745e..213cc28 100644
--- a/muse-reactor/src/lib.rs
+++ b/muse-reactor/src/lib.rs
@@ -66,16 +66,17 @@
 //! ```
 #![allow(missing_docs)]
 use std::any::Any;
+use std::backtrace::Backtrace;
 use std::cell::Cell;
 use std::collections::VecDeque;
-use std::fmt::Debug;
+use std::fmt::{Debug, Write};
 use std::future::Future;
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
 use std::num::NonZeroUsize;
-use std::panic::{self, AssertUnwindSafe};
+use std::panic::{self, AssertUnwindSafe, PanicInfo};
 use std::pin::Pin;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, AtomicU64, AtomicUsize, Ordering};
-use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::sync::{Arc, OnceLock};
 use std::task::{Context, Poll, Wake, Waker};
 use std::thread::{self, JoinHandle};
 use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
@@ -105,6 +106,11 @@ extern crate tracing;
 #[macro_use]
 mod mock_tracing;
 
+static PANIC_HOOK_INSTALL: OnceLock<()> = OnceLock::new();
+thread_local! {
+    static PANIC_INFO: Cell<Option<(String, Option<Backtrace>)>> = Cell::new(None);
+}
+
 pub struct Builder<Work> {
     vm_source: Option<Arc<dyn NewVm<Work>>>,
     threads: usize,
@@ -153,6 +159,14 @@ where
     }
 
     pub fn finish(self) -> ReactorHandle<Work> {
+        PANIC_HOOK_INSTALL.get_or_init(|| {
+            let default_hook = panic::take_hook();
+            panic::set_hook(Box::new(move |info: &PanicInfo| {
+                PANIC_INFO.set(Some((info.to_string(), Some(Backtrace::capture()))));
+                default_hook(info);
+            }));
+        });
+
         let (sender, receiver) = if let Some(limit) = self.work_queue_limit {
             flume::bounded(limit)
         } else {
@@ -581,8 +595,18 @@ where
                     }
                     Err(mut panic) => {
                         drop(future);
+                        let (mut summary, backtrace) = PANIC_INFO.take().unwrap_or_default();
+                        if let Some(backtrace) = backtrace {
+                            let _result = write!(&mut summary, "\n{backtrace}");
+                        }
                         let result = root_result(
-                            Err(Value::from(SymbolRef::from("panic"))),
+                            Err(Value::dynamic(
+                                List::from_iter([
+                                    Value::from(SymbolRef::from("panic")),
+                                    Value::from(SymbolRef::from(summary)),
+                                ]),
+                                vm_context.guard(),
+                            )),
                             &mut vm_context,
                         );
                         drop(vm_context);
diff --git a/muse-reactor/src/tests.rs b/muse-reactor/src/tests.rs
index 1b60757..b3c585a 100644
--- a/muse-reactor/src/tests.rs
+++ b/muse-reactor/src/tests.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 
 use muse_lang::compiler::syntax::Ranged;
 use muse_lang::compiler::{self};
-use muse_lang::runtime::symbol::Symbol;
+use muse_lang::runtime::list::List;
+use muse_lang::runtime::symbol::SymbolRef;
 use muse_lang::runtime::value::{Primitive, RootedValue, RustFunction, Value};
 use muse_lang::vm::Vm;
 use refuse::CollectionGuard;
@@ -204,7 +205,14 @@ fn task_panic() {
     let task = reactor.spawn_source("panics()").unwrap();
     let error = task.join().unwrap_err();
     match error {
-        TaskError::Exception(exc) if exc == RootedValue::from(Symbol::from("panic")) => {}
+        TaskError::Exception(exc)
+            if exc.as_rooted::<List>().map_or(false, |list| {
+                list.get(0) == Some(Value::from(SymbolRef::from("panic")))
+                    && list
+                        .get(1)
+                        .and_then(|v| v.as_symbol(&CollectionGuard::acquire()))
+                        .map_or(false, |s| dbg!(s).contains("panicked at muse-reactor"))
+            }) => {}
         other => unreachable!("Unexpected result: {other:?}"),
     }
 }