diff --git a/htlcswitch/failure.go b/htlcswitch/failure.go
index c4ef73c5..9734a2e0 100644
--- a/htlcswitch/failure.go
+++ b/htlcswitch/failure.go
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ type LinkError struct {
 	// node.
 	msg lnwire.FailureMessage
 
-	// OutgoingFailure enriches the wire error with additional information.
-	OutgoingFailure
+	// FailureDetail enriches the wire error with additional information.
+	FailureDetail
 }
 
 // NewLinkError returns a LinkError with the failure message provided.
@@ -48,11 +48,11 @@ func NewLinkError(msg lnwire.FailureMessage) *LinkError {
 // NewDetailedLinkError returns a link error that enriches a wire message with
 // a failure detail.
 func NewDetailedLinkError(msg lnwire.FailureMessage,
-	detail OutgoingFailure) *LinkError {
+	detail FailureDetail) *LinkError {
 
 	return &LinkError{
-		msg:             msg,
-		OutgoingFailure: detail,
+		msg:           msg,
+		FailureDetail: detail,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -72,11 +72,11 @@ func (l *LinkError) WireMessage() lnwire.FailureMessage {
 func (l *LinkError) Error() string {
 	// If the link error has no failure detail, return the wire message's
 	// error.
-	if l.OutgoingFailure == OutgoingFailureNone {
+	if l.FailureDetail == nil {
 		return l.msg.Error()
 	}
 
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%v: %v", l.msg.Error(), l.OutgoingFailure)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%v: %v", l.msg.Error(), l.FailureDetail)
 }
 
 // ForwardingError wraps an lnwire.FailureMessage in a struct that also
diff --git a/htlcswitch/failure_detail.go b/htlcswitch/failure_detail.go
index 95f43f11..9c068ceb 100644
--- a/htlcswitch/failure_detail.go
+++ b/htlcswitch/failure_detail.go
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 package htlcswitch
 
+// FailureDetail is an interface implemented by failures that occur on
+// our incoming or outgoing link, or within the switch itself.
+type FailureDetail interface {
+	// FailureString returns the string representation of a failure
+	// detail.
+	FailureString() string
+}
+
 // OutgoingFailure is an enum which is used to enrich failures which occur in
 // the switch or on our outgoing link with additional metadata.
 type OutgoingFailure int
@@ -36,8 +44,10 @@ const (
 	OutgoingFailureCircularRoute
 )
 
-// String returns the string representation of a failure detail.
-func (fd OutgoingFailure) String() string {
+// FailureString returns the string representation of a failure detail.
+//
+// Note: it is part of the FailureDetail interface.
+func (fd OutgoingFailure) FailureString() string {
 	switch fd {
 	case OutgoingFailureNone:
 		return "no failure detail"
diff --git a/htlcswitch/switch.go b/htlcswitch/switch.go
index 5db9dac5..7ca56223 100644
--- a/htlcswitch/switch.go
+++ b/htlcswitch/switch.go
@@ -923,8 +923,8 @@ func (s *Switch) parseFailedPayment(deobfuscator ErrorDecrypter,
 			)
 
 			log.Errorf("%v: (hash=%v, pid=%d): %v",
-				linkError.OutgoingFailure, paymentHash, paymentID,
-				err)
+				linkError.FailureDetail.FailureString(),
+				paymentHash, paymentID, err)
 
 			return linkError
 		}
@@ -942,7 +942,8 @@ func (s *Switch) parseFailedPayment(deobfuscator ErrorDecrypter,
 			OutgoingFailureOnChainTimeout,
 		)
 
-		log.Info("%v: hash=%v, pid=%d", linkError.OutgoingFailure,
+		log.Info("%v: hash=%v, pid=%d",
+			linkError.FailureDetail.FailureString(),
 			paymentHash, paymentID)
 
 		return linkError