diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/taskrun/taskrun_test.go b/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/taskrun/taskrun_test.go
index b955bebba9a..5d7fb5ab822 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/taskrun/taskrun_test.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/v1alpha1/taskrun/taskrun_test.go
@@ -1373,6 +1373,8 @@ func TestReconcilePodUpdateStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	if d := cmp.Diff(newTr.Status.GetCondition(apis.ConditionSucceeded), &apis.Condition{
 		Type:   apis.ConditionSucceeded,
 		Status: corev1.ConditionTrue,
+		Reason:  status.ReasonSucceeded,
+		Message: "All Steps have completed executing",
 	}, ignoreLastTransitionTime); d != "" {
 		t.Errorf("Taskrun Status diff -got, +want: %v", d)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/status/taskrunpod.go b/pkg/status/taskrunpod.go
index f698d2a399a..162f1f99584 100644
--- a/pkg/status/taskrunpod.go
+++ b/pkg/status/taskrunpod.go
@@ -59,12 +59,15 @@ func updateCompletedTaskRun(taskRun *v1alpha1.TaskRun, pod *corev1.Pod) {
 		taskRun.Status.SetCondition(&apis.Condition{
 			Type:    apis.ConditionSucceeded,
 			Status:  corev1.ConditionFalse,
+			Reason:  ReasonFailed,
 			Message: msg,
 		})
 	} else {
 		taskRun.Status.SetCondition(&apis.Condition{
 			Type:   apis.ConditionSucceeded,
 			Status: corev1.ConditionTrue,
+			Reason:  ReasonSucceeded,
+			Message: "All Steps have completed executing",
 		})
 	}
 	// update tr completed time
@@ -78,6 +81,7 @@ func updateIncompleteTaskRun(taskRun *v1alpha1.TaskRun, pod *corev1.Pod) {
 			Type:   apis.ConditionSucceeded,
 			Status: corev1.ConditionUnknown,
 			Reason: ReasonBuilding,
+			Message: "Not all Steps in the Task have finished executing",
 		})
 	case corev1.PodPending:
 		var reason, msg string
diff --git a/pkg/status/taskrunpod_test.go b/pkg/status/taskrunpod_test.go
index 031a0bad2a5..3218a0bc7d2 100644
--- a/pkg/status/taskrunpod_test.go
+++ b/pkg/status/taskrunpod_test.go
@@ -30,11 +30,14 @@ func TestUpdateStatusFromPod(t *testing.T) {
 	conditionTrue := apis.Condition{
 		Type:   apis.ConditionSucceeded,
 		Status: corev1.ConditionTrue,
+		Reason:  ReasonSucceeded,
+		Message: "All Steps have completed executing",
 	}
 	conditionBuilding := apis.Condition{
 		Type:   apis.ConditionSucceeded,
 		Status: corev1.ConditionUnknown,
 		Reason: ReasonBuilding,
+		Message: "Not all Steps in the Task have finished executing",
 	}
 	for _, c := range []struct {
 		desc      string
@@ -177,6 +180,7 @@ func TestUpdateStatusFromPod(t *testing.T) {
 				Conditions: []apis.Condition{{
 					Type:    apis.ConditionSucceeded,
 					Status:  corev1.ConditionFalse,
+					Reason:  ReasonFailed,
 					Message: `"step-failure" exited with code 123 (image: "image-id"); for logs run: kubectl -n foo logs pod -c step-failure`,
 				}},
 			},
@@ -201,6 +205,7 @@ func TestUpdateStatusFromPod(t *testing.T) {
 				Conditions: []apis.Condition{{
 					Type:    apis.ConditionSucceeded,
 					Status:  corev1.ConditionFalse,
+					Reason:  ReasonFailed,
 					Message: "boom",
 				}},
 			},
@@ -216,6 +221,7 @@ func TestUpdateStatusFromPod(t *testing.T) {
 				Conditions: []apis.Condition{{
 					Type:    apis.ConditionSucceeded,
 					Status:  corev1.ConditionFalse,
+					Reason:  ReasonFailed,
 					Message: "build failed for unspecified reasons.",
 				}},
 			},
diff --git a/pkg/status/taskrunreasons.go b/pkg/status/taskrunreasons.go
index f2ef9b4ce12..da1c5dcdf5e 100644
--- a/pkg/status/taskrunreasons.go
+++ b/pkg/status/taskrunreasons.go
@@ -31,4 +31,11 @@ const (
 	// reasonExceededNodeResources indicates that the TaskRun's pod has failed to start due
 	// to resource constraints on the node
 	ReasonExceededNodeResources = "ExceededNodeResources"
+
+	// ReasonSucceeded indicates that the reason for the finished status is that all of the steps
+	// completed successfully
+	ReasonSucceeded = "Succeeded"
+
+	// ReasonFailed indicates that the reason for the failure status is unknown or that one of the steps failed
+	ReasonFailed = "Failed"
 )