diff --git a/internal/module/http-server.go b/internal/module/http-server.go
index b90a544..dc56137 100644
--- a/internal/module/http-server.go
+++ b/internal/module/http-server.go
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ type HTTPServer struct {
 }
 
 type ResponseIOError struct {
-	Index        int      `json:"index"`
-	OutputErrors []string `json:"outputErrors"`
-	ProcessError *string  `json:"processError"`
-	InputError   *string  `json:"inputError"`
+	Index        int     `json:"index"`
+	OutputError  *string `json:"outputError"`
+	ProcessError *string `json:"processError"`
+	InputError   *string `json:"inputError"`
 }
 
 type IOResponseData struct {
@@ -113,14 +113,9 @@ func (hs *HTTPServer) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 							errorToAdd.ProcessError = &errorMsg
 						}
 
-						if responseIOError.OutputErrors != nil {
-							outputErrorMsgs := []string{}
-
-							for _, outputError := range responseIOError.OutputErrors {
-								outputErrorMsgs = append(outputErrorMsgs, outputError.Error())
-							}
-
-							errorToAdd.OutputErrors = outputErrorMsgs
+						if responseIOError.OutputError != nil {
+							errorMsg := responseIOError.OutputError.Error()
+							errorToAdd.OutputError = &errorMsg
 						}
 
 						response.IOErrors = append(response.IOErrors, errorToAdd)
diff --git a/internal/route/route.go b/internal/route/route.go
index 1d0814a..554adc0 100644
--- a/internal/route/route.go
+++ b/internal/route/route.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ type RouteError struct {
 
 type RouteIOError struct {
 	Index        int
-	OutputErrors []error
+	OutputError  error
 	ProcessError error
 	InputError   error
 }
diff --git a/router.go b/router.go
index e27d1e5..bf08390 100644
--- a/router.go
+++ b/router.go
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ import (
 )
 
 type Router struct {
-	contextCancel   context.CancelFunc
-	Context         context.Context
+	contextCancel context.CancelFunc
+	Context       context.Context
+	// TODO(jwetzell): change to map for faster lookup
 	ModuleInstances []module.Module
 	RouteInstances  []route.Route
 	moduleWait      sync.WaitGroup
@@ -25,6 +26,52 @@ type Router struct {
 	tracer          trace.Tracer
 }
 
+func (r *Router) addModule(moduleDecl config.ModuleConfig) error {
+	if moduleDecl.Id == "" {
+		return errors.New("module id cannot be empty")
+	}
+	moduleInfo, ok := module.ModuleRegistry[moduleDecl.Type]
+	if !ok {
+		return errors.New("module type not defined")
+	}
+
+	moduleInstanceExists := false
+	for _, moduleInstance := range r.ModuleInstances {
+		if moduleInstance.Id() == moduleDecl.Id {
+			moduleInstanceExists = true
+			return errors.New("duplicate module id")
+		}
+	}
+
+	if !moduleInstanceExists {
+		moduleInstance, err := moduleInfo.New(moduleDecl)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		r.ModuleInstances = append(r.ModuleInstances, moduleInstance)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (r *Router) addRoute(routeDecl config.RouteConfig) error {
+	routeInstance, err := route.NewRoute(routeDecl)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	r.RouteInstances = append(r.RouteInstances, routeInstance)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (r *Router) getModule(moduleId string) module.Module {
+	for _, moduleInstance := range r.ModuleInstances {
+		if moduleInstance.Id() == moduleId {
+			return moduleInstance
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func NewRouter(config config.Config, tracer trace.Tracer) (*Router, []module.ModuleError, []route.RouteError) {
 
 	router := Router{
@@ -39,69 +86,24 @@ func NewRouter(config config.Config, tracer trace.Tracer) (*Router, []module.Mod
 
 	for moduleIndex, moduleDecl := range config.Modules {
 
-		if moduleDecl.Id == "" {
+		err := router.addModule(moduleDecl)
+		if err != nil {
 			if moduleErrors == nil {
 				moduleErrors = []module.ModuleError{}
 			}
 			moduleErrors = append(moduleErrors, module.ModuleError{
 				Index:  moduleIndex,
 				Config: moduleDecl,
-				Error:  errors.New("module id cannot be empty"),
+				Error:  err,
 			})
 			continue
 		}
 
-		moduleInfo, ok := module.ModuleRegistry[moduleDecl.Type]
-		if !ok {
-			if moduleErrors == nil {
-				moduleErrors = []module.ModuleError{}
-			}
-			moduleErrors = append(moduleErrors, module.ModuleError{
-				Index:  moduleIndex,
-				Config: moduleDecl,
-				Error:  errors.New("module type not defined"),
-			})
-			continue
-		}
-
-		moduleInstanceExists := false
-		for _, moduleInstance := range router.ModuleInstances {
-			if moduleInstance.Id() == moduleDecl.Id {
-				moduleInstanceExists = true
-				if moduleErrors == nil {
-					moduleErrors = []module.ModuleError{}
-				}
-				moduleErrors = append(moduleErrors, module.ModuleError{
-					Index:  moduleIndex,
-					Config: moduleDecl,
-					Error:  errors.New("duplicate module id"),
-				})
-				break
-			}
-		}
-
-		if !moduleInstanceExists {
-			moduleInstance, err := moduleInfo.New(moduleDecl)
-			if err != nil {
-				if moduleErrors == nil {
-					moduleErrors = []module.ModuleError{}
-				}
-				moduleErrors = append(moduleErrors, module.ModuleError{
-					Index:  moduleIndex,
-					Config: moduleDecl,
-					Error:  err,
-				})
-				continue
-			}
-
-			router.ModuleInstances = append(router.ModuleInstances, moduleInstance)
-		}
-
 	}
 
 	var routeErrors []route.RouteError
 	for routeIndex, routeDecl := range config.Routes {
-		routeInstance, err := route.NewRoute(routeDecl)
+		err := router.addRoute(routeDecl)
 		if err != nil {
 			if routeErrors == nil {
 				routeErrors = []route.RouteError{}
@@ -113,7 +115,6 @@ func NewRouter(config config.Config, tracer trace.Tracer) (*Router, []module.Mod
 			})
 			continue
 		}
-		router.RouteInstances = append(router.RouteInstances, routeInstance)
 	}
 
 	return &router, moduleErrors, routeErrors
@@ -179,14 +180,14 @@ func (r *Router) HandleInput(ctx context.Context, sourceId string, payload any)
 					return
 				}
 
-				outputErrors := r.HandleOutput(routeCtx, routeInstance.Output(), payload)
-				if outputErrors != nil {
+				outputError := r.HandleOutput(routeCtx, routeInstance.Output(), payload)
+				if outputError != nil {
 					if routeIOErrors == nil {
 						routeIOErrors = []route.RouteIOError{}
 					}
 					routeIOErrors = append(routeIOErrors, route.RouteIOError{
-						Index:        routeIndex,
-						OutputErrors: outputErrors,
+						Index:       routeIndex,
+						OutputError: outputError,
 					})
 				}
 				routeSpan.End()
@@ -197,36 +198,31 @@ func (r *Router) HandleInput(ctx context.Context, sourceId string, payload any)
 	return routeFound, routeIOErrors
 }
 
-func (r *Router) HandleOutput(ctx context.Context, destinationId string, payload any) []error {
+func (r *Router) HandleOutput(ctx context.Context, destinationId string, payload any) error {
 	spanCtx, span := r.tracer.Start(ctx, "router.output", trace.WithAttributes(attribute.String("destination.id", destinationId)))
 	defer span.End()
-	var outputErrors []error
-	for _, moduleInstance := range r.ModuleInstances {
-		if moduleInstance.Id() == destinationId {
-			moduleSpanCtx, moduleSpan := r.tracer.Start(spanCtx, "module.output", trace.WithAttributes(attribute.String("module.id", moduleInstance.Id()), attribute.String("module.type", moduleInstance.Type())))
-			err := moduleInstance.Output(moduleSpanCtx, payload)
-			if err != nil {
-				if outputErrors == nil {
-					outputErrors = []error{}
-				}
-				outputErrors = append(outputErrors, err)
-				moduleSpan.SetStatus(codes.Error, err.Error())
-				moduleSpan.RecordError(err)
-				r.logger.Error("module output encountered error", "module", moduleInstance.Id(), "error", err)
-			} else {
-				moduleSpan.SetStatus(codes.Ok, "module output successful")
-			}
-			moduleSpan.End()
-		}
+
+	destinationModule := r.getModule(destinationId)
+
+	if destinationModule == nil {
+		err := errors.New("no module found for destination id")
+		span.SetStatus(codes.Error, err.Error())
+		span.RecordError(err)
+		r.logger.Error("no module found for destination id", "destinationId", destinationId)
+		return err
 	}
 
-	if outputErrors != nil {
-		span.SetStatus(codes.Error, "router output error")
-		for _, outputError := range outputErrors {
-			span.RecordError(outputError)
-		}
+	moduleOutputCtx, moduleOutputSpan := r.tracer.Start(spanCtx, "module.output", trace.WithAttributes(attribute.String("module.id", destinationModule.Id()), attribute.String("module.type", destinationModule.Type())))
+	defer moduleOutputSpan.End()
+	err := destinationModule.Output(moduleOutputCtx, payload)
+	if err != nil {
+		moduleOutputSpan.SetStatus(codes.Error, err.Error())
+		moduleOutputSpan.RecordError(err)
+		r.logger.Error("module output encountered error", "module", destinationModule.Id(), "error", err)
+		return err
 	} else {
-		span.SetStatus(codes.Ok, "router output successful")
+		moduleOutputSpan.SetStatus(codes.Ok, "module output successful")
 	}
-	return outputErrors
+
+	return nil
 }