diff --git a/services/api-server/src/simcore_service_api_server/api/routes/solvers.py b/services/api-server/src/simcore_service_api_server/api/routes/solvers.py
index be6e092b735b..3998102a97f9 100644
--- a/services/api-server/src/simcore_service_api_server/api/routes/solvers.py
+++ b/services/api-server/src/simcore_service_api_server/api/routes/solvers.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 from httpx import HTTPStatusError
 from pydantic import ValidationError
 from pydantic.errors import PydanticValueError
+from servicelib.error_codes import create_error_code
 
 from ...core.settings import ApplicationSettings, BasicSettings
 from ...models.schemas.solvers import Solver, SolverKeyId, SolverPort, VersionStr
@@ -191,10 +192,20 @@ async def list_solver_ports(
         )
         return ports
 
-    except (
-        ValidationError,
-        HTTPStatusError,
-    ) as err:
+    except ValidationError as err:
+        error_code = create_error_code(err)
+        logger.exception(
+            "Corrupted port data for service %s [%s]",
+            f"{solver_key}:{version}",
+            f"{error_code}",
+            extra={"error_code": error_code},
+        )
+        raise HTTPException(
+            status_code=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            detail=f"Port definition of {solver_key}:{version} seems corrupted [{error_code}]",
+        ) from err
+
+    except HTTPStatusError as err:
         raise HTTPException(
             status_code=status.HTTP_404_NOT_FOUND,
             detail=f"Ports for solver {solver_key}:{version} not found",
diff --git a/services/api-server/src/simcore_service_api_server/models/schemas/solvers.py b/services/api-server/src/simcore_service_api_server/models/schemas/solvers.py
index 50ff8549cfde..fd0bb9a628a5 100644
--- a/services/api-server/src/simcore_service_api_server/models/schemas/solvers.py
+++ b/services/api-server/src/simcore_service_api_server/models/schemas/solvers.py
@@ -111,17 +111,23 @@ def compose_resource_name(cls, solver_key, solver_version) -> str:
 
 
 class SolverPort(BaseModel):
-    name: str = Field(
-        ..., description="port identifier name", regex=PUBLIC_VARIABLE_NAME_RE
+    key: str = Field(
+        ...,
+        description="port identifier name",
+        regex=PUBLIC_VARIABLE_NAME_RE,
+        title="Key name",
     )
     kind: PortKindStr
-    content_schema: Optional[dict[str, Any]] = None
+    content_schema: Optional[dict[str, Any]] = Field(
+        None,
+        description="jsonschema for the port's value. SEE https://json-schema.org",
+    )
 
     class Config:
         extra = Extra.ignore
         schema_extra = {
             "example": {
-                "name": "input_2",
+                "key": "input_2",
                 "kind": "input",
                 "content_schema": {
                     "title": "Sleep interval",
diff --git a/services/api-server/tests/unit/api_solvers/test_api_routers_solvers.py b/services/api-server/tests/unit/api_solvers/test_api_routers_solvers.py
index 4b884cb87e51..d35c2c30d347 100644
--- a/services/api-server/tests/unit/api_solvers/test_api_routers_solvers.py
+++ b/services/api-server/tests/unit/api_solvers/test_api_routers_solvers.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ async def test_list_solver_ports(
 
     assert resp.json() == [
         {
-            "name": "input_1",
+            "key": "input_1",
             "kind": "input",
             "content_schema": {
                 "title": "Sleep interval",