diff --git a/atdb/taskdatabase/forms.py b/atdb/taskdatabase/forms.py
index c6c3ec4eda3308820bb9627564f16b492443bef8..79d1160c3f085f8a78f15ef04b76d1af9bc0a430 100644
--- a/atdb/taskdatabase/forms.py
+++ b/atdb/taskdatabase/forms.py
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 from django import forms
 
 class QualityAnnotationForm(forms.Form):
-      annotation = forms.CharField(label='',
-                                   widget=forms.Textarea(
-                                         attrs={'rows': 12,'cols': 85}
-                                   ),
-                                   max_length=1000)
+      annotation = forms.CharField(label='', widget=forms.Textarea(attrs={'rows': 12,'cols': 85}),required=False,max_length=1000)
       return_to_page = forms.IntegerField(widget=forms.HiddenInput)
+
+
+class DiscardAnnotationForm(forms.Form):
+    annotation = forms.CharField(label='', widget=forms.Textarea(attrs={'rows': 3, 'cols': 85}), required=False,
+                                 max_length=250)
+    return_to_page = forms.IntegerField(widget=forms.HiddenInput)
diff --git a/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/discarded/headers.html b/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/discarded/headers.html
index cb27d6cc9006a2bf1680706790282391b9ccffd3..6a08ee853f618b2662896c47c2b5512ce210dc97 100644
--- a/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/discarded/headers.html
+++ b/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/discarded/headers.html
@@ -1,21 +1,21 @@
 <tr>
-    <th>
+    <th width="5%">
         <a href="{% url 'sort-tasks' '-pk' 'discarded' %}" class="btn btn-light btn-sm" role="button"><i class="fas fa-sort-up"></i></a>
         ID
         <a href="{% url 'sort-tasks' 'id' 'discarded' %}" class="btn btn-light btn-sm" role="button"><i class="fas fa-sort-down"></i></a>
     </th>
     <th>Details</th>
-     <th>
+     <th width="8%">
         <a href="{% url 'sort-tasks' '-status' 'discarded' %}" class="btn btn-light btn-sm" role="button"><i class="fas fa-sort-up"></i></a>
         Status
         <a href="{% url 'sort-tasks' 'status' 'discarded' %}" class="btn btn-light btn-sm" role="button"><i class="fas fa-sort-down"></i></a>
     </th>
-    <th>
+    <th width="8%">
         <a href="{% url 'sort-tasks' '-project' 'discarded' %}" class="btn btn-light btn-sm" role="button"><i class="fas fa-sort-up"></i></a>
         Project
         <a href="{% url 'sort-tasks' 'project' 'discarded' %}" class="btn btn-light btn-sm" role="button"><i class="fas fa-sort-down"></i></a>
     </th>
-    <th>
+    <th width="8%">
         <a href="{% url 'sort-tasks' '-sas_id' 'discarded' %}" class="btn btn-light btn-sm" role="button"><i class="fas fa-sort-up"></i></a>
         SAS_ID
         <a href="{% url 'sort-tasks' 'sas_id' 'discarded' %}" class="btn btn-light btn-sm" role="button"><i class="fas fa-sort-down"></i></a>
diff --git a/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/failures/confirm_discard.html b/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/failures/confirm_discard.html
index f69b24b98f03639f86d3744f775ab8715240dbad..8f30325f106e5f2e562216e76671b01a54527ce2 100644
--- a/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/failures/confirm_discard.html
+++ b/atdb/taskdatabase/templates/taskdatabase/failures/confirm_discard.html
@@ -9,13 +9,18 @@
 
             <form action="./{{ page }}" method="POST">{% csrf_token %}
                 <div class="text-center">
-                <h4>Are you sure you want to discard task {{ task.id }}?</h4>
+                    <h5>Are you sure you want to discard task {{ task.id }}?</h5>
+                    Enter a reason for discarding (optional)
+                    {% csrf_token %}
 
-                <p>
-                    <button class="btn btn-success btn-sm" type="submit"><i class="fas fa-check"></i> OK</button>
-                    <a href="{% url 'failures' %}" class="btn btn-warning btn-sm" role="button"><i class="fas fa-times-circle"></i> Cancel</a>&nbsp
-                </p>
+                    <div>
+                        {{ my_form }}
                     </div>
+                    <p>
+                        <button class="btn btn-success btn-sm" type="submit"><i class="fas fa-check"></i> OK</button>
+                        <a href="{% url 'failures' %}" class="btn btn-warning btn-sm" role="button"><i class="fas fa-times-circle"></i> Cancel</a>&nbsp
+                    </p>
+                </div>
             </form>
 
        </div>
diff --git a/atdb/taskdatabase/views.py b/atdb/taskdatabase/views.py
index 4f687a9cede8c7752e6cd79b36583b3d9c5d2732..b652df0001bbd8896f13bfbdfda014a050263f62 100644
--- a/atdb/taskdatabase/views.py
+++ b/atdb/taskdatabase/views.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ from rest_framework.request import Request
 from django.conf import settings
 from .models import Task, Status, Workflow, LogEntry, Configuration, Job, PostProcessingRule, Monitor, LatestMonitor
 from .tables import TaskTable
-from .forms import QualityAnnotationForm
+from .forms import QualityAnnotationForm, DiscardAnnotationForm
 
 from django.db.models import Q
 from .serializers import \
@@ -1107,16 +1107,17 @@ def TaskDiscard(request, pk, new_status, page=0):
     task = Task.objects.get(pk=pk)
 
     if request.method == "POST":
+        form = DiscardAnnotationForm(request.POST)
 
         # set the cleanup_policy, which states what the cleanup service should do with it.
         task.cleanup_policy = task.status
 
-        # also add an annotation
-        try:
-            task.remarks['discard_reason'] = task.status
-        except:
-            task.remarks = {}
-            task.remarks['discard_reason'] = task.status
+        if form.is_valid():
+            try:
+                task.remarks['discard_reason'] = request.POST.get("annotation", "")
+            except:
+                task.remarks = {}
+                task.remarks['discard_reason'] = request.POST.get("annotation", "")
 
         # set the status to discard and save it
         task.new_status = new_status
@@ -1125,8 +1126,18 @@ def TaskDiscard(request, pk, new_status, page=0):
         # return to the failures page
         return redirect_with_params('failures', '?page=' + page)
 
-    # if not a POST, then render the confirmaton page, which will return to this function with a POST.
-    return render(request, "taskdatabase/failures/confirm_discard.html", {'task': task, 'page': page})
+    else:
+        # a GET means that the form should be presented to be filled in
+        try:
+            discard_reason = task.remarks['discard_reason']
+        except:
+            discard_reason = ""
+
+        my_form = DiscardAnnotationForm(initial={'annotation': discard_reason, 'return_to_page': page})
+
+        # if not a POST, then render the confirmaton page, which will return to this function with a POST.
+        return render(request, "taskdatabase/failures/confirm_discard.html",
+                      {'task': task, 'my_form': my_form, 'page': page})
 
 
 
@@ -1140,7 +1151,7 @@ def TaskDiscardSasId(request, pk, new_status, page=0):
     tasks = Task.objects.filter(sas_id=sas_id)
 
     if request.method == "POST":
-        form = QualityAnnotationForm(request.POST)
+        form = DiscardAnnotationForm(request.POST)
 
         for task in tasks:
             task.cleanup_policy = task.status
@@ -1167,7 +1178,7 @@ def TaskDiscardSasId(request, pk, new_status, page=0):
 
         count=tasks.count()
 
-        my_form = QualityAnnotationForm(initial={'annotation': discard_reason, 'return_to_page': page})
+        my_form = DiscardAnnotationForm(initial={'annotation': discard_reason, 'return_to_page': page})
 
         # if not a POST, then render the confirmaton page, which will return to this function with a POST.
         return render(request, "taskdatabase/validation/confirm_discard.html",