An improved method provides fault handling in a distributed IT environment. The distributed IT environment executes a workflow application interacting with at least one application by using interface information about the at least one application. In response to receiving a first instance of a fault response, a fault handler performing a first lookup of a fault handling policy corresponding to the fault response within a fault handling descriptions catalog. The fault handler loads a first one or more fault handling descriptions that are pointed to by the fault handling policy in order to continue execution of the workflow application. After a second instance of the fault response, the fault handler performs a second lookup of the fault handling policy which now points to a second one or more fault handling descriptions which are loaded in order to continue execution of the workflow application.