diff --git a/src/backups.js b/src/backups.js
index bb9e76e8b..9b7c978d7 100644
--- a/src/backups.js
+++ b/src/backups.js
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ util.inherits(BackupsError, Error);
 BackupsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR = 'external error';
 BackupsError.INTERNAL_ERROR = 'internal error';
 BackupsError.BAD_STATE = 'bad state';
+BackupsError.BAD_FIELD = 'bad field';
 BackupsError.NOT_FOUND = 'not found';
 BackupsError.MISSING_CREDENTIALS = 'missing credentials';
 
diff --git a/src/settings.js b/src/settings.js
index 4139bcf8d..70a37c9f4 100644
--- a/src/settings.js
+++ b/src/settings.js
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ exports = module.exports = {
 var assert = require('assert'),
     async = require('async'),
     backups = require('./backups.js'),
+    BackupsError = backups.BackupsError,
     config = require('./config.js'),
     constants = require('./constants.js'),
     CronJob = require('cron').CronJob,
@@ -588,7 +589,9 @@ function setBackupConfig(backupConfig, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
     backups.testConfig(backupConfig, function (error) {
-        if (error) return callback(error);
+        if (error && error.reason === BackupsError.BAD_FIELD) return callback(new SettingsError(SettingsError.BAD_FIELD, error.message));
+        if (error && error.reason === BackupsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR) return callback(new SettingsError(SettingsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message));
+        if (error) return callback(new SettingsError(SettingsError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
 
         settingsdb.set(exports.BACKUP_CONFIG_KEY, JSON.stringify(backupConfig), function (error) {
             if (error) return callback(new SettingsError(SettingsError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
diff --git a/src/storage/caas.js b/src/storage/caas.js
index 838845ecb..79c82adc4 100644
--- a/src/storage/caas.js
+++ b/src/storage/caas.js
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ var archiver = require('archiver'),
     mkdirp = require('mkdirp'),
     once = require('once'),
     path = require('path'),
-    SettingsError = require('../settings.js').SettingsError,
     superagent = require('superagent'),
     tar = require('tar-fs'),
     zlib = require('zlib');
@@ -308,7 +307,7 @@ function testConfig(apiConfig, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof apiConfig, 'object');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    if (config.provider() !== 'caas') return callback(new SettingsError(SettingsError.BAD_FIELD, 'instance provider must be caas'));
+    if (config.provider() !== 'caas') return callback(new BackupsError(BackupsError.BAD_FIELD, 'instance provider must be caas'));
 
     callback();
 }
diff --git a/src/storage/filesystem.js b/src/storage/filesystem.js
index a96a1b7d9..510b6c7db 100644
--- a/src/storage/filesystem.js
+++ b/src/storage/filesystem.js
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ var assert = require('assert'),
     once = require('once'),
     path = require('path'),
     safe = require('safetydance'),
-    SettingsError = require('../settings.js').SettingsError,
     tar = require('tar-fs'),
     zlib = require('zlib');
 
@@ -225,7 +224,7 @@ function testConfig(apiConfig, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof apiConfig, 'object');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    if (typeof apiConfig.backupFolder !== 'string') return callback(new SettingsError(SettingsError.BAD_FIELD, 'backupFolder must be string'));
+    if (typeof apiConfig.backupFolder !== 'string') return callback(new BackupsError(BackupsError.BAD_FIELD, 'backupFolder must be string'));
 
     callback();
 }
diff --git a/src/storage/s3.js b/src/storage/s3.js
index 98c06f8e4..f1f54a09c 100644
--- a/src/storage/s3.js
+++ b/src/storage/s3.js
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ var assert = require('assert'),
     mkdirp = require('mkdirp'),
     once = require('once'),
     path = require('path'),
-    SettingsError = require('../settings.js').SettingsError,
     tar = require('tar-fs'),
     zlib = require('zlib');
 
@@ -296,10 +295,10 @@ function testConfig(apiConfig, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof apiConfig, 'object');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    if (typeof apiConfig.accessKeyId !== 'string') return callback(new SettingsError(SettingsError.BAD_FIELD, 'accessKeyId must be a string'));
-    if (typeof apiConfig.secretAccessKey !== 'string') return callback(new SettingsError(SettingsError.BAD_FIELD, 'secretAccessKey must be a string'));
-    if (typeof apiConfig.bucket !== 'string') return callback(new SettingsError(SettingsError.BAD_FIELD, 'bucket must be a string'));
-    if (typeof apiConfig.prefix !== 'string') return callback(new SettingsError(SettingsError.BAD_FIELD, 'prefix must be a string'));
+    if (typeof apiConfig.accessKeyId !== 'string') return callback(new BackupsError(BackupsError.BAD_FIELD, 'accessKeyId must be a string'));
+    if (typeof apiConfig.secretAccessKey !== 'string') return callback(new BackupsError(BackupsError.BAD_FIELD, 'secretAccessKey must be a string'));
+    if (typeof apiConfig.bucket !== 'string') return callback(new BackupsError(BackupsError.BAD_FIELD, 'bucket must be a string'));
+    if (typeof apiConfig.prefix !== 'string') return callback(new BackupsError(BackupsError.BAD_FIELD, 'prefix must be a string'));
 
     // attempt to upload and delete a file with new credentials
     getBackupCredentials(apiConfig, function (error, credentials) {
@@ -313,7 +312,7 @@ function testConfig(apiConfig, callback) {
 
         var s3 = new AWS.S3(credentials);
         s3.putObject(params, function (error) {
-            if (error) return callback(new SettingsError(SettingsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message));
+            if (error) return callback(new BackupsError(BackupsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message));
 
             var params = {
                 Bucket: apiConfig.bucket,
@@ -321,7 +320,7 @@ function testConfig(apiConfig, callback) {
             };
 
             s3.deleteObject(params, function (error) {
-                if (error) return callback(new SettingsError(SettingsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message));
+                if (error) return callback(new BackupsError(BackupsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message));
 
                 callback();
             });