diff --git a/migrations/20190828030723-apps-rename-installationProgress-errorMessage.js b/migrations/20190828030723-apps-rename-installationProgress-errorJson.js
similarity index 68%
rename from migrations/20190828030723-apps-rename-installationProgress-errorMessage.js
rename to migrations/20190828030723-apps-rename-installationProgress-errorJson.js
index b883ea448..3101c81cd 100644
--- a/migrations/20190828030723-apps-rename-installationProgress-errorMessage.js
+++ b/migrations/20190828030723-apps-rename-installationProgress-errorJson.js
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 'use strict';
 
 exports.up = function(db, callback) {
-    db.runSql('ALTER TABLE apps CHANGE installationProgress errorMessage TEXT', [], function (error) {
+    db.runSql('ALTER TABLE apps CHANGE installationProgress errorJson TEXT', [], function (error) {
         if (error) console.error(error);
         callback(error);
     });
 };
 
 exports.down = function(db, callback) {
-    db.runSql('ALTER TABLE apps CHANGE errorMessage installationProgress TEXT', [], function (error) {
+    db.runSql('ALTER TABLE apps CHANGE errorJson installationProgress TEXT', [], function (error) {
         if (error) console.error(error);
         callback(error);
     });
diff --git a/migrations/schema.sql b/migrations/schema.sql
index 716d433f2..c2198c2a5 100644
--- a/migrations/schema.sql
+++ b/migrations/schema.sql
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS apps(
     tagsJson VARCHAR(2048), // array of tags
     dataDir VARCHAR(256) UNIQUE,
     taskId INTEGER, // current task
-    errorMessage TEXT,
+    errorJson TEXT,
 
     FOREIGN KEY(taskId) REFERENCES tasks(id),
     PRIMARY KEY(id));
diff --git a/src/addons.js b/src/addons.js
index fc1a139f6..151eda66a 100644
--- a/src/addons.js
+++ b/src/addons.js
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ function importDatabase(addon, callback) {
                 if (!error) return iteratorCallback();
 
                 debug(`importDatabase: Error importing ${addon} of app ${app.id}. Marking as errored`, error);
-                appdb.update(app.id, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_ERROR, errorMessage: error.message }, iteratorCallback);
+                appdb.update(app.id, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_ERROR, error: { message: error.message } }, iteratorCallback);
             });
         }, callback);
     });
diff --git a/src/appdb.js b/src/appdb.js
index 698382bc9..7f30179c4 100644
--- a/src/appdb.js
+++ b/src/appdb.js
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ var assert = require('assert'),
     safe = require('safetydance'),
     util = require('util');
 
-var APPS_FIELDS_PREFIXED = [ 'apps.id', 'apps.appStoreId', 'apps.installationState', 'apps.errorMessage', 'apps.runState',
+var APPS_FIELDS_PREFIXED = [ 'apps.id', 'apps.appStoreId', 'apps.installationState', 'apps.errorJson', 'apps.runState',
     'apps.health', 'apps.containerId', 'apps.manifestJson', 'apps.httpPort', 'subdomains.subdomain AS location', 'subdomains.domain',
     'apps.accessRestrictionJson', 'apps.memoryLimit',
     'apps.label', 'apps.tagsJson', 'apps.taskId',
@@ -129,6 +129,9 @@ function postProcess(result) {
     // in the db, we store dataDir as unique/nullable
     result.dataDir = result.dataDir || '';
 
+    result.error = safe.JSON.parse(result.errorJson);
+    delete result.errorJson;
+
     result.taskId = result.taskId ? String(result.taskId) : null;
 }
 
@@ -441,7 +444,7 @@ function updateWithConstraints(id, app, constraints, callback) {
 
     var fields = [ ], values = [ ];
     for (var p in app) {
-        if (p === 'manifest' || p === 'tags' || p === 'accessRestriction' || p === 'debugMode') {
+        if (p === 'manifest' || p === 'tags' || p === 'accessRestriction' || p === 'debugMode' || p === 'error') {
             fields.push(`${p}Json = ?`);
             values.push(JSON.stringify(app[p]));
         } else if (p !== 'portBindings' && p !== 'location' && p !== 'domain' && p !== 'alternateDomains' && p !== 'env') {
diff --git a/src/apptask.js b/src/apptask.js
index 2d3cd1c11..7ac378e6d 100644
--- a/src/apptask.js
+++ b/src/apptask.js
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ function install(app, restoreConfig, progressCallback, callback) {
     ], function seriesDone(error) {
         if (error) {
             debugApp(app, 'error installing app: %s', error);
-            return updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_ERROR, errorMessage: error.message }, callback.bind(null, error));
+            return updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_ERROR, error: { message: error.message } }, callback.bind(null, error));
         }
         callback(null);
     });
@@ -611,11 +611,11 @@ function backup(app, progressCallback, callback) {
         }),
 
         progressCallback.bind(null, { percent: 100, message: 'Done' }),
-        updateApp.bind(null, app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_INSTALLED, errorMessage: '' })
+        updateApp.bind(null, app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_INSTALLED, error: null })
     ], function seriesDone(error) {
         if (error) {
             debugApp(app, 'error backing up app: %s', error);
-            return updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_INSTALLED, errorMessage: error.message }, callback.bind(null, error)); // return to installed state intentionally
+            return updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_INSTALLED, error: { message: error.message } }, callback.bind(null, error)); // return to installed state intentionally
         }
         callback(null);
     });
@@ -692,11 +692,11 @@ function configure(app, oldConfig, progressCallback, callback) {
         configureReverseProxy.bind(null, app),
 
         progressCallback.bind(null, { percent: 100, message: 'Done' }),
-        updateApp.bind(null, app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_INSTALLED, errorMessage: '', health: null })
+        updateApp.bind(null, app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_INSTALLED, error: null, health: null })
     ], function seriesDone(error) {
         if (error) {
             debugApp(app, 'error reconfiguring : %s', error);
-            return updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_ERROR, errorMessage: error.message }, callback.bind(null, error));
+            return updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_ERROR, error: { message: error.message }}, callback.bind(null, error));
         }
         callback(null);
     });
@@ -798,14 +798,14 @@ function update(app, updateConfig, progressCallback, callback) {
         runApp.bind(null, app, progressCallback),
 
         progressCallback.bind(null, { percent: 100, message: 'Done' }),
-        updateApp.bind(null, app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_INSTALLED, errorMessage: '', health: null, updateTime: new Date() })
+        updateApp.bind(null, app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_INSTALLED, error: null, health: null, updateTime: new Date() })
     ], function seriesDone(error) {
         if (error && error.backupError) {
             debugApp(app, 'update aborted because backup failed', error);
-            updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_INSTALLED, errorMessage: '', health: null }, callback.bind(null, error));
+            updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_INSTALLED, error: null, health: null }, callback.bind(null, error));
         } else if (error) {
             debugApp(app, 'Error updating app: %s', error);
-            updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_ERROR, errorMessage: error.message, updateTime: new Date() }, callback.bind(null, error));
+            updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_ERROR, error: { message: error.message }, updateTime: new Date() }, callback.bind(null, error));
         } else {
             if (updateConfig.skipNotification) return callback();
 
@@ -859,7 +859,7 @@ function uninstall(app, progressCallback, callback) {
     ], function seriesDone(error) {
         if (error) {
             debugApp(app, 'error uninstalling app: %s', error);
-            return updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_ERROR, errorMessage: error.message }, callback.bind(null, error));
+            return updateApp(app, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_ERROR, error: { message: error.message } }, callback.bind(null, error));
         }
         callback(null);
     });
diff --git a/src/test/database-test.js b/src/test/database-test.js
index a1436e501..e7dcdf058 100644
--- a/src/test/database-test.js
+++ b/src/test/database-test.js
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ describe('database', function () {
             id: 'appid-0',
             appStoreId: 'appStoreId-0',
             installationState: appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL,
-            errorMessage: null,
+            error: null,
             runState: null,
             location: 'some-location-0',
             domain: DOMAIN_0.domain,
@@ -967,7 +967,7 @@ describe('database', function () {
             id: 'appid-0',
             appStoreId: 'appStoreId-0',
             installationState: appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL,
-            errorMessage: null,
+            error: null,
             runState: null,
             location: 'some-location-0',
             domain: DOMAIN_0.domain,
@@ -998,7 +998,7 @@ describe('database', function () {
             id: 'appid-1',
             appStoreId: 'appStoreId-1',
             installationState: appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL, // app health tests rely on this initial state
-            errorMessage: null,
+            error: null,
             runState: null,
             location: 'some-location-1',
             domain: DOMAIN_0.domain,
diff --git a/src/test/ldap-test.js b/src/test/ldap-test.js
index a64f2e6c4..064e8e673 100644
--- a/src/test/ldap-test.js
+++ b/src/test/ldap-test.js
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ var APP_0 = {
     id: 'appid-0',
     appStoreId: 'appStoreId-0',
     installationState: appdb.ISTATE_INSTALLED,
-    errorMessage: null,
+    error: null,
     runState: appdb.RSTATE_RUNNING,
     location: 'some-location-0',
     domain: DOMAIN_0.domain,
diff --git a/src/test/updatechecker-test.js b/src/test/updatechecker-test.js
index 142e0c494..bd1870e22 100644
--- a/src/test/updatechecker-test.js
+++ b/src/test/updatechecker-test.js
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - app - manual (email)', function () {
         id: 'appid-0',
         appStoreId: 'io.cloudron.app',
         installationState: appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL,
-        errorMessage: null,
+        error: null,
         runState: null,
         location: 'some-location-0',
         domain: DOMAIN_0.domain,
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - app - automatic (no email)', function () {
         id: 'appid-0',
         appStoreId: 'io.cloudron.app',
         installationState: appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL,
-        errorMessage: null,
+        error: null,
         runState: null,
         location: 'some-location-0',
         domain: DOMAIN_0.domain,
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - app - automatic free (email)', function () {
         id: 'appid-0',
         appStoreId: 'io.cloudron.app',
         installationState: appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_INSTALL,
-        errorMessage: null,
+        error: null,
         runState: null,
         location: 'some-location-0',
         domain: DOMAIN_0.domain,