diff --git a/src/apps.js b/src/apps.js
index ffddc03db..e93c3ac13 100644
--- a/src/apps.js
+++ b/src/apps.js
@@ -639,11 +639,11 @@ function scheduleTask(appId, installationState, taskId, callback) {
                 // see also apptask makeTaskError
                 boxError.details.taskId = taskId;
                 boxError.details.installationState = installationState;
-                appdb.update(appId, { installationState: exports.ISTATE_ERROR, error: boxError.toPlainObject(), taskId: null }, callback);
+                appdb.update(appId, { installationState: exports.ISTATE_ERROR, error: boxError.toPlainObject(), taskId: null }, callback.bind(null, error));
             } else if (!(installationState === exports.ISTATE_PENDING_UNINSTALL && !error)) { // clear out taskId except for successful uninstall
-                appdb.update(appId, { taskId: null }, callback);
+                appdb.update(appId, { taskId: null }, callback.bind(null, error));
             } else {
-                callback(null);
+                callback(error);
             }
         });
     });
@@ -1356,7 +1356,7 @@ function update(app, data, auditSource, callback) {
         args: { updateConfig },
         values,
         onFinished: (error) => {
-            eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_APP_UPDATE_FINISH, auditSource, { app, success: !error, errorMessage: error ? error.message : null }, () => {}); // ignore error
+            eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_APP_UPDATE_FINISH, auditSource, { app, success: !error, errorMessage: error ? error.message : null });
         }
     };
     addTask(appId, exports.ISTATE_PENDING_UPDATE, task, function (error, result) {
diff --git a/src/apptask.js b/src/apptask.js
index 7aa1ffcd6..fec6ebe7d 100644
--- a/src/apptask.js
+++ b/src/apptask.js
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ function backup(app, args, progressCallback, callback) {
         if (error) {
             debugApp(app, 'error backing up app:', error);
             // return to installed state intentionally. the error is stashed only in the task and not the app (the UI shows error state otherwise)
-            return updateApp(app, { installationState: apps.ISTATE_INSTALLED, error: null }, callback.bind(null, makeTaskError(error, app)));
+            return updateApp(app, { installationState: apps.ISTATE_INSTALLED, error: null }, callback.bind(null, error));
         }
         callback(null);
     });
diff --git a/src/notifications.js b/src/notifications.js
index 1d160980e..9a7997929 100644
--- a/src/notifications.js
+++ b/src/notifications.js
@@ -268,6 +268,8 @@ async function onEvent(id, action, source, data) {
         return await oomEvent(id, data.app, data.addon, data.containerId, data.event);
 
     case eventlog.ACTION_APP_UPDATE_FINISH:
+        if (source.username !== auditSource.CRON.username) return; // updated by user
+        if (data.errorMessage) return; // the update indicator will still appear, so no need to notify user
         return await appUpdated(id, data.app);
 
     case eventlog.ACTION_CERTIFICATE_RENEWAL: