diff --git a/src/apps.js b/src/apps.js
index e06db3874..f14af0127 100644
--- a/src/apps.js
+++ b/src/apps.js
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     PORT_TYPE_TCP: 'tcp',
     PORT_TYPE_UDP: 'udp',
 
+    // error codes
+    ETASK_STOPPED: 'task_stopped', // user stopped a task
+    ETASK_CRASHED: 'task_crashed', // apptask crashed
+
     // exported for testing
     _validatePortBindings: validatePortBindings,
     _validateAccessRestriction: validateAccessRestriction,
@@ -599,7 +603,8 @@ function scheduleTask(appId, args, values, callback) {
                 debug(`scheduleTask: task ${taskId} of $${appId} completed`);
                 if (error && (error.crashed || error.stopped)) {
                     debug(`Apptask crashed/stopped: ${error.message}`);
-                    appdb.update(appId, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_ERROR, error: { message: error.message }, taskId: null }, NOOP_CALLBACK);
+                    const code = error.crashed ? exports.ETASK_CRASHED : exports.ETASK_STOPPED;
+                    appdb.update(appId, { installationState: appdb.ISTATE_ERROR, error: { code: code, message: error.message }, taskId: null }, NOOP_CALLBACK);
                 } else if (values.installationState !== appdb.ISTATE_PENDING_UNINSTALL) {
                     appdb.update(appId, { taskId: null }, NOOP_CALLBACK);
                 }