diff --git a/src/backups.js b/src/backups.js
index 529ad3a74..508570efe 100644
--- a/src/backups.js
+++ b/src/backups.js
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ function backup(auditSource, callback) {
     backupBoxAndApps(auditSource, function (error) { // start the backup operation in the background
         if (error) {
             debug('backup failed.', error);
-            mailer.backupFailed(JSON.stringify(error));
+            mailer.backupFailed(error);
         }
 
         locker.unlock(locker.OP_FULL_BACKUP);
diff --git a/src/mailer.js b/src/mailer.js
index 8a493d74f..fce6a8ea9 100644
--- a/src/mailer.js
+++ b/src/mailer.js
@@ -56,6 +56,17 @@ var gMailQueue = [ ],
     gDnsReady = false,
     gCheckDnsTimerId = null;
 
+function splatchError(error) {
+    var result = { };
+    Object.getOwnPropertyNames(error).forEach(function (key) {
+        var value = this[key];
+        if (value instanceof Error) value = splatchError(value);
+        result[key] = value;
+    }, error /* thisArg */);
+
+    return util.inspect(result, { depth: null, showHidden: true });
+}
+
 function start(callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
@@ -426,7 +437,9 @@ function outOfDiskSpace(message) {
     });
 }
 
-function backupFailed(message) {
+function backupFailed(error) {
+    var message = splatchError(error);
+
     getAdminEmails(function (error, adminEmails) {
         if (error) return console.log('Error getting admins', error);