diff --git a/src/apptask.js b/src/apptask.js
index 0a7f3d101..d39420503 100644
--- a/src/apptask.js
+++ b/src/apptask.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ var addons = require('./addons.js'),
     async = require('async'),
     auditsource = require('./auditsource.js'),
     backups = require('./backups.js'),
+    BoxError = require('./boxerror.js'),
     constants = require('./constants.js'),
     DatabaseError = require('./databaseerror.js'),
     debug = require('debug')('box:apptask'),
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ var addons = require('./addons.js'),
     util = require('util'),
     _ = require('underscore');
 
-var COLLECTD_CONFIG_EJS = fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/collectd.config.ejs', { encoding: 'utf8' }),
+const COLLECTD_CONFIG_EJS = fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/collectd.config.ejs', { encoding: 'utf8' }),
     CONFIGURE_COLLECTD_CMD = path.join(__dirname, 'scripts/configurecollectd.sh'),
     MV_VOLUME_CMD = path.join(__dirname, 'scripts/mvvolume.sh'),
     LOGROTATE_CONFIG_EJS = fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/logrotate.ejs', { encoding: 'utf8' }),
@@ -240,12 +241,12 @@ function verifyManifest(manifest, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
     var error = manifestFormat.parse(manifest);
-    if (error) return callback(new Error(util.format('Manifest error: %s', error.message)));
+    if (error) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_FIELD, `Manifest error: ${error.message}`, { field: 'manifest' }));
 
     error = apps.checkManifestConstraints(manifest);
-    if (error) return callback(error);
+    if (error) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.CONFLICT, `Manifest constraint check failed: ${error.message}`, { field: 'manifest' }));
 
-    return callback(null);
+    callback(null);
 }
 
 function downloadIcon(app, callback) {
@@ -285,30 +286,31 @@ function registerSubdomains(app, overwrite, callback) {
 
         const allDomains = [ { subdomain: app.location, domain: app.domain }].concat(app.alternateDomains);
 
-        console.dir(allDomains);
         async.eachSeries(allDomains, function (domain, iteratorDone) {
             async.retry({ times: 200, interval: 5000 }, function (retryCallback) {
                 debugApp(app, 'Registering subdomain: %s%s', domain.subdomain ? (domain.subdomain + '.') : '', domain.domain);
 
                 // get the current record before updating it
                 domains.getDnsRecords(domain.subdomain, domain.domain, 'A', function (error, values) {
-                    if (error && error.reason === DomainsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR) return retryCallback(error); // try again
-                    if (error) return retryCallback(null, error); // give up for access and other errors
+                    if (error && error.reason === DomainsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR) return retryCallback(new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message, domain)); // try again
+                    if (error && error.reason === DomainsError.ACCESS_DENIED) return retryCallback(null, new BoxError(BoxError.ACCESS_DENIED, error.message, domain));
+                    if (error && error.reason === DomainsError.NOT_FOUND) return retryCallback(null, new BoxError(BoxError.NOT_FOUND, error.message, domain));
+                    if (error) return retryCallback(null, new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message, domain)); // give up for access and other errors
 
                     // refuse to update any existing DNS record for custom domains that we did not create
-                    if (values.length !== 0 && !overwrite) return retryCallback(null, new Error('DNS Record already exists'));
+                    if (values.length !== 0 && !overwrite) return retryCallback(null, new BoxError(BoxError.ALREADY_EXISTS, 'DNS Record already exists', domain));
 
                     domains.upsertDnsRecords(domain.subdomain, domain.domain, 'A', [ ip ], function (error) {
                         if (error && (error.reason === DomainsError.STILL_BUSY || error.reason === DomainsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR)) {
-                            debug('Upsert error. Will retry.', error.message);
-                            return retryCallback(error); // try again
+                            debug('registerSubdomains: Upsert error. Will retry.', error.message);
+                            return retryCallback(new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message, domain)); // try again
                         }
 
-                        retryCallback(null, error);
+                        retryCallback(null, error ? new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message, domain) : null);
                     });
                 });
             }, function (error, result) {
-                if (error || result instanceof Error) return iteratorDone(error || result);
+                if (error || result) return iteratorDone(error || result);
 
                 iteratorDone(null);
             });
@@ -330,12 +332,15 @@ function unregisterSubdomains(app, allDomains, callback) {
 
                 domains.removeDnsRecords(domain.subdomain, domain.domain, 'A', [ ip ], function (error) {
                     if (error && error.reason === DomainsError.NOT_FOUND) return retryCallback(null, null);
-                    if (error && (error.reason === DomainsError.STILL_BUSY || error.reason === DomainsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR)) return retryCallback(error); // try again
+                    if (error && (error.reason === DomainsError.STILL_BUSY || error.reason === DomainsError.EXTERNAL_ERROR)) {
+                        debug('registerSubdomains: Remove error. Will retry.', error.message);
+                        return retryCallback(new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message, domain)); // try again
+                    }
 
-                    retryCallback(null, error);
+                    retryCallback(null, error ? new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, error.message, domain) : null);
                 });
             }, function (error, result) {
-                if (error || result instanceof Error) return iteratorDone(error || result);
+                if (error || result) return iteratorDone(error || result);
 
                 iteratorDone();
             });
@@ -525,7 +530,8 @@ function install(app, restoreConfig, progressCallback, callback) {
     ], function seriesDone(error) {
         if (error) {
             debugApp(app, 'error installing app: %s', error);
-            return updateApp(app, { installationState: apps.ISTATE_ERROR, error: { message: error.message } }, callback.bind(null, error));
+            const appError = _.extend({ message: error.message, reason: error.reason }, error.details);
+            return updateApp(app, { installationState: apps.ISTATE_ERROR, error: appError }, callback.bind(null, error));
         }
         callback(null);
     });
diff --git a/src/boxerror.js b/src/boxerror.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..040ef1a17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/boxerror.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/* jslint node:true */
+
+'use strict';
+
+const assert = require('assert'),
+    util = require('util');
+
+exports = module.exports = BoxError;
+
+function BoxError(reason, errorOrMessage, details) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof reason, 'string');
+    assert(errorOrMessage instanceof Error || typeof errorOrMessage === 'string' || typeof errorOrMessage === 'undefined');
+    assert(typeof details === 'object' || typeof details === 'undefined');
+
+    Error.call(this);
+    Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor);
+
+    this.name = this.constructor.name;
+    this.reason = reason;
+    if (typeof errorOrMessage === 'undefined') {
+        this.message = reason;
+    } else if (typeof errorOrMessage === 'string') {
+        this.message = errorOrMessage;
+    } else {
+        this.message = 'Internal error';
+        this.nestedError = errorOrMessage;
+    }
+
+    this.details = details || {};
+}
+util.inherits(BoxError, Error);
+BoxError.ACCESS_DENIED = 'Access Denied';
+BoxError.ALREADY_EXISTS = 'Already Exists';
+BoxError.BAD_FIELD = 'Bad Field';
+BoxError.CONFLICT = 'Conflict';
+BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR = 'External Error';
+BoxError.INTERNAL_ERROR = 'Internal Error';
+BoxError.NOT_FOUND = 'Not found';