diff --git a/src/boxerror.js b/src/boxerror.js
index f08612b82..41dfab9aa 100644
--- a/src/boxerror.js
+++ b/src/boxerror.js
@@ -40,13 +40,14 @@ BoxError.CONFLICT = 'Conflict';
 BoxError.DATABASE_ERROR = 'Database Error';
 BoxError.DNS_ERROR = 'DNS Error';
 BoxError.DOCKER_ERROR = 'Docker Error';
-BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR = 'External Error';
+BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR = 'External Error'; // use this for external API errors
 BoxError.FS_ERROR = 'FileSystem Error';
 BoxError.INTERNAL_ERROR = 'Internal Error';
 BoxError.LOGROTATE_ERROR = 'Logrotate Error';
 BoxError.NETWORK_ERROR = 'Network Error';
 BoxError.NGINX_ERROR = 'Nginx Error';
 BoxError.NOT_FOUND = 'Not found';
+BoxError.NOT_SIGNED = 'Not Signed';
 BoxError.OPENSSL_ERROR = 'OpenSSL Error';
 BoxError.REVERSEPROXY_ERROR = 'ReverseProxy Error';
 BoxError.TASK_ERROR = 'Task Error';
diff --git a/src/routes/cloudron.js b/src/routes/cloudron.js
index 899f2105e..2a6521e81 100644
--- a/src/routes/cloudron.js
+++ b/src/routes/cloudron.js
@@ -27,8 +27,7 @@ let assert = require('assert'),
     HttpError = require('connect-lastmile').HttpError,
     HttpSuccess = require('connect-lastmile').HttpSuccess,
     updater = require('../updater.js'),
-    updateChecker = require('../updatechecker.js'),
-    UpdaterError = require('../updater.js').UpdaterError;
+    updateChecker = require('../updatechecker.js');
 
 function toHttpError(error) {
     switch (error.reason) {
@@ -79,8 +78,8 @@ function update(req, res, next) {
 
     // this only initiates the update, progress can be checked via the progress route
     updater.updateToLatest(req.body, auditSource.fromRequest(req), function (error, taskId) {
-        if (error && error.reason === UpdaterError.ALREADY_UPTODATE) return next(new HttpError(422, error.message));
-        if (error && error.reason === UpdaterError.BAD_STATE) return next(new HttpError(409, error.message));
+        if (error && error.reason === BoxError.NOT_FOUND) return next(new HttpError(422, error.message));
+        if (error && error.reason === BoxError.BAD_STATE) return next(new HttpError(409, error.message));
         if (error) return next(new HttpError(500, error));
 
         next(new HttpSuccess(202, { taskId }));
diff --git a/src/updater.js b/src/updater.js
index 5d493940b..230fa2351 100644
--- a/src/updater.js
+++ b/src/updater.js
@@ -2,14 +2,13 @@
 
 exports = module.exports = {
     updateToLatest: updateToLatest,
-    update: update,
-
-    UpdaterError: UpdaterError
+    update: update
 };
 
 var apps = require('./apps.js'),
     assert = require('assert'),
     async = require('async'),
+    BoxError = require('./boxerror.js'),
     child_process = require('child_process'),
     backups = require('./backups.js'),
     constants = require('./constants.js'),
@@ -26,44 +25,17 @@ var apps = require('./apps.js'),
     semver = require('semver'),
     shell = require('./shell.js'),
     tasks = require('./tasks.js'),
-    updateChecker = require('./updatechecker.js'),
-    util = require('util');
+    updateChecker = require('./updatechecker.js');
 
 const RELEASES_PUBLIC_KEY = path.join(__dirname, 'releases.gpg');
 const UPDATE_CMD = path.join(__dirname, 'scripts/update.sh');
 
-function UpdaterError(reason, errorOrMessage) {
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof reason, 'string');
-    assert(errorOrMessage instanceof Error || typeof errorOrMessage === 'string' || typeof errorOrMessage === '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;
-    }
-}
-util.inherits(UpdaterError, Error);
-UpdaterError.INTERNAL_ERROR = 'Internal Error';
-UpdaterError.EXTERNAL_ERROR = 'External Error';
-UpdaterError.BAD_STATE = 'Bad state';
-UpdaterError.ALREADY_UPTODATE = 'No Update Available';
-UpdaterError.NOT_FOUND = 'Not found';
-UpdaterError.NOT_SIGNED = 'Not signed';
-
 function downloadUrl(url, file, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof file, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
     // do not assert since it comes from the appstore
-    if (typeof url !== 'string')  return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, `url cannot be download to ${file} as it is not a string`));
+    if (typeof url !== 'string')  return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, `url cannot be download to ${file} as it is not a string`));
 
     let retryCount = 0;
 
@@ -77,7 +49,7 @@ function downloadUrl(url, file, callback) {
         debug(`downloadUrl: curl ${args}`);
 
         shell.spawn('downloadUrl', '/usr/bin/curl', args.split(' '), {}, function (error) {
-            if (error) return retryCallback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, `Failed to download ${url}: ${error.message}`));
+            if (error) return retryCallback(new BoxError(BoxError.NETWORK_ERROR, `Failed to download ${url}: ${error.message}`));
 
             debug(`downloadUrl: downloadUrl ${url} to ${file}`);
 
@@ -92,13 +64,13 @@ function gpgVerify(file, sig, callback) {
     debug(`gpgVerify: ${cmd}`);
 
     child_process.exec(cmd, { encoding: 'utf8' }, function (error, stdout, stderr) {
-        if (error) return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.NOT_SIGNED, `The signature in ${path.basename(sig)} could not verified`));
+        if (error) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.NOT_SIGNED, `The signature in ${path.basename(sig)} could not verified`));
 
         if (stdout.indexOf('[GNUPG:] VALIDSIG 0EADB19CDDA23CD0FE71E3470A372F8703C493CC')) return callback();
 
         debug(`gpgVerify: verification of ${sig} failed: ${stdout}\n${stderr}`);
 
-        return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.NOT_SIGNED, `The signature in ${path.basename(sig)} could not verified`));
+        return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.NOT_SIGNED, `The signature in ${path.basename(sig)} could not verified`));
     });
 }
 
@@ -108,7 +80,7 @@ function extractTarball(tarball, dir, callback) {
     debug(`extractTarball: tar ${args}`);
 
     shell.spawn('extractTarball', '/bin/tar', args.split(' '), {}, function (error) {
-        if (error) return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, `Failed to extract release package: ${error.message}`));
+        if (error) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.FS_ERROR, `Failed to extract release package: ${error.message}`));
 
         safe.fs.unlinkSync(tarball);
 
@@ -124,10 +96,10 @@ function verifyUpdateInfo(versionsFile, updateInfo, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
     var releases = safe.JSON.parse(safe.fs.readFileSync(versionsFile, 'utf8')) || { };
-    if (!releases[constants.VERSION] || !releases[constants.VERSION].next) return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, 'No version info'));
+    if (!releases[constants.VERSION] || !releases[constants.VERSION].next) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, 'No version info'));
     var nextVersion = releases[constants.VERSION].next;
-    if (typeof releases[nextVersion] !== 'object' || !releases[nextVersion]) return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, 'No next version info'));
-    if (releases[nextVersion].sourceTarballUrl !== updateInfo.sourceTarballUrl) return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, 'Version info mismatch'));
+    if (typeof releases[nextVersion] !== 'object' || !releases[nextVersion]) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, 'No next version info'));
+    if (releases[nextVersion].sourceTarballUrl !== updateInfo.sourceTarballUrl) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.EXTERNAL_ERROR, 'Version info mismatch'));
 
     callback();
 }
@@ -161,11 +133,11 @@ function checkFreeDiskSpace(neededSpace, callback) {
 
     // can probably be a bit more aggressive here since a new update can bring in new docker images
     df.file('/').then(function (diskUsage) {
-        if (diskUsage.available < neededSpace) return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.NO_SPACE, 'Not enough disk space'));
+        if (diskUsage.available < neededSpace) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.FS_ERROR, 'Not enough disk space'));
 
         callback(null);
     }).catch(function (error) {
-        callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
+        callback(new BoxError(BoxError.FS_ERROR, error));
     });
 }
 
@@ -216,12 +188,12 @@ function canUpdate(boxUpdateInfo, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
     apps.getAll(function (error, result) {
-        if (error) return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
+        if (error) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.DATABASE_ERROR, error));
 
         for (let app of result) {
             const maxBoxVersion = app.manifest.maxBoxVersion;
             if (semver.valid(maxBoxVersion) && semver.gt(boxUpdateInfo.version, maxBoxVersion)) {
-                return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.BAD_STATE, `Cannot update to v${boxUpdateInfo.version} because ${app.fqdn} has a maxBoxVersion of ${maxBoxVersion}`));
+                return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_STATE, `Cannot update to v${boxUpdateInfo.version} because ${app.fqdn} has a maxBoxVersion of ${maxBoxVersion}`));
             }
         }
 
@@ -235,17 +207,17 @@ function updateToLatest(options, auditSource, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
     var boxUpdateInfo = updateChecker.getUpdateInfo().box;
-    if (!boxUpdateInfo) return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.ALREADY_UPTODATE, 'No update available'));
-    if (!boxUpdateInfo.sourceTarballUrl) return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.BAD_STATE, 'No automatic update available'));
+    if (!boxUpdateInfo) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.NOT_FOUND, 'No update available'));
+    if (!boxUpdateInfo.sourceTarballUrl) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_STATE, 'No automatic update available'));
 
     canUpdate(boxUpdateInfo, function (error) {
         if (error) return callback(error);
 
         error = locker.lock(locker.OP_BOX_UPDATE);
-        if (error) return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.BAD_STATE, `Cannot update now: ${error.message}`));
+        if (error) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.BAD_STATE, `Cannot update now: ${error.message}`));
 
         tasks.add(tasks.TASK_UPDATE, [ boxUpdateInfo, options ], function (error, taskId) {
-            if (error) return callback(new UpdaterError(UpdaterError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
+            if (error) return callback(error);
 
             eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_UPDATE, auditSource, { taskId, boxUpdateInfo });