diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 0394360e7..15bbca41a 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1547,4 +1547,5 @@
 * Block platform updates based on app manifest constraints
 * Make crash logs viewable via the dashboard
 * Fix issue where uploading of filenames with brackets and plus was not working
+* Add notification for cert renewal and backup failures
 
diff --git a/src/backups.js b/src/backups.js
index 6cbc0ff50..d5d846a55 100644
--- a/src/backups.js
+++ b/src/backups.js
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ var addons = require('./addons.js'),
     eventlog = require('./eventlog.js'),
     fs = require('fs'),
     locker = require('./locker.js'),
-    mailer = require('./mailer.js'),
     mkdirp = require('mkdirp'),
     once = require('once'),
     path = require('path'),
@@ -1018,9 +1017,9 @@ function startBackupTask(auditSource, callback) {
     task.on('finish', (error, result) => {
         locker.unlock(locker.OP_FULL_BACKUP);
 
-        if (error) mailer.backupFailed(error);
+        const errorMessage = error ? util.inspect(result, { depth: 10, showHidden: true }) : '';
 
-        eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_BACKUP_FINISH, auditSource, { errorMessage: error ? error.message : null, backupId: result });
+        eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_BACKUP_FINISH, auditSource, { errorMessage: errorMessage, backupId: result });
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/mailer.js b/src/mailer.js
index 566a068a8..7ad92ebd4 100644
--- a/src/mailer.js
+++ b/src/mailer.js
@@ -47,17 +47,6 @@ var MAIL_TEMPLATES_DIR = path.join(__dirname, 'mail_templates');
 
 var gMailQueue = [ ];
 
-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 getAdminEmails(callback) {
     users.getAllAdmins(function (error, admins) {
         if (error) return callback(error);
@@ -459,9 +448,7 @@ function sendDigest(info) {
     });
 }
 
-function backupFailed(error) {
-    var message = splatchError(error);
-
+function backupFailed(errorMessage) {
     getMailConfig(function (error, mailConfig) {
         if (error) return debug('Error getting mail details:', error);
 
@@ -469,7 +456,7 @@ function backupFailed(error) {
             from: mailConfig.notificationFrom,
             to: config.provider() === 'caas' ? 'support@cloudron.io' : mailConfig.adminEmails.join(', '),
             subject: util.format('[%s] Failed to backup', mailConfig.cloudronName),
-            text: render('backup_failed.ejs', { cloudronName: mailConfig.cloudronName, message: message, format: 'text' })
+            text: render('backup_failed.ejs', { cloudronName: mailConfig.cloudronName, message: errorMessage, format: 'text' })
         };
 
         enqueue(mailOptions);
diff --git a/src/notifications.js b/src/notifications.js
index f8c25e296..9a1332684 100644
--- a/src/notifications.js
+++ b/src/notifications.js
@@ -275,6 +275,17 @@ function certificateRenewalError(eventId, vhost, errorMessage, callback) {
     }, callback);
 }
 
+function backupFailed(eventId, errorMessage, callback) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof eventId, 'string');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof errorMessage, 'string');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
+
+    actionForAllAdmins([], function (admin, callback) {
+        mailer.backupFailed(errorMessage);
+        add(admin.id, eventId, 'Failed to backup', `Backup failed: ${errorMessage}. Will be retried in 4 hours`, callback);
+    }, callback);
+}
+
 function upsert(userId, eventId, title, message, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof userId, 'string');
     assert(typeof eventId === 'string' || eventId === null);
@@ -335,6 +346,8 @@ function onEvent(id, action, source, data, callback) {
     case eventlog.ACTION_CERTIFICATE_NEW:
         return data.errorMessage ? certificateRenewalError(id, data.domain, data.errorMessage, callback): callback();
 
+    case eventlog.ACTION_BACKUP_FINISH: return data.errorMessage ? backupFailed(id, data.errorMessage, callback) : callback();
+
     default: return callback();
     }
 }