diff --git a/src/js/index.js b/src/js/index.js
index f5597f846..14d047e57 100644
--- a/src/js/index.js
+++ b/src/js/index.js
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ app.config(['$routeProvider', function ($routeProvider) {
     }).otherwise({ redirectTo: '/'});
 }]);
 
-// keep in sync with appdb.js
+// keep in sync with box/src/apps.js
 var ISTATES = {
     PENDING_INSTALL: 'pending_install',
     PENDING_CLONE: 'pending_clone',
diff --git a/src/views/app.html b/src/views/app.html
index 4694290dc..8003f89ff 100644
--- a/src/views/app.html
+++ b/src/views/app.html
@@ -111,15 +111,13 @@
         <h4 class="modal-title">Repair {{ app.fqdn }}</h4>
       </div>
       <div class="modal-body">
-        <p>TBD info about error and potential solution</p>
-        <!-- show this if alternate domains may need to be disabled -->
-        <div>
+        <p>The app task {{ app.error.task.installationState }} {{ app.error.crashed ? 'crashed' : '' }}{{ app.error.stopped ? 'stopped' : '' }} . Repair will attempt to retry.</p>
+        <div ng-show="repair.optionalDomains.length">
           <p ng-repeat="alternateDomain in repair.optionalDomains">
             <label class="control-label"><input type="checkbox" ng-model="alternateDomain.enabled"> {{ alternateDomain.subdomain }}.{{ alternateDomain.domain }}</label>
           </p>
         </div>
-        <!-- show this for restore -->
-        <div>
+        <div ng-show="repair.backups.length">
           <label class="control-label">Restore from Backup:</label>
           <select class="form-control" ng-model="repair.backupId">
             <option ng-repeat="backup in repair.backups" value="{{ backup.id }}">{{ backup.creationTime | prettyDate }} - v{{ backup.version }}</option>
diff --git a/src/views/app.js b/src/views/app.js
index cbc796572..0ecc9edb4 100644
--- a/src/views/app.js
+++ b/src/views/app.js
@@ -761,23 +761,59 @@ angular.module('Application').controller('AppController', ['$scope', '$location'
 
         backupId: '',
 
+        // this prepares the repair dialog with whatever is required for repair action
         show: function () {
             $scope.repair.error = {};
             $scope.repair.busy = false;
+            $scope.repair.optionalDomains = [];
+            $scope.repair.backupId = '';
 
-            $scope.repair.optionalDomains = $scope.app.alternateDomains;
-            $scope.repair.optionalDomains.forEach(function (d) {
-                d.enabled = true;
-            });
+            var app = $scope.app;
 
-            Client.getAppBackups($scope.app.id, function (error, backups) {
-                if (error) return Client.error(error);
+            console.log(app)
 
-                $scope.repair.backups = backups;
-                $scope.repair.backupId = '';
+            // old versions may not have this set
+            if (!app.error.task) {
+                $('#repairModal').modal('show');
+            } else if (app.error.task.installationState === ISTATES.PENDING_UPDATE) {
+                $('#repairModal').modal('show');
+            } else if (app.error.task.installationState === ISTATES.PENDING_DATA_DIR_MIGRATION) {
+                $('#repairModal').modal('show');
+            } else if (app.error.task.installationState === ISTATES.PENDING_UNINSTALL) {
+                $('#repairModal').modal('show');
+            } else if (app.error.task.installationState === ISTATES.PENDING_DEBUG) {
+                $('#repairModal').modal('show');
+            } else if (app.error.task.installationState === ISTATES.PENDING_RESIZE) {
+                // memory
+                $('#repairModal').modal('show');
+            } else if (app.error.task.installationState === ISTATES.ISTATE_PENDING_RECREATE_CONTAINER) {
+                // email, mailbox
+                $('#repairModal').modal('show');
+            } else if (app.error.task.installationState === ISTATES.PENDING_LOCATION_CHANGE || app.error.task.installationState === ISTATES.PENDING_INSTALL) {
+                $scope.repair.optionalDomains = $scope.app.alternateDomains;
+                $scope.repair.optionalDomains.forEach(function (d) {
+                    d.enabled = true;
+                });
 
                 $('#repairModal').modal('show');
-            });
+            } else if (app.error.task.installationState === ISTATES.PENDING_RESTORE || app.error.task.installationState === ISTATES.PENDING_CLONE) {
+                $scope.repair.optionalDomains = $scope.app.alternateDomains;
+                $scope.repair.optionalDomains.forEach(function (d) {
+                    d.enabled = true;
+                });
+
+                Client.getAppBackups($scope.app.id, function (error, backups) {
+                    if (error) return Client.error(error);
+
+                    $scope.repair.backups = backups;
+                    $scope.repair.backupId = '';
+
+                    $('#repairModal').modal('show');
+                });
+            } else {
+                // unhandled case last resort to simply call repair
+                $('#repairModal').modal('show');
+            }
         },
 
         submit: function () {