diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js b/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js
index 2aee97db72..f8a3d9e981 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomDirectory.js
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             var ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
             Modal.createDialog(ErrorDialog, {
                 title: "Failed to get public room list",
-                description: "The server may be unavailable or overloaded",
+                description: ((err && err.message) ? err.message : "The server may be unavailable or overloaded"),
             });
         });
     },
@@ -209,8 +209,8 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                     this.refreshRoomList();
                     console.error("Failed to " + step + ": " + err);
                     Modal.createDialog(ErrorDialog, {
-                        title: "Error",
-                        description: "Failed to " + step,
+                        title: "Failed to " + step,
+                        description: ((err && err.message) ? err.message : "The server may be unavailable or overloaded"),
                     });
                 });
             }
diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js b/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
index 2898de2d46..577dac9c8f 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
@@ -456,8 +456,8 @@ var RoomSubList = React.createClass({
                         var ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
                         console.error("Failed to add tag " + self.props.tagName + " to room" + err);
                         Modal.createDialog(ErrorDialog, {
-                            title: "Error",
-                            description: "Failed to add tag " + self.props.tagName + " to room",
+                            title: "Failed to add tag " + self.props.tagName + " to room",
+                            description: ((err && err.message) ? err.message : "Operation failed"),
                         });
                     });
                     break;
diff --git a/src/components/views/context_menus/RoomTileContextMenu.js b/src/components/views/context_menus/RoomTileContextMenu.js
index d981a36751..7efa68485c 100644
--- a/src/components/views/context_menus/RoomTileContextMenu.js
+++ b/src/components/views/context_menus/RoomTileContextMenu.js
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                         var ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
                         Modal.createDialog(ErrorDialog, {
                             title: "Failed to remove tag " + tagNameOff + " from room",
-                            description: err.toString()
+                            description: ((err && err.message) ? err.message : "Operation failed"),
                         });
                     });
                 }
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                         var ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
                         Modal.createDialog(ErrorDialog, {
                             title: "Failed to add tag " + tagNameOn + " to room",
-                            description: err.toString()
+                            description: ((err && err.message) ? err.message : "Operation failed"),
                         });
                     });
                 }
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             var ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
             Modal.createDialog(ErrorDialog, {
                 title: "Failed to set Direct Message status of room",
-                description: err.toString()
+                description: ((err && err.message) ? err.message : "Operation failed"),
             });
         });
     },
@@ -187,8 +187,8 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             var errCode = err.errcode || "unknown error code";
             var ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
             Modal.createDialog(ErrorDialog, {
-                title: "Error",
-                description: `Failed to forget room (${errCode})`
+                title: `Failed to forget room (${errCode})`,
+                description: ((err && err.message) ? err.message : "Operation failed"),
             });
         });
 
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/DNDRoomTile.js b/src/components/views/rooms/DNDRoomTile.js
index 2fcdb47da3..4bcf29ed9a 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/DNDRoomTile.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/DNDRoomTile.js
@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ var roomTileSource = {
                     const ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
                     console.error("Failed to set direct chat tag " + err);
                     Modal.createDialog(ErrorDialog, {
-                        title: "Error",
-                        description: "Failed to set direct chat tag",
+                        title: "Failed to set direct chat tag",
+                        description: ((err && err.message) ? err.message : "Operation failed"),
                     });
                 });
                 return;
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ var roomTileSource = {
                     var ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
                     console.error("Failed to remove tag " + prevTag + " from room: " + err);
                     Modal.createDialog(ErrorDialog, {
-                        title: "Error",
-                        description: "Failed to remove tag " + prevTag + " from room",
+                        title: "Failed to remove tag " + prevTag + " from room",
+                        description: ((err && err.message) ? err.message : "Operation failed"),
                     });
                 });
             }
@@ -137,8 +137,8 @@ var roomTileSource = {
                     var ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
                     console.error("Failed to add tag " + newTag + " to room: " + err);
                     Modal.createDialog(ErrorDialog, {
-                        title: "Error",
-                        description: "Failed to add tag " + newTag + " to room",
+                        title: "Failed to add tag " + newTag + " to room",
+                        description: ((err && err.message) ? err.message : "Operation failed"),
                     });
                 });
             }
diff --git a/src/components/views/settings/Notifications.js b/src/components/views/settings/Notifications.js
index b685c1f321..11dc79ac20 100644
--- a/src/components/views/settings/Notifications.js
+++ b/src/components/views/settings/Notifications.js
@@ -240,8 +240,8 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 var ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
                 console.error("Failed to change settings: " + error);
                 Modal.createDialog(ErrorDialog, {
-                    title: "Error",
-                    description: "Failed to change settings",
+                    title: "Failed to change settings",
+                    description: ((error && error.message) ? error.message : "Operation failed"),
                     onFinished: self._refreshFromServer
                 });
             });
@@ -310,8 +310,8 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             var ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
             console.error("Can't update user notification settings: " + error);
             Modal.createDialog(ErrorDialog, {
-                title: "Error",
-                description: "Can't update user notification settings",
+                title: "Can't update user notification settings",
+                description: ((error && error.message) ? error.message : "Operation failed"),
                 onFinished: self._refreshFromServer
             });
         });
@@ -352,8 +352,8 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             var ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
             console.error("Failed to update keywords: " + error);
             Modal.createDialog(ErrorDialog, {
-                title: "Error",
-                description: "Failed to update keywords",
+                title: "Failed to update keywords",
+                description: ((error && error.message) ? error.message : "Operation failed"),
                 onFinished: self._refreshFromServer
             });
         }