diff --git a/public/language/en_GB/error.json b/public/language/en_GB/error.json
index 2b9a0aec46..75d43fce3f 100644
--- a/public/language/en_GB/error.json
+++ b/public/language/en_GB/error.json
@@ -75,5 +75,7 @@
 
 	"cant-chat-with-yourself": "You can't chat with yourself!",
 
-	"not-enough-reputation-to-downvote": "You do not have enough reputation to downvote this post"
+	"not-enough-reputation-to-downvote": "You do not have enough reputation to downvote this post",
+
+	"reload-failed": "NodeBB encountered a problem while reloading: \"%1\". NodeBB will continue to serve the existing client-side assets, although you should undo what you did just prior to reloading."
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/public/src/forum/admin/index.js b/public/src/forum/admin/index.js
index 031cfb0049..e45c661628 100644
--- a/public/src/forum/admin/index.js
+++ b/public/src/forum/admin/index.js
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ define('forum/admin/index', function() {
 						alert_id: 'instance_reload',
 						type: 'danger',
 						title: '[[global:alert.error]]',
-						message: err.message
+						message: '[[error:reload-failed, ' + err.message + ']]'
 					});
 				}
 			});
diff --git a/src/meta.js b/src/meta.js
index 137a4b238f..8ac432e4ad 100644
--- a/src/meta.js
+++ b/src/meta.js
@@ -38,11 +38,9 @@ var async = require('async'),
 			], function(err) {
 				if (!err) {
 					emitter.emit('nodebb:ready');
-					callback.apply(null, arguments);
-				} else {
-					console.log('failed!');
-					emitter.emit('nodebb:reload.failed');
 				}
+
+				callback.apply(null, arguments);
 			});
 		});
 	};
diff --git a/src/meta/js.js b/src/meta/js.js
index 14e3112f19..e4d361c74f 100644
--- a/src/meta/js.js
+++ b/src/meta/js.js
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ module.exports = function(Meta) {
 				winston.error('[meta/js] Could not compile client-side scripts! ' + message.payload.message);
 				minifier.kill();
 				if (typeof callback === 'function') {
-					callback(err);
+					callback(new Error(message.payload.message));
 				} else {
 					process.exit(0);
 				}