diff --git a/public/language/en_GB/error.json b/public/language/en_GB/error.json
index b2f9a3b86b..6d64645c59 100644
--- a/public/language/en_GB/error.json
+++ b/public/language/en_GB/error.json
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 	"email-not-confirmed": "Your email has not been confirmed yet, please click here to confirm your email.",
 	"email-not-confirmed-chat": "You are unable to chat until your email is confirmed",
 	"no-email-to-confirm": "This forum requires email confirmation, please click here to enter an email",
+	"email-confirm-failed": "We could not confirm your email, please try again later.",
 
 	"username-too-short": "Username too short",
 	"username-too-long": "Username too long",
diff --git a/public/language/en_GB/notifications.json b/public/language/en_GB/notifications.json
index 96aef60183..19de8e2c28 100644
--- a/public/language/en_GB/notifications.json
+++ b/public/language/en_GB/notifications.json
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 
 	"email-confirmed": "Email Confirmed",
 	"email-confirmed-message": "Thank you for validating your email. Your account is now fully activated.",
-	"email-confirm-error": "An error occurred...",
 	"email-confirm-error-message": "There was a problem validating your email address. Perhaps the code was invalid or has expired.",
 	"email-confirm-sent": "Confirmation email sent."
 }
diff --git a/src/controllers/index.js b/src/controllers/index.js
index d8ddf81735..7f4afeb4dc 100644
--- a/src/controllers/index.js
+++ b/src/controllers/index.js
@@ -119,9 +119,10 @@ Controllers.register = function(req, res, next) {
 
 
 Controllers.confirmEmail = function(req, res, next) {
-	user.email.confirm(req.params.code, function (data) {
-		data.status = data.status === 'ok';
-		res.render('confirm', data);
+	user.email.confirm(req.params.code, function (err) {
+		res.render('confirm', {
+			error: err ? err.message : ''
+		});
 	});
 };
 
diff --git a/src/user/email.js b/src/user/email.js
index 74b86c0cfe..e7f56ed21a 100644
--- a/src/user/email.js
+++ b/src/user/email.js
@@ -87,21 +87,18 @@ var async = require('async'),
 	UserEmail.confirm = function(code, callback) {
 		db.getObject('confirm:' + code, function(err, confirmObj) {
 			if (err) {
-				return callback({
-					status:'error'
-				});
+				return callback(new Error('[[error:parse-error]]'));
 			}
 
 			if (confirmObj && confirmObj.uid && confirmObj.email) {
-				user.setUserField(confirmObj.uid, 'email:confirmed', 1, function() {
-					callback({
-						status: 'ok'
-					});
+				async.series([
+					async.apply(user.setUserField, confirmObj.uid, 'email:confirmed', 1),
+					async.apply(db.delete, 'confirm:' + code)
+				], function(err) {
+					callback(err ? new Error('[[error:email-confirm-failed]]') : null);
 				});
 			} else {
-				callback({
-					status: 'not_ok'
-				});
+				callback(new Error('[[error:invalid-data]]'));
 			}
 		});
 	};