diff --git a/js/js-resources.gresource.xml b/js/js-resources.gresource.xml
index 5351390a8..f6b8b7e78 100644
--- a/js/js-resources.gresource.xml
+++ b/js/js-resources.gresource.xml
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
     <file>misc/dateUtils.js</file>
     <file>misc/dbusUtils.js</file>
     <file>misc/dependencies.js</file>
+    <file>misc/errorUtils.js</file>
     <file>misc/extensionUtils.js</file>
     <file>misc/fileUtils.js</file>
     <file>misc/gnomeSession.js</file>
diff --git a/js/misc/errorUtils.js b/js/misc/errorUtils.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c2bc1c794
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/misc/errorUtils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+// Common code for displaying errors to the user in various dialogs
+
+function formatSyntaxErrorLocation(error) {
+    const {fileName = '<unknown>', lineNumber = 0, columnNumber = 0} = error;
+    return ` @ ${fileName}:${lineNumber}:${columnNumber}`;
+}
+
+function formatExceptionStack(error) {
+    const {stack} = error;
+    if (!stack)
+        return '\n\n(No stack trace)';
+
+    const indentedStack = stack.split('\n').map(line => `  ${line}`).join('\n');
+    return `\n\nStack trace:\n${indentedStack}`;
+}
+
+function formatExceptionWithCause(error, seenCauses) {
+    let fmt = formatExceptionStack(error);
+
+    const {cause} = error;
+    if (!cause)
+        return fmt;
+
+    fmt += `\nCaused by: ${cause}`;
+
+    if (cause !== null && typeof cause === 'object') {
+        if (seenCauses.has(cause))
+            return fmt;  // avoid recursion
+        seenCauses.add(cause);
+
+        fmt += formatExceptionWithCause(cause, seenCauses);
+    }
+
+    return fmt;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Formats a thrown exception into a string, including the stack, taking the
+ * location where a SyntaxError was thrown into account.
+ *
+ * @param {Error} error The error to format
+ * @returns {string} The formatted string
+ */
+export function formatError(error) {
+    try {
+        let fmt = `${error}`;
+        if (error === null || typeof error !== 'object')
+            return fmt;
+
+        if (error instanceof SyntaxError) {
+            fmt += formatSyntaxErrorLocation(error);
+            fmt += formatExceptionStack(error);
+            return fmt;
+        }
+
+        const seenCauses = new Set([error]);
+        fmt += formatExceptionWithCause(error, seenCauses);
+        return fmt;
+    } catch (e) {
+        return `(could not display error: ${e})`;
+    }
+}