diff --git a/src/server_events.c b/src/server_events.c
index 051ce1a3..3d640fa1 100644
--- a/src/server_events.c
+++ b/src/server_events.c
@@ -62,6 +62,18 @@ handle_recipient_not_found(const char * const recipient, const char * const err_
     }
 }
 
+void
+handle_recipient_error(const char * const recipient, const char * const err_msg)
+{
+    ui_handle_recipient_error(recipient, err_msg);
+}
+
+void
+handle_error(const char * const err_msg)
+{
+    ui_handle_error(err_msg);
+}
+
 void
 handle_login_account_success(char *account_name)
 {
diff --git a/src/server_events.h b/src/server_events.h
index 794d96dc..ab2e29fd 100644
--- a/src/server_events.h
+++ b/src/server_events.h
@@ -76,5 +76,7 @@ void handle_roster_remove(const char * const barejid);
 void handle_roster_add(const char * const barejid, const char * const name);
 void handle_autoping_cancel(void);
 void handle_recipient_not_found(const char * const recipient, const char * const err_msg);
+void handle_recipient_error(const char * const recipient, const char * const err_msg);
+void handle_error(const char * const err_msg);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/ui/core.c b/src/ui/core.c
index 54236cfb..b364d49d 100644
--- a/src/ui/core.c
+++ b/src/ui/core.c
@@ -390,6 +390,39 @@ _ui_handle_recipient_not_found(const char * const recipient, const char * const
     g_string_free(msg, TRUE);
 }
 
+static void
+_ui_handle_recipient_error(const char * const recipient, const char * const err_msg)
+{
+    ProfWin *win = wins_get_by_recipient(recipient);
+    GString *msg = g_string_new("");
+    g_string_printf(msg, "Error from %s: %s", recipient, err_msg);
+
+    // always show in console
+    cons_show_error(msg->str);
+
+    // show in window if exists for recipient
+    if (win != NULL)  {
+        win_print_line(win, '!', COLOUR_ERROR, msg->str);
+    }
+
+    wins_refresh_current();
+
+    g_string_free(msg, TRUE);
+}
+
+static void
+_ui_handle_error(const char * const err_msg)
+{
+    GString *msg = g_string_new("");
+    g_string_printf(msg, "Error %s", err_msg);
+
+    cons_show_error(msg->str);
+
+    wins_refresh_current();
+
+    g_string_free(msg, TRUE);
+}
+
 static void
 _ui_disconnected(void)
 {
@@ -1757,4 +1790,6 @@ ui_init_module(void)
     ui_chat_win_contact_online = _ui_chat_win_contact_online;
     ui_chat_win_contact_offline = _ui_chat_win_contact_offline;
     ui_handle_recipient_not_found = _ui_handle_recipient_not_found;
+    ui_handle_recipient_error = _ui_handle_recipient_error;
+    ui_handle_error = _ui_handle_error;
 }
diff --git a/src/ui/ui.h b/src/ui/ui.h
index cd72e6fa..0dfe6c99 100644
--- a/src/ui/ui.h
+++ b/src/ui/ui.h
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ void (*ui_group_removed)(const char * const contact, const char * const group);
 void (*ui_chat_win_contact_online)(PContact contact, Resource *resource, GDateTime *last_activity);
 void (*ui_chat_win_contact_offline)(PContact contact, char *resource, char *status);
 void (*ui_handle_recipient_not_found)(const char * const recipient, const char * const err_msg);
+void (*ui_handle_recipient_error)(const char * const recipient, const char * const err_msg);
+void (*ui_handle_error)(const char * const err_msg);
 
 // contact status functions
 void (*ui_status_room)(const char * const contact);
diff --git a/src/xmpp/connection.c b/src/xmpp/connection.c
index b7ffe410..e4239ff1 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/connection.c
+++ b/src/xmpp/connection.c
@@ -326,49 +326,6 @@ _connection_free_session_data(void)
     presence_clear_sub_requests();
 }
 
-int
-connection_error_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn, xmpp_stanza_t * const stanza,
-    void * const userdata)
-{
-    xmpp_ctx_t *ctx = connection_get_ctx();
-    gchar *err_msg = NULL;
-    gchar *from = xmpp_stanza_get_attribute(stanza, STANZA_ATTR_FROM);
-    xmpp_stanza_t *error_stanza = xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_name(stanza, STANZA_NAME_ERROR);
-    xmpp_stanza_t *text_stanza = xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_name(error_stanza, STANZA_NAME_TEXT);
-
-    if (error_stanza == NULL) {
-        log_debug("error message without <error/> received");
-    } else {
-
-        // check for text
-        if (text_stanza != NULL) {
-            err_msg = xmpp_stanza_get_text(text_stanza);
-            if (err_msg != NULL) {
-                handle_error_message(from, err_msg);
-                xmpp_free(ctx, err_msg);
-            }
-
-            // TODO : process 'type' attribute from <error/> [RFC6120, 8.3.2]
-
-        // otherwise show defined-condition
-        } else {
-            xmpp_stanza_t *err_cond = xmpp_stanza_get_children(error_stanza);
-
-            if (err_cond == NULL) {
-                log_debug("error message without <defined-condition/> or <text/> received");
-
-            } else {
-                err_msg = xmpp_stanza_get_name(err_cond);
-                handle_error_message(from, err_msg);
-
-                // TODO : process 'type' attribute from <error/> [RFC6120, 8.3.2]
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    return 1;
-}
-
 static jabber_conn_status_t
 _jabber_connect(const char * const fulljid, const char * const passwd,
     const char * const altdomain, int port)
diff --git a/src/xmpp/connection.h b/src/xmpp/connection.h
index f11bc8c8..bf7d145e 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/connection.h
+++ b/src/xmpp/connection.h
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@
 
 xmpp_conn_t *connection_get_conn(void);
 xmpp_ctx_t *connection_get_ctx(void);
-int connection_error_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn,
-    xmpp_stanza_t * const stanza, void * const userdata);
 void connection_set_priority(int priority);
 void connection_set_presence_message(const char * const message);
 void connection_add_available_resource(Resource *resource);
diff --git a/src/xmpp/message.c b/src/xmpp/message.c
index 236999b9..6f340b2d 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/message.c
+++ b/src/xmpp/message.c
@@ -193,9 +193,10 @@ static int
 _message_error_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn, xmpp_stanza_t * const stanza,
     void * const userdata)
 {
-    // log message, function never returns NULL
     char *id = xmpp_stanza_get_id(stanza);
     char *from = xmpp_stanza_get_attribute(stanza, STANZA_ATTR_FROM);
+
+    // stanza_get_error never returns NULL
     char *err_msg = stanza_get_error_message(stanza);
 
     GString *log_msg = g_string_new("Error receievd");
@@ -211,7 +212,7 @@ _message_error_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn, xmpp_stanza_t * const stanza,
     }
     g_string_append(log_msg, ", error: ");
     g_string_append(log_msg, err_msg);
-    
+
     log_info(log_msg->str);
 
     g_string_free(log_msg, TRUE);
@@ -222,10 +223,17 @@ _message_error_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn, xmpp_stanza_t * const stanza,
         type = xmpp_stanza_get_attribute(error_stanza, STANZA_ATTR_TYPE);
     }
 
-    // handle recipient not found
+    // handle recipient not found ('from' contains a value and type is 'cancel')
     if ((from != NULL) && ((type != NULL && (strcmp(type, "cancel") == 0)))) {
-        char *cpy = strdup(from);
-        handle_recipient_not_found(cpy, err_msg);
+        handle_recipient_not_found(from, err_msg);
+
+    // handle any other error from recipient
+    } else if (from != NULL) {
+        handle_recipient_error(from, err_msg);
+
+    // handle errors from no recipient
+    } else {
+        handle_error(err_msg);
     }
 
     return 1;
diff --git a/src/xmpp/presence.c b/src/xmpp/presence.c
index 9b11c898..f61d605d 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/presence.c
+++ b/src/xmpp/presence.c
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ static int _available_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn,
     xmpp_stanza_t * const stanza, void * const userdata);
 static int _muc_user_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn,
     xmpp_stanza_t * const stanza, void * const userdata);
+static int _presence_error_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn,
+    xmpp_stanza_t * const stanza, void * const userdata);
 
 static char* _get_caps_key(xmpp_stanza_t * const stanza);
 static void _send_room_presence(xmpp_conn_t *conn, xmpp_stanza_t *presence);
@@ -72,7 +74,7 @@ presence_add_handlers(void)
     xmpp_conn_t * const conn = connection_get_conn();
     xmpp_ctx_t * const ctx = connection_get_ctx();
 
-    HANDLE(NULL,               STANZA_TYPE_ERROR,        connection_error_handler);
+    HANDLE(NULL,               STANZA_TYPE_ERROR,        _presence_error_handler);
     HANDLE(STANZA_NS_MUC_USER, NULL,                     _muc_user_handler);
     HANDLE(NULL,               STANZA_TYPE_UNAVAILABLE,  _unavailable_handler);
     HANDLE(NULL,               STANZA_TYPE_SUBSCRIBE,    _subscribe_handler);
@@ -329,6 +331,50 @@ _presence_leave_chat_room(const char * const room_jid)
     }
 }
 
+static int
+_presence_error_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn, xmpp_stanza_t * const stanza,
+    void * const userdata)
+{
+    xmpp_ctx_t *ctx = connection_get_ctx();
+    gchar *err_msg = NULL;
+    gchar *from = xmpp_stanza_get_attribute(stanza, STANZA_ATTR_FROM);
+    xmpp_stanza_t *error_stanza = xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_name(stanza, STANZA_NAME_ERROR);
+    xmpp_stanza_t *text_stanza = xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_name(error_stanza, STANZA_NAME_TEXT);
+
+    if (error_stanza == NULL) {
+        log_debug("error message without <error/> received");
+    } else {
+
+        // check for text
+        if (text_stanza != NULL) {
+            err_msg = xmpp_stanza_get_text(text_stanza);
+            if (err_msg != NULL) {
+                handle_error_message(from, err_msg);
+                xmpp_free(ctx, err_msg);
+            }
+
+            // TODO : process 'type' attribute from <error/> [RFC6120, 8.3.2]
+
+        // otherwise show defined-condition
+        } else {
+            xmpp_stanza_t *err_cond = xmpp_stanza_get_children(error_stanza);
+
+            if (err_cond == NULL) {
+                log_debug("error message without <defined-condition/> or <text/> received");
+
+            } else {
+                err_msg = xmpp_stanza_get_name(err_cond);
+                handle_error_message(from, err_msg);
+
+                // TODO : process 'type' attribute from <error/> [RFC6120, 8.3.2]
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 1;
+}
+
+
 static int
 _unsubscribed_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn,
     xmpp_stanza_t * const stanza, void * const userdata)