diff --git a/api/src/opentrons/api/session.py b/api/src/opentrons/api/session.py
index bc3c6ea9f49..d5f2dcb9f8c 100755
--- a/api/src/opentrons/api/session.py
+++ b/api/src/opentrons/api/session.py
@@ -456,6 +456,7 @@ def _snapshot(self):
             payload = {
                 'state': self.state,
                 'startTime': self.startTime,
+                'errors': self.errors,
                 'lastCommand': last_command
             }
         return {
diff --git a/app/src/components/RunLog/SessionAlert.js b/app/src/components/RunLog/SessionAlert.js
index b849dd76d1c..3be24ec3fd3 100644
--- a/app/src/components/RunLog/SessionAlert.js
+++ b/app/src/components/RunLog/SessionAlert.js
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 // @flow
 import * as React from 'react'
+import { useSelector } from 'react-redux'
 import { AlertItem } from '@opentrons/components'
+import { getSessionError } from '../../robot/selectors'
 import type { SessionStatus } from '../../robot'
 
 type Props = {
@@ -11,6 +13,7 @@ type Props = {
 
 export default function SessionAlert(props: Props) {
   const { sessionStatus, className, onResetClick } = props
+  const sessionError = useSelector(getSessionError)
 
   switch (sessionStatus) {
     case 'finished':
@@ -63,7 +66,9 @@ export default function SessionAlert(props: Props) {
               resolving this issue.
             </p>
           }
-        />
+        >
+          {sessionError !== null && <p>{sessionError}</p>}
+        </AlertItem>
       )
 
     default:
diff --git a/app/src/robot/api-client/client.js b/app/src/robot/api-client/client.js
index a390347249a..fb1219c230d 100755
--- a/app/src/robot/api-client/client.js
+++ b/app/src/robot/api-client/client.js
@@ -409,6 +409,15 @@ export default function client(dispatch) {
       clearRunTimerInterval()
     }
 
+    // both light and full updates may have the errors list
+    if (apiSession.errors) {
+      update.errors = apiSession.errors.map(e => ({
+        timestamp: e.timestamp,
+        message: e.error.message,
+        line: e.error.line,
+      }))
+    }
+
     // if lastCommand key is present, we're dealing with a light update
     if ('lastCommand' in apiSession) {
       const lastCommand = apiSession.lastCommand && {
diff --git a/app/src/robot/reducer/session.js b/app/src/robot/reducer/session.js
index 10e17593603..c4fafa67dd7 100644
--- a/app/src/robot/reducer/session.js
+++ b/app/src/robot/reducer/session.js
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ type Request = {
 export type SessionState = {
   sessionRequest: Request,
   state: SessionStatus,
-  errors: Array<{}>,
+  errors: Array<{|
+    timestamp: number,
+    line: number,
+    message: string,
+  |}>,
   // TODO(mc, 2018-01-11): command IDs should be strings
   protocolCommands: Array<number>,
   protocolCommandsById: {
diff --git a/app/src/robot/selectors.js b/app/src/robot/selectors.js
index cc8d2ca20ba..ae4d16a3c9c 100644
--- a/app/src/robot/selectors.js
+++ b/app/src/robot/selectors.js
@@ -172,6 +172,16 @@ export const getRunProgress = createSelector(
   }
 )
 
+export const getSessionError: State => string | null = createSelector(
+  (state: State) => session(state).runRequest.error,
+  (state: State) => session(state).errors,
+  (runError, sessionErrors) => {
+    if (runError) return runError.message
+    if (sessionErrors.length > 0) return sessionErrors[0].message
+    return null
+  }
+)
+
 export function getStartTime(state: State): number | null {
   const { startTime, remoteTimeCompensation } = session(state)