diff --git a/api/opentrons/server/rpc.py b/api/opentrons/server/rpc.py
index ba749df277f..065463d1ea6 100755
--- a/api/opentrons/server/rpc.py
+++ b/api/opentrons/server/rpc.py
@@ -276,8 +276,11 @@ async def make_call(self, func, token):
                 line_no = 'unknown'
             finally:
                 response['$']['status'] = 'error'
-                call_result = '{0} [line {1}]: {2}'.format(
-                    e.__class__.__name__, line_no, str(e))
+                call_result = {
+                    'message': '{0} [line {1}]: {2}'.format(
+                        e.__class__.__name__, line_no, str(e)),
+                    'traceback': traceback.format_exc()
+                }
         finally:
             response['data'] = call_result
         return response
diff --git a/api/tests/opentrons/server/test_server.py b/api/tests/opentrons/server/test_server.py
index b374b21b9ec..8726c37798a 100755
--- a/api/tests/opentrons/server/test_server.py
+++ b/api/tests/opentrons/server/test_server.py
@@ -199,13 +199,16 @@ async def test_exception_on_call(session, root):
 
     await session.socket.receive_json()  # Skip ack
     res = await session.socket.receive_json()  # Get call result
-    expected = {'$': {
-                    'token': session.token,
-                    'status': 'error',
-                    'type': rpc.CALL_RESULT_MESSAGE},
-                'data': 'Exception [line unknown]: Kaboom!'}
+    expectedMeta = {
+        'token': session.token,
+        'status': 'error',
+        'type': rpc.CALL_RESULT_MESSAGE
+    }
+    expectedMessage = 'Exception [line unknown]: Kaboom!'
 
-    assert res == expected
+    assert res['$'] == expectedMeta
+    assert res['data']['message'] == expectedMessage
+    assert isinstance(res['data']['traceback'], str)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('root', [Foo(0)])
diff --git a/app/src/robot/api-client/index.js b/app/src/robot/api-client/index.js
index 41ec368d761..edd31f07055 100644
--- a/app/src/robot/api-client/index.js
+++ b/app/src/robot/api-client/index.js
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 // robot api client redux middleware
 // wraps the api client worker to handle API side effects in a different thread
 
+import createLogger from '../../logger'
 import Worker from './worker'
 
+const log = createLogger(__filename)
+
 export default function apiClientMiddleware () {
   const worker = new Worker()
 
@@ -10,7 +13,21 @@ export default function apiClientMiddleware () {
     const {getState, dispatch} = store
 
     worker.onmessage = function handleWorkerMessage (event) {
-      dispatch(event.data)
+      const action = event.data
+
+      // log error actions
+      if (action && action.payload) {
+        const error = action.error === true
+          ? action.payload
+          : action.payload.error
+
+        if (error) {
+          log.warn('Error response from robot', {action})
+          if (error.traceback) log.warn(error.traceback)
+        }
+      }
+
+      dispatch(action)
     }
 
     // initialize worker
diff --git a/app/src/rpc/client.js b/app/src/rpc/client.js
index f10e504b5c1..2c6fe075682 100644
--- a/app/src/rpc/client.js
+++ b/app/src/rpc/client.js
@@ -65,12 +65,16 @@ class RpcContext extends EventEmitter {
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       let timeout
 
-      const handleError = (reason) => {
+      const handleError = (reason, traceback) => {
         cleanup()
-        reject(new RemoteError(reason, name, args))
+        reject(new RemoteError(reason, name, args, traceback))
+      }
+
+      const handleFailure = (res) => {
+        if (typeof res === 'string') return handleError(res)
+        handleError(res.message, res.traceback)
       }
 
-      const handleFailure = (result) => handleError(result)
       const handleNack = (reason) => handleError(`Received NACK with ${reason}`)
 
       const handleAck = () => {
diff --git a/app/src/rpc/remote-error.js b/app/src/rpc/remote-error.js
index 56dd41062ff..6e89d9ae4bd 100644
--- a/app/src/rpc/remote-error.js
+++ b/app/src/rpc/remote-error.js
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 // remote call error object
 export default class RemoteError extends Error {
-  constructor (message, methodName, args) {
+  constructor (message, methodName, args, traceback) {
     super(message)
     this.name = this.constructor.name
     this.methodName = methodName
     this.args = args
+    this.traceback = traceback
   }
 }
diff --git a/app/src/rpc/test/client.test.js b/app/src/rpc/test/client.test.js
index 6afa031daa4..a2a4f322a28 100644
--- a/app/src/rpc/test/client.test.js
+++ b/app/src/rpc/test/client.test.js
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ describe('rpc client', () => {
       })
     })
 
-    test('rejects if call is unsuccessful', () => {
+    test('rejects if call is unsuccessful (string response)', () => {
       sendControlAndResolveRemote((message) => {
         const token = message.$.token
         const ack = makeAckResponse(token)
@@ -222,6 +222,23 @@ describe('rpc client', () => {
         message: expect.stringMatching(/ahhh/)
       })
     })
+
+    test('rejects if call is unsuccessful (object response)', () => {
+      sendControlAndResolveRemote((message) => {
+        const token = message.$.token
+        const ack = makeAckResponse(token)
+        const result = makeCallResponse(token, FAILURE, {message: 'ahhh'})
+        setTimeout(() => ws.send(ack), 1)
+        setTimeout(() => ws.send(result), 5)
+      })
+
+      const call = Client(url)
+        .then((client) => client.callRemote(id, name, args))
+
+      return expect(call).rejects.toMatchObject({
+        message: expect.stringMatching(/ahhh/)
+      })
+    })
   })
 
   describe('resolveTypeValues', () => {