diff --git a/intern/cycles/device/device.h b/intern/cycles/device/device.h
index 5d6ac10dc40..5552e6ab7e2 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/device/device.h
+++ b/intern/cycles/device/device.h
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ protected:
 	Device() {}
 
 	bool background;
+	string error_msg;
 
 public:
 	virtual ~Device() {}
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ public:
 
 	/* info */
 	virtual string description() = 0;
+	const string& error_message() { return error_msg; }
 
 	/* regular memory */
 	virtual void mem_alloc(device_memory& mem, MemoryType type) = 0;
diff --git a/intern/cycles/device/device_cuda.cpp b/intern/cycles/device/device_cuda.cpp
index 1158cc6c77c..e32cbfcc8a7 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/device/device_cuda.cpp
+++ b/intern/cycles/device/device_cuda.cpp
@@ -122,7 +122,10 @@ public:
 		CUresult result = stmt; \
 		\
 		if(result != CUDA_SUCCESS) { \
-			fprintf(stderr, "CUDA error: %s in %s\n", cuda_error_string(result), #stmt); \
+			string message = string_printf("CUDA error: %s in %s", cuda_error_string(result), #stmt); \
+			if(error_msg == "") \
+				error_msg = message; \
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", message.c_str()); \
 			cuda_abort(); \
 		} \
 	}
@@ -132,10 +135,20 @@ public:
 		if(result == CUDA_SUCCESS)
 			return false;
 
-		fprintf(stderr, "CUDA error: %s\n", cuda_error_string(result));
+		string message = string_printf("CUDA error: %s", cuda_error_string(result));
+		if(error_msg == "")
+			error_msg = message;
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", message.c_str());
 		return true;
 	}
 
+	void cuda_error(const string& message)
+	{
+		if(error_msg == "")
+			error_msg = message;
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", message.c_str());
+	}
+
 	void cuda_push_context()
 	{
 		cuda_assert(cuCtxSetCurrent(cuContext))
@@ -224,14 +237,14 @@ public:
 			return cubin;
 
 #ifdef WITH_CUDA_BINARIES
-		fprintf(stderr, "CUDA binary kernel for this graphics card not found.\n");
+		cuda_error("CUDA binary kernel for this graphics card not found.");
 		return "";
 #else
 		/* if not, find CUDA compiler */
 		string nvcc = cuCompilerPath();
 
 		if(nvcc == "") {
-			fprintf(stderr, "CUDA nvcc compiler not found. Install CUDA toolkit in default location.\n");
+			cuda_error("CUDA nvcc compiler not found. Install CUDA toolkit in default location.");
 			return "";
 		}
 
@@ -251,13 +264,13 @@ public:
 			nvcc.c_str(), major, minor, machine, kernel.c_str(), cubin.c_str(), maxreg, include.c_str());
 
 		if(system(command.c_str()) == -1) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "Failed to execute compilation command.\n");
+			cuda_error("Failed to execute compilation command, see console for details.");
 			return "";
 		}
 
 		/* verify if compilation succeeded */
 		if(!path_exists(cubin)) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "CUDA kernel compilation failed.\n");
+			cuda_error("CUDA kernel compilation failed, see console for details.");
 			return "";
 		}
 
@@ -284,7 +297,7 @@ public:
 
 		CUresult result = cuModuleLoad(&cuModule, cubin.c_str());
 		if(cuda_error(result))
-			fprintf(stderr, "Failed loading CUDA kernel %s.\n", cubin.c_str());
+			cuda_error(string_printf("Failed loading CUDA kernel %s.", cubin.c_str()));
 
 		cuda_pop_context();
 
diff --git a/intern/cycles/device/device_opencl.cpp b/intern/cycles/device/device_opencl.cpp
index e0b4f67da05..d783ae6c174 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/device/device_opencl.cpp
+++ b/intern/cycles/device/device_opencl.cpp
@@ -109,17 +109,30 @@ public:
 	bool opencl_error(cl_int err)
 	{
 		if(err != CL_SUCCESS) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "OpenCL error (%d): %s\n", err, opencl_error_string(err));
+			string message = string_printf("OpenCL error (%d): %s", err, opencl_error_string(err));
+			if(error_msg == "")
+				error_msg = message;
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", message.c_str());
 			return true;
 		}
 
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	void opencl_error(const string& message)
+	{
+		if(error_msg == "")
+			error_msg = message;
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", message.c_str());
+	}
+
 	void opencl_assert(cl_int err)
 	{
 		if(err != CL_SUCCESS) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "OpenCL error (%d): %s\n", err, opencl_error_string(err));
+			string message = string_printf("OpenCL error (%d): %s", err, opencl_error_string(err));
+			if(error_msg == "")
+				error_msg = message;
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", message.c_str());
 #ifndef NDEBUG
 			abort();
 #endif
@@ -147,7 +160,7 @@ public:
 			return;
 
 		if(num_platforms == 0) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "OpenCL: no platforms found.\n");
+			opencl_error("OpenCL: no platforms found.");
 			return;
 		}
 
@@ -183,24 +196,24 @@ public:
 		clGetPlatformInfo(cpPlatform, CL_PLATFORM_VERSION, sizeof(version), &version, NULL);
 
 		if(sscanf(version, "OpenCL %d.%d", &major, &minor) < 2) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "OpenCL: failed to parse platform version string (%s).", version);
+			opencl_error(string_printf("OpenCL: failed to parse platform version string (%s).", version));
 			return false;
 		}
 
 		if(!((major == req_major && minor >= req_minor) || (major > req_major))) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "OpenCL: platform version 1.1 or later required, found %d.%d\n", major, minor);
+			opencl_error(string_printf("OpenCL: platform version 1.1 or later required, found %d.%d", major, minor));
 			return false;
 		}
 
 		clGetDeviceInfo(cdDevice, CL_DEVICE_OPENCL_C_VERSION, sizeof(version), &version, NULL);
 
 		if(sscanf(version, "OpenCL C %d.%d", &major, &minor) < 2) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "OpenCL: failed to parse OpenCL C version string (%s).", version);
+			opencl_error(string_printf("OpenCL: failed to parse OpenCL C version string (%s).", version));
 			return false;
 		}
 
 		if(!((major == req_major && minor >= req_minor) || (major > req_major))) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "OpenCL: C version 1.1 or later required, found %d.%d\n", major, minor);
+			opencl_error(string_printf("OpenCL: C version 1.1 or later required, found %d.%d", major, minor));
 			return false;
 		}
 
@@ -216,7 +229,7 @@ public:
 		vector<uint8_t> binary;
 
 		if(!path_read_binary(clbin, binary)) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "OpenCL failed to read cached binary %s.\n", clbin.c_str());
+			opencl_error(string_printf("OpenCL failed to read cached binary %s.", clbin.c_str()));
 			return false;
 		}
 
@@ -229,7 +242,7 @@ public:
 			&size, &bytes, &status, &ciErr);
 
 		if(opencl_error(status) || opencl_error(ciErr)) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "OpenCL failed create program from cached binary %s.\n", clbin.c_str());
+			opencl_error(string_printf("OpenCL failed create program from cached binary %s.", clbin.c_str()));
 			return false;
 		}
 
@@ -253,7 +266,7 @@ public:
 		clGetProgramInfo(cpProgram, CL_PROGRAM_BINARIES, sizeof(uint8_t*), &bytes, NULL);
 
 		if(!path_write_binary(clbin, binary)) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "OpenCL failed to write cached binary %s.\n", clbin.c_str());
+			opencl_error(string_printf("OpenCL failed to write cached binary %s.", clbin.c_str()));
 			return false;
 		}
 
@@ -293,7 +306,8 @@ public:
 			clGetProgramBuildInfo(cpProgram, cdDevice, CL_PROGRAM_BUILD_LOG, ret_val_size, build_log, NULL);
 
 			build_log[ret_val_size] = '\0';
-			fprintf(stderr, "OpenCL build failed:\n %s\n", build_log);
+			opencl_error("OpenCL build failed: errors in console");
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", build_log);
 
 			delete[] build_log;
 
diff --git a/intern/cycles/render/session.cpp b/intern/cycles/render/session.cpp
index 2deb83674cc..73ac033623d 100644
--- a/intern/cycles/render/session.cpp
+++ b/intern/cycles/render/session.cpp
@@ -203,6 +203,10 @@ void Session::run_gpu()
 		if(!no_tiles) {
 			/* update scene */
 			update_scene();
+
+			if(device->error_message() != "")
+				progress.set_cancel(device->error_message());
+
 			if(progress.get_cancel())
 				break;
 		}
@@ -222,6 +226,9 @@ void Session::run_gpu()
 
 				device->task_wait();
 
+				if(device->error_message() != "")
+					progress.set_cancel(device->error_message());
+
 				if(progress.get_cancel())
 					break;
 			}
@@ -243,6 +250,9 @@ void Session::run_gpu()
 				}
 			}
 
+			if(device->error_message() != "")
+				progress.set_cancel(device->error_message());
+
 			if(progress.get_cancel())
 				break;
 		}
@@ -345,6 +355,10 @@ void Session::run_cpu()
 
 			/* update scene */
 			update_scene();
+
+			if(device->error_message() != "")
+				progress.set_cancel(device->error_message());
+
 			if(progress.get_cancel())
 				break;
 
@@ -360,6 +374,9 @@ void Session::run_cpu()
 
 			if(!params.background)
 				need_tonemap = true;
+
+			if(device->error_message() != "")
+				progress.set_cancel(device->error_message());
 		}
 
 		device->task_wait();
@@ -379,6 +396,9 @@ void Session::run_cpu()
 				   want to show the result of an incomplete sample*/
 				tonemap();
 			}
+
+			if(device->error_message() != "")
+				progress.set_cancel(device->error_message());
 		}
 
 		progress.set_update();
@@ -391,7 +411,11 @@ void Session::run()
 	progress.set_status("Loading render kernels (may take a few minutes the first time)");
 
 	if(!device->load_kernels()) {
-		progress.set_status("Failed loading render kernel, see console for errors");
+		string message = device->error_message();
+		if(message == "")
+			message = "Failed loading render kernel, see console for errors";
+
+		progress.set_status("Error", message);
 		progress.set_update();
 		return;
 	}
@@ -409,7 +433,7 @@ void Session::run()
 
 	/* progress update */
 	if(progress.get_cancel())
-		progress.set_status(progress.get_cancel_message());
+		progress.set_status("Cancel", progress.get_cancel_message());
 	else
 		progress.set_update();
 }