diff --git a/src/BaseCommand.js b/src/BaseCommand.js
index f514d7ef..e34f66c3 100644
--- a/src/BaseCommand.js
+++ b/src/BaseCommand.js
@@ -29,15 +29,21 @@ const {
 class BaseCommand extends Command {
   // default error handler for app commands
   async catch (error) {
+    const { flags } = this.parse(this.prototype)
     aioLogger.error(error) // debug log
-    this.handleError(error)
+    this.handleError(error, flags.verbose)
   }
 
-  handleError (error) {
+  handleError (error, verbose) {
     const errorMessages = ['no such file or directory', 'find configuration']
+
     if (errorMessages.find(msg => error.message.includes(msg))) {
-      this.error(`Not a valid application root folder.
-Please run 'aio app' commands from a folder generated by aio app init`)
+      const errorList = [
+        'Not a valid application root folder.',
+        'Please run \'aio app\' commands from a folder generated by aio app init',
+        verbose ? error.stack : error.message
+      ]
+      this.error(errorList.join('\n'))
     }
     this.error(error.message)
   }
diff --git a/test/BaseCommand.test.js b/test/BaseCommand.test.js
index 6b35fcb1..5ccf36e2 100644
--- a/test/BaseCommand.test.js
+++ b/test/BaseCommand.test.js
@@ -241,8 +241,13 @@ test('will change error message when aio app outside of the application root', a
   const cmd = new TheCommand([])
   cmd.error = jest.fn()
   await cmd.catch(new Error('ENOENT: no such file or directory, open \'package.json\''))
-  expect(cmd.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith(`Not a valid application root folder.
-Please run 'aio app' commands from a folder generated by aio app init`)
+
+  const errorList = [
+    'Not a valid application root folder.',
+    'Please run \'aio app\' commands from a folder generated by aio app init',
+    'ENOENT: no such file or directory, open \'package.json\''
+  ]
+  expect(cmd.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith(errorList.join('\n'))
 })
 
 test('pjson', async () => {