diff --git a/src/api/json.ts b/src/api/json.ts
index 5e675daff..c11327cce 100644
--- a/src/api/json.ts
+++ b/src/api/json.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 import type { Response } from "express";
 
-export function respondWithError(res: Response, code: number, message: string) {
+export function respondWithError(
+  res: Response,
+  code: number,
+  message: string,
+  logError?: unknown,
+) {
+  if (logError) {
+    console.log(errStringFromError(logError));
+  }
+
   respondWithJSON(res, code, { error: message });
 }
 
@@ -13,3 +22,16 @@ export function respondWithJSON(res: Response, code: number, payload: unknown) {
   res.status(code).send(body);
   res.end();
 }
+
+function errStringFromError(err: unknown): string {
+  if (typeof err === "string") {
+    return err;
+  }
+  if (err instanceof Error) {
+    return err.message;
+  }
+  if (err) {
+    return String(err);
+  }
+  return "An unknown error occurred";
+}
diff --git a/src/api/middleware.ts b/src/api/middleware.ts
index f75f2974d..0d6d0d221 100644
--- a/src/api/middleware.ts
+++ b/src/api/middleware.ts
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ export function middlewareAuth(
       }
 
       handler(req, res, user);
-    } catch {
-      respondWithError(res, 500, "Couldn't authenticate user");
+    } catch (err) {
+      respondWithError(res, 500, "Couldn't authenticate user", err);
     }
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/api/notes.ts b/src/api/notes.ts
index cb50f0f32..2191cdd0c 100644
--- a/src/api/notes.ts
+++ b/src/api/notes.ts
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ export async function handlerNotesGet(req: Request, res: Response, user: User) {
   try {
     const posts = await getNotesForUser(user.id);
     respondWithJSON(res, 200, posts);
-  } catch {
-    respondWithError(res, 500, "Couldn't retrieve notes");
+  } catch (err) {
+    respondWithError(res, 500, "Couldn't retrieve notes", err);
   }
 }
 
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export async function handlerNotesCreate(
 
     const createdNote = await getNote(noteId);
     respondWithJSON(res, 201, createdNote);
-  } catch {
-    respondWithError(res, 500, "Couldn't create note");
+  } catch (err) {
+    respondWithError(res, 500, "Couldn't create note", err);
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/api/users.ts b/src/api/users.ts
index 8cb4806ed..f10cf55c6 100644
--- a/src/api/users.ts
+++ b/src/api/users.ts
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ export async function handlerUsersCreate(req: Request, res: Response) {
     } else {
       respondWithError(res, 500, "Couldn't retrieve user");
     }
-  } catch {
-    respondWithError(res, 500, "Couldn't create user");
+  } catch (err) {
+    respondWithError(res, 500, "Couldn't create user", err);
   }
 }