diff --git a/lib/canbus.js b/lib/canbus.js
index 6d8ad3a..19b460c 100644
--- a/lib/canbus.js
+++ b/lib/canbus.js
@@ -53,12 +53,24 @@ function CanbusStream (options) {
   this.options = options
   this.start()
 
+  const setProviderStatus = options.app && options.app.setProviderStatus
+        ? (msg) => {
+          options.app.setProviderStatus(options.providerId, msg)
+        }
+        : () => {}
+  const setProviderError = options.app && options.app.setProviderError
+        ? (msg) => {
+          options.app.setProviderError(options.providerId, msg)
+        }
+        : () => {}
+  
   var socketcan;
 
   try {
     socketcan = require('socketcan')
   } catch ( err ) {
-    console.log('WARNING: canboatjs: unable to load native socketcan interface')
+    var msg = 'WARNING unable to load native socketcan interface'
+    console.error(msg)
   }
 
   var that = this
@@ -80,14 +92,17 @@ function CanbusStream (options) {
     hasWriter.on('close', code => {
       if ( code == 0 ) {
         debug('found socketcan-writer, starting...')
+        setProviderStatus('Starting')
         this.socketCanWriter = spawn('sh',
                                      ['-c', `socketcan-writer ${canDevice}`])
-        
+        setProviderStatus(`Connected to ${canDevice}`)
         this.socketCanWriter.stderr.on('data', function (data) {
           console.error(data.toString())
         })
         this.socketCanWriter.on('close', function (code) {
-          console.error('socketcan-writer process exited with code ' + code)
+          const msg = 'socketcan-writer process exited with code ' + code
+          setProviderError(msg)
+          console.error(msg)
           this.socketCanWriter = null
         })
         setTimeout(() => {
@@ -112,7 +127,9 @@ function CanbusStream (options) {
       this.channel.start()
       this.candevice = new CanDevice(this, options)
       this.candevice.start()
+      setProviderStatus('Connected')
     } catch (e) {
+      setProviderError(e.message)
       console.error(`unable to open canbus ${canDevice}: ${e}`)
     }
   }
diff --git a/lib/serial.js b/lib/serial.js
index 8a576ff..6895e28 100644
--- a/lib/serial.js
+++ b/lib/serial.js
@@ -90,15 +90,27 @@ SerialStream.prototype.start = function () {
       baudRate: this.options.baudrate || 115200
     })
 
+    const setProviderStatus = this.options.app && this.options.app.setProviderStatus
+          ? (msg) => {
+            this.options.app.setProviderStatus(this.options.providerId, msg)
+          }
+          : () => {}
+    const setProviderError = this.options.app && this.options.app.setProviderError
+        ? (msg) => {
+          this.options.app.setProviderError(this.options.providerId, msg)
+        }
+        : () => {}
     var that = this
     this.serial.on(
       'open',
       function () {
         try {
+          setProviderStatus('Connected')
           var buf = composeMessage(NGT_MSG_SEND, new Buffer(NGT_STARTUP_MSG), NGT_STARTUP_MSG.length)
           that.serial.write(buf)
           debug('sent startup message')
         } catch ( err ) {
+          setProviderError(err.message)
           console.error(err)
           console.error(err.stack)
         }
@@ -129,9 +141,13 @@ SerialStream.prototype.start = function () {
     }
   
     this.serial.on('error', function (x) {
+      setProviderError(x.message)
       console.log(x)
     })
-    this.serial.on('close', this.start.bind(this))
+    this.serial.on('close', () => {
+      setProviderError('Closed, reconnecting...')
+      this.start.bind(this)
+    })
   }
 }