diff --git a/js/controller/foldercontroller.js b/js/controller/foldercontroller.js
index 900d9c762d..f81770e84a 100644
--- a/js/controller/foldercontroller.js
+++ b/js/controller/foldercontroller.js
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ define(function(require) {
 	var _ = require('underscore');
 	var Radio = require('radio');
 	var FolderService = require('service/folderservice');
+	var ErrorMessageFactory = require('util/errormessagefactory');
 
 	Radio.message.on('fetch:bodies', fetchBodies);
 
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ define(function(require) {
 	 * @param {Account} account
 	 * @param {Folder} folder
 	 * @param {boolean} noSelect
+	 * @param {string} searchQuery
 	 * @returns {undefined}
 	 */
 	function loadFolderMessages(account, folder, noSelect, searchQuery) {
@@ -108,10 +110,15 @@ define(function(require) {
 			});
 
 			$.when(loadingMessages).fail(function() {
+				var icon;
+				if (folder.get('specialRole')) {
+					icon = 'icon-' + folder.get('specialRole');
+				}
+				Radio.ui.trigger('content:error', ErrorMessageFactory.getRandomFolderErrorMessage(folder), icon);
+
 				// Set the old folder as being active
-				var folder = require('state').currentFolder;
-				Radio.folder.trigger('setactive', account, folder);
-				Radio.ui.trigger('error:show', t('mail', 'Error while loading messages.'));
+				var oldFolder = require('state').currentFolder;
+				Radio.folder.trigger('setactive', account, oldFolder);
 			});
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/js/controller/messagecontroller.js b/js/controller/messagecontroller.js
index 1bc574c872..f2cff129f7 100644
--- a/js/controller/messagecontroller.js
+++ b/js/controller/messagecontroller.js
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ define(function(require) {
 	var _ = require('underscore');
 	var OC = require('OC');
 	var Radio = require('radio');
+	var ErrorMessageFactory = require('util/errormessagefactory');
 
 	Radio.message.on('load', function(account, folder, message, options) {
 		//FIXME: don't rely on global state vars
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ define(function(require) {
 			}
 		});
 		$.when(fetchingMessage).fail(function() {
-			Radio.ui.trigger('error:show', t('mail', 'Error while loading the selected message.'));
+			Radio.ui.trigger('message:error', ErrorMessageFactory.getRandomMessageErrorMessage());
 		});
 	}
 
diff --git a/js/templates/error.html b/js/templates/error.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bdb5d81972
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/templates/error.html
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<div class="">
+	{{#if icon}}<div class="{{icon}}"></div>{{/if}}
+	<h2>{{{ text }}}</h2>
+</div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/js/util/errormessagefactory.js b/js/util/errormessagefactory.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8e8738d21d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/util/errormessagefactory.js
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+/**
+ * @author Christoph Wurst <christoph@winzerhof-wurst.at>
+ *
+ * Mail
+ *
+ * This code is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License, version 3,
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License, version 3,
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>
+ *
+ */
+
+define(function(require) {
+	'use strict';
+
+	var smileys = [
+		':-(',
+		':-/',
+		':-\\',
+		':-|',
+		':\'-(',
+		':\'-/',
+		':\'-\\',
+		':\'-|'
+	];
+
+	function getRandomSmiley() {
+		return smileys[Math.floor(Math.random() * smileys.length)]
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @param {Folder} folder
+	 * @returns {string}
+	 */
+	function getRandomFolderErrorMessage(folder) {
+		var folderName = folder.get('name');
+		var rawTexts = [
+			t('mail', 'Could not load {tag}{name}{endtag}', {
+				name: folderName
+			}),
+			t('mail', 'We couldn’t load {tag}{name}{endtag}', {
+				name: folderName
+			}),
+			t('mail', 'There was a problem loading {tag}{name}{endtag}', {
+				name: folderName
+			})
+		];
+		var texts = _.map(rawTexts, function(text) {
+			return text.replace('{tag}', '<strong>').replace('{endtag}', '</strong>');
+		});
+		var text = texts[Math.floor(Math.random() * texts.length)]
+		return text + ' ' + getRandomSmiley();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @returns {string}
+	 */
+	function getRandomMessageErrorMessage() {
+		var rawTexts = [
+			t('mail', 'We couldn’t load your message'),
+			t('mail', 'Unable to load the desired message'),
+			t('mail', 'There was a problem loading the message')
+		];
+		var texts = _.map(rawTexts, function(text) {
+			return text.replace('{tag}', '<strong>').replace('{endtag}', '</strong>');
+		});
+		var text = texts[Math.floor(Math.random() * texts.length)]
+		return text + ' ' + getRandomSmiley();
+	}
+
+	return {
+		getRandomFolderErrorMessage: getRandomFolderErrorMessage,
+		getRandomMessageErrorMessage: getRandomMessageErrorMessage
+	};
+});
diff --git a/js/views/appview.js b/js/views/appview.js
index 16827b9564..3e964fab34 100644
--- a/js/views/appview.js
+++ b/js/views/appview.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ define(function(require) {
 	var FolderContentView = require('views/foldercontent');
 	var NavigationAccountsView = require('views/navigation-accounts');
 	var SettingsView = require('views/settings');
+	var ErrorView = require('views/errorview');
 	var LoadingView = require('views/loadingview');
 	var NavigationView = require('views/navigation');
 	var SetupView = require('views/setup');
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ define(function(require) {
 	require('views/helper');
 
 	var ContentType = Object.freeze({
+		ERROR: -2,
 		LOADING: -1,
 		FOLDER_CONTENT: 0,
 		SETUP: 1,
@@ -54,6 +56,7 @@ define(function(require) {
 			this.listenTo(Radio.ui, 'error:show', this.showError);
 			this.listenTo(Radio.ui, 'setup:show', this.showSetup);
 			this.listenTo(Radio.ui, 'foldercontent:show', this.showFolderContent);
+			this.listenTo(Radio.ui, 'content:error', this.showContentError);
 			this.listenTo(Radio.ui, 'content:loading', this.showContentLoading);
 			this.listenTo(Radio.ui, 'title:update', this.updateTitle);
 			this.listenTo(Radio.ui, 'accountsettings:show', this.showAccountSettings);
@@ -165,6 +168,13 @@ define(function(require) {
 
 			this.content.show(new FolderContentView(options));
 		},
+		showContentError: function(text, icon) {
+			this.activeContent = ContentType.ERROR;
+			this.content.show(new ErrorView({
+				text: text,
+				icon: icon
+			}));
+		},
 		showContentLoading: function(text) {
 			this.activeContent = ContentType.LOADING;
 			this.content.show(new LoadingView({
diff --git a/js/views/errorview.js b/js/views/errorview.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..65826fdfc2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/views/errorview.js
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/**
+ * @author Christoph Wurst <christoph@winzerhof-wurst.at>
+ *
+ * Mail
+ *
+ * This code is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License, version 3,
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License, version 3,
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>
+ *
+ */
+
+define(function(require) {
+	'use strict';
+
+	var Handlebars = require('handlebars');
+	var Marionette = require('marionette');
+	var ErrorTemplate = require('text!templates/error.html');
+
+	var ErrorView = Marionette.ItemView.extend({
+		id: 'emptycontent',
+		className: 'container',
+		template: Handlebars.compile(ErrorTemplate),
+		templateHelpers: function() {
+			return {
+				text: this.text,
+				icon: this.icon
+			};
+		},
+		initialize: function(options) {
+			this.text = options.text || t('mail', 'An unknown error occurred');
+			this.icon = options.icon || 'icon-mail';
+		}
+	});
+
+	return ErrorView;
+});
diff --git a/js/views/foldercontent.js b/js/views/foldercontent.js
index ab593354b6..ef2aab8568 100644
--- a/js/views/foldercontent.js
+++ b/js/views/foldercontent.js
@@ -29,10 +29,12 @@ define(function(require) {
 	var ComposerView = require('views/composer');
 	var MessageView = require('views/message');
 	var MessagesView = require('views/messagesview');
+	var ErrorView = require('views/errorview');
 	var LoadingView = require('views/loadingview');
 	var MessageContentTemplate = require('text!templates/foldercontent.html');
 
 	var DetailView = Object.freeze({
+		ERROR: -2,
 		MESSAGE: 1,
 		COMPOSER: 2
 	});
@@ -55,6 +57,7 @@ define(function(require) {
 			this.searchQuery = options.searchQuery;
 
 			this.listenTo(Radio.ui, 'message:show', this.onShowMessage);
+			this.listenTo(Radio.ui, 'message:error', this.onShowError);
 			this.listenTo(Radio.ui, 'composer:show', this.onShowComposer);
 			this.listenTo(Radio.ui, 'composer:leave', this.onComposerLeave);
 			this.listenTo(Radio.keyboard, 'keyup', this.onKeyUp);
@@ -89,6 +92,12 @@ define(function(require) {
 
 			Radio.ui.trigger('messagesview:messageflag:set', message.id, 'unseen', false);
 		},
+		onShowError: function(errorMessage) {
+			this.message.show(new ErrorView({
+				text: errorMessage
+			}));
+			this.detailView = DetailView.ERROR;
+		},
 		onShowComposer: function(data) {
 			$('.tooltip').remove();
 			$('#mail_new_message').prop('disabled', true);
diff --git a/js/views/navigation-accounts.js b/js/views/navigation-accounts.js
index c64027f21b..50f8430a7f 100644
--- a/js/views/navigation-accounts.js
+++ b/js/views/navigation-accounts.js
@@ -49,7 +49,9 @@ define(function(require) {
 				});
 			});
 
-			folder.set('active', true);
+			if (folder) {
+				folder.set('active', true);
+			}
 		},
 		/**
 		 * @returns {undefined}