diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 980c7d5b..e2d40b8e 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -34,13 +34,24 @@ IMPLEMENT_APP(MSE)
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Initialization
 
 bool MSE::OnInit() {
-	wxInitAllImageHandlers();
-	initFileFormats();
-	settings.read();
-	//Window* wnd = new SymbolWindow(nullptr);
-	Window* wnd = new SetWindow(nullptr, new_shared1<Set>(Game::byName(_("magic"))));
-	wnd->Show();
-	return true;
+	try {
+		wxInitAllImageHandlers();
+		initFileFormats();
+		settings.read();
+		//Window* wnd = new SymbolWindow(nullptr);
+		Window* wnd = new SetWindow(nullptr, new_shared1<Set>(Game::byName(_("magic"))));
+		wnd->Show();
+		return true;
+	
+	} catch (Error e) {
+		handle_error(e, false);
+	} catch (std::exception e) {
+		// we don't throw std::exception ourselfs, so this is probably something serious
+		handle_error(InternalError(String(e.what(), IF_UNICODE(wxConvLocal, wxSTRING_MAXLEN) )), false);
+	} catch (...) {
+		handle_error(InternalError(_("An unexpected exception occurred, this is a bug!\nPlease save your work (use 'save as' to so you don't overwrite things),\n and restart Magic Set Editor.\n\nYou can leave a bug report on http://magicseteditor.sourceforge.net/")), false);
+	}
+	return false;
 }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Exit
@@ -53,5 +64,15 @@ int MSE::OnExit() {
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Exception handling
 
 bool MSE::OnExceptionInMainLoop() {
+	try {
+		throw;	// rethrow the exception, so we can examine it
+	} catch (Error e) {
+		handle_error(e, false);
+	} catch (std::exception e) {
+		// we don't throw std::exception ourselfs, so this is probably something serious
+		handle_error(InternalError(String(e.what(), IF_UNICODE(wxConvLocal, wxSTRING_MAXLEN) )), false);
+	} catch (...) {
+		handle_error(InternalError(_("An unexpected exception occurred, this is a bug!\nPlease save your work (use 'save as' to so you don't overwrite things),\n and restart Magic Set Editor.\n\nYou can leave a bug report on http://magicseteditor.sourceforge.net/")), false);
+	}
 	return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/util/error.cpp b/src/util/error.cpp
index 6d34239d..3a369940 100644
--- a/src/util/error.cpp
+++ b/src/util/error.cpp
@@ -19,3 +19,31 @@ Error::~Error() {}
 String Error::what() const {
 	return message;
 }
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Error handling
+
+// Errors for which a message box was already shown
+vector<String> previous_errors;
+String pending_error;
+DECLARE_TYPEOF_COLLECTION(String);
+
+void handle_error(const String& e, bool allow_duplicate = true, bool now = true) {
+	// Check duplicates
+	if (!allow_duplicate) {
+		FOR_EACH(pe, previous_errors) {
+			if (e == pe)  return;
+		}
+		previous_errors.push_back(e);
+	}
+	// Only show errors in the main thread
+	if (!now || !wxThread::IsMain()) {
+		pending_error = e;
+		return;
+	}
+	// show message
+	wxMessageBox(e, _("Error"), wxOK | wxICON_ERROR);
+}
+
+void handle_error(const Error& e, bool allow_duplicate, bool now) {
+	handle_error(e.what(), allow_duplicate, now);
+}
diff --git a/src/util/error.hpp b/src/util/error.hpp
index bd7d6159..11376a6e 100644
--- a/src/util/error.hpp
+++ b/src/util/error.hpp
@@ -80,5 +80,17 @@ class ScriptError : public Error {
 	inline ScriptError(const String& str) : Error(str) {}
 };
 
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Error handling
+
+/// Handle an error by showing a message box
+/** If !allow_duplicate and the error is the same as the previous error, does nothing.
+ *  If !now the error is handled by a later call to handle_pending_errors()
+ */
+void handle_error(const Error& e, bool allow_duplicate = true, bool now = true);
+
+/// Handle errors that were not handled immediatly in handleError
+/** Should be called repeatedly (e.g. in an onIdle event handler) */
+void handle_pending_errors();
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- : EOF
 #endif
diff --git a/src/util/io/reader.cpp b/src/util/io/reader.cpp
index 6f764ad9..65bc4859 100644
--- a/src/util/io/reader.cpp
+++ b/src/util/io/reader.cpp
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ template <> void Reader::handle(String& s) {
 		// read all lines that are indented enough
 		readLine();
 		while (indent >= expected_indent) {
-			if (!first) value += '\n';
+			if (!first) multi_line_str += _('\n');
 			first = false;
 			multi_line_str += line.substr(expected_indent); // strip expected indent
 			readLine();