diff --git a/criu/cr-service.c b/criu/cr-service.c
index f58b2a476..2cb6f8368 100644
--- a/criu/cr-service.c
+++ b/criu/cr-service.c
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ static void set_resp_err(CriuResp *resp)
 {
 	resp->cr_errno = get_cr_errno();
 	resp->has_cr_errno = resp->cr_errno ? true : false;
+	resp->cr_errmsg = log_first_err();
 }
 
 static void send_criu_err(int sk, char *msg)
@@ -284,6 +285,11 @@ static int setup_opts_from_req(int sk, CriuOpts *req)
 		goto err;
 	}
 
+	if (log_keep_err()) {
+		pr_perror("Can't tune log");
+		goto err;
+	}
+
 	/* checking flags from client */
 	if (req->has_leave_running && req->leave_running)
 		opts.final_state = TASK_ALIVE;
diff --git a/criu/include/log.h b/criu/include/log.h
index fe53a7c92..d2b25ec01 100644
--- a/criu/include/log.h
+++ b/criu/include/log.h
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ extern int log_init(const char *output);
 extern void log_fini(void);
 extern int log_init_by_pid(void);
 extern void log_closedir(void);
+extern int log_keep_err(void);
+extern char *log_first_err(void);
 
 extern void log_set_fd(int fd);
 extern int log_get_fd(void);
diff --git a/criu/log.c b/criu/log.c
index 6c5d807f8..64ce8c525 100644
--- a/criu/log.c
+++ b/criu/log.c
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
 #include "util.h"
 #include "cr_options.h"
 #include "servicefd.h"
+#include "rst-malloc.h"
+#include "lock.h"
+#include "string.h"
 
 #define DEFAULT_LOGFD		STDERR_FILENO
 /* Enable timestamps if verbosity is increased from default */
@@ -72,6 +75,49 @@ static void reset_buf_off(void)
 		buf_off = 0;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Keeping the very first error messsage for RPC to report back.
+ */
+struct str_and_lock {
+	mutex_t l;
+	char s[1024];
+};
+
+static struct str_and_lock *first_err;
+
+int log_keep_err(void)
+{
+	first_err = shmalloc(sizeof(struct str_and_lock));
+	if (first_err == NULL)
+		return -1;
+
+	mutex_init(&first_err->l);
+	first_err->s[0] = '\0';
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void log_note_err(char *msg)
+{
+	if (first_err && first_err->s[0] == '\0') {
+		/*
+		 * In any action other than restore this locking is
+		 * actually not required, but ... it's error path
+		 * anyway, so it doesn't make much sence to try hard
+		 * and optimize this out.
+		 */
+		mutex_lock(&first_err->l);
+		if (first_err->s[0] == '\0')
+			strlcpy(first_err->s, msg, sizeof(first_err->s));
+		mutex_unlock(&first_err->l);
+	}
+}
+
+char *log_first_err(void)
+{
+	BUG_ON(!first_err);
+	return first_err->s[0] == '\0' ? NULL : first_err->s;
+}
+
 int log_init(const char *output)
 {
 	int new_logfd, fd;
@@ -178,6 +224,9 @@ static void __print_on_level(unsigned int loglevel, const char *format, va_list
 		off += ret;
 	}
 	errno =  __errno;
+
+	if (loglevel == LOG_ERROR)
+		log_note_err(buffer + buf_off);
 }
 
 void print_on_level(unsigned int loglevel, const char *format, ...)
diff --git a/images/rpc.proto b/images/rpc.proto
index 11d169bfc..9b36178e8 100644
--- a/images/rpc.proto
+++ b/images/rpc.proto
@@ -187,4 +187,5 @@ message criu_resp {
 
 	optional int32			cr_errno	= 7;
 	optional criu_features		features	= 8;
+	optional string			cr_errmsg	= 9;
 }