diff --git a/engine/src/android/com/jme3/system/android/JmeAndroidSystem.java b/engine/src/android/com/jme3/system/android/JmeAndroidSystem.java
index 49b1294b7..6dd879b3a 100644
--- a/engine/src/android/com/jme3/system/android/JmeAndroidSystem.java
+++ b/engine/src/android/com/jme3/system/android/JmeAndroidSystem.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package com.jme3.system.android;
 
 import android.app.Activity;
+import android.app.AlertDialog;
 import android.os.Environment;
 import com.jme3.asset.AndroidAssetManager;
 import com.jme3.asset.AssetManager;
@@ -41,6 +42,22 @@ public class JmeAndroidSystem extends JmeSystemDelegate {
         return new AndroidAssetManager(null);
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public void showErrorDialog(String message) {
+        final String finalMsg = message;
+        final String finalTitle = "Error in jMonkeyEngine app";
+        final Activity context = JmeAndroidSystem.getActivity();
+        
+        context.runOnUiThread(new Runnable() {
+            @Override
+            public void run() {
+                AlertDialog dialog = new AlertDialog.Builder(context)
+                        .setTitle(finalTitle).setMessage(finalMsg).create();
+                dialog.show();
+            }
+        });
+    }
+    
     @Override
     public boolean showSettingsDialog(AppSettings sourceSettings, boolean loadFromRegistry) {
         return true;
diff --git a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/app/Application.java b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/app/Application.java
index adf9c33db..688c2ef65 100644
--- a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/app/Application.java
+++ b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/app/Application.java
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ import com.jme3.renderer.Camera;
 import com.jme3.renderer.RenderManager;
 import com.jme3.renderer.Renderer;
 import com.jme3.renderer.ViewPort;
-import com.jme3.system.*;
 import com.jme3.system.JmeContext.Type;
+import com.jme3.system.*;
 import java.net.MalformedURLException;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
@@ -518,8 +518,16 @@ public class Application implements SystemListener {
      * Internal use only.
      */
     public void handleError(String errMsg, Throwable t){
+        // Print error to log.
         logger.log(Level.SEVERE, errMsg, t);
-        // user should add additional code to handle the error.
+        // Display error message on screen
+        if (t != null) {
+            JmeSystem.showErrorDialog(errMsg + "\n" + t.getClass().getSimpleName() + 
+                    (t.getMessage() != null ? ": " +  t.getMessage() : ""));
+        } else {
+            JmeSystem.showErrorDialog(errMsg);
+        }
+        
         stop(); // stop the application
     }
 
diff --git a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/system/JmeSystem.java b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/system/JmeSystem.java
index 1639562b5..f6260c4ec 100644
--- a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/system/JmeSystem.java
+++ b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/system/JmeSystem.java
@@ -123,6 +123,19 @@ public class JmeSystem {
         return systemDelegate.newAudioRenderer(settings);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Displays an error message to the user in whichever way the context
+     * feels is appropriate. If this is a headless or an offscreen surface
+     * context, this method should do nothing. 
+     * 
+     * @param message The error message to display. May contain new line
+     * characters.
+     */
+    public static void showErrorDialog(String message){
+        checkDelegate();
+        systemDelegate.showErrorDialog(message);
+    }
+    
     public static void initialize(AppSettings settings) {
         checkDelegate();
         systemDelegate.initialize(settings);
diff --git a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/system/JmeSystemDelegate.java b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/system/JmeSystemDelegate.java
index e0f6fa5ec..aef6cede5 100644
--- a/engine/src/core/com/jme3/system/JmeSystemDelegate.java
+++ b/engine/src/core/com/jme3/system/JmeSystemDelegate.java
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ public abstract class JmeSystemDelegate {
 
     public abstract AssetManager newAssetManager();
 
+    public abstract void showErrorDialog(String message);
+    
     public abstract boolean showSettingsDialog(AppSettings sourceSettings, boolean loadFromRegistry);
 
     private boolean is64Bit(String arch) {
diff --git a/engine/src/desktop/com/jme3/system/JmeDesktopSystem.java b/engine/src/desktop/com/jme3/system/JmeDesktopSystem.java
index 9a8eac43f..66c29f498 100644
--- a/engine/src/desktop/com/jme3/system/JmeDesktopSystem.java
+++ b/engine/src/desktop/com/jme3/system/JmeDesktopSystem.java
@@ -38,11 +38,13 @@ import com.jme3.asset.AssetNotFoundException;
 import com.jme3.asset.DesktopAssetManager;
 import com.jme3.audio.AudioRenderer;
 import com.jme3.system.JmeContext.Type;
+import java.awt.EventQueue;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
+import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
 import javax.swing.SwingUtilities;
 
 /**
@@ -61,6 +63,17 @@ public class JmeDesktopSystem extends JmeSystemDelegate {
         return new DesktopAssetManager(null);
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public void showErrorDialog(String message) {
+        final String msg = message;
+        final String title = "Error in jMonkeyEngine app";
+        EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
+            public void run() {
+                JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, msg, title, JOptionPane.ERROR_MESSAGE);
+            }
+        });
+    }
+    
     @Override
     public boolean showSettingsDialog(AppSettings sourceSettings, final boolean loadFromRegistry) {
         if (SwingUtilities.isEventDispatchThread()) {