diff --git a/src/org/fdroid/fdroid/FDroid.java b/src/org/fdroid/fdroid/FDroid.java
index e60a23fd9..f9cf3aabf 100644
--- a/src/org/fdroid/fdroid/FDroid.java
+++ b/src/org/fdroid/fdroid/FDroid.java
@@ -436,8 +436,7 @@ public class FDroid extends TabActivity implements OnItemClickListener,
         @Override
         protected void onReceiveResult(int resultCode, Bundle resultData) {
             if (resultCode == 1) {
-                Toast.makeText(FDroid.this,
-                        getString(R.string.connection_error_msg),
+                Toast.makeText(FDroid.this, resultData.getString("errmsg"),
                         Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
             } else {
                 populateLists(true);
diff --git a/src/org/fdroid/fdroid/RepoXMLHandler.java b/src/org/fdroid/fdroid/RepoXMLHandler.java
index 128c88e54..10a717637 100644
--- a/src/org/fdroid/fdroid/RepoXMLHandler.java
+++ b/src/org/fdroid/fdroid/RepoXMLHandler.java
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import java.util.Vector;
 import java.util.jar.JarEntry;
 import java.util.jar.JarFile;
 
+import javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException;
 import javax.xml.parsers.SAXParser;
 import javax.xml.parsers.SAXParserFactory;
 
@@ -292,8 +293,10 @@ public class RepoXMLHandler extends DefaultHandler {
 
     // Do an update from the given repo. All applications found, and their
     // APKs, are added to 'apps'. (If 'apps' already contains an app, its
-    // APKs are merged into the existing one)
-    public static boolean doUpdate(Context ctx, DB.Repo repo,
+    // APKs are merged into the existing one).
+    // Returns null if successful, otherwise an error message to be displayed
+    // to the user (if there is an interactive user!)
+    public static String doUpdate(Context ctx, DB.Repo repo,
             Vector<DB.App> apps) {
         try {
 
@@ -333,13 +336,13 @@ public class RepoXMLHandler extends DefaultHandler {
                     in.close();
                 } catch (SecurityException e) {
                     Log.e("FDroid", "Invalid hash for index file");
-                    return false;
+                    return "Invalid hash for index file";
                 }
                 Certificate[] certs = je.getCertificates();
                 jar.close();
                 if (certs == null) {
                     Log.d("FDroid", "No signature found in index");
-                    return false;
+                    return "No signature found in index";
                 }
                 Log.d("FDroid", "Index has " + certs.length + " signature"
                         + (certs.length > 1 ? "s." : "."));
@@ -354,7 +357,7 @@ public class RepoXMLHandler extends DefaultHandler {
                 }
                 if (!match) {
                     Log.d("FDroid", "Index signature mismatch");
-                    return false;
+                    return "Index signature mismatch";
                 }
 
             } else {
@@ -390,16 +393,20 @@ public class RepoXMLHandler extends DefaultHandler {
                 }
             }
 
+        } catch (SSLHandshakeException sslex) {
+            Log.e("FDroid", "SSLHandShakeException updating from " + repo.address + ":\n"
+                    + Log.getStackTraceString(sslex));
+            return "A problem occurred while establishing an SSL connection. If this problem persists, AND you have a very old device, you could try using http instead of https for the repo URL.";
         } catch (Exception e) {
             Log.e("FDroid", "Exception updating from " + repo.address + ":\n"
                     + Log.getStackTraceString(e));
-            return false;
+            return "Failed to update - " + e.getMessage();
         } finally {
             ctx.deleteFile("tempindex.xml");
             ctx.deleteFile("tempindex.jar");
         }
 
-        return true;
+        return null;
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/org/fdroid/fdroid/UpdateService.java b/src/org/fdroid/fdroid/UpdateService.java
index 52c9a5033..bf07087c5 100644
--- a/src/org/fdroid/fdroid/UpdateService.java
+++ b/src/org/fdroid/fdroid/UpdateService.java
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ public class UpdateService extends IntentService {
         ResultReceiver receiver = intent.getParcelableExtra("receiver");
 
         long startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
+        String errmsg = "";
 
         try {
 
@@ -120,10 +121,16 @@ public class UpdateService extends IntentService {
             boolean success = true;
             for (DB.Repo repo : repos) {
                 if (repo.inuse) {
-                    if (!RepoXMLHandler.doUpdate(getBaseContext(), repo, apps)) {
-                        Log.d("FDroid", "Update failed for repo "
-                                + repo.address);
+                    String err = RepoXMLHandler.doUpdate(getBaseContext(),
+                            repo, apps);
+                    if (err != null) {
                         success = false;
+                        err = "Update failed for " + repo.address + " - " + err;
+                        Log.d("FDroid", err);
+                        if (errmsg.length() == 0)
+                            errmsg = err;
+                        else
+                            errmsg += "\n" + err;
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -142,6 +149,7 @@ public class UpdateService extends IntentService {
                     db.cancelUpdate();
                     Log.e("FDroid", "Exception during update processing:\n"
                             + Log.getStackTraceString(ex));
+                    errmsg = "Exception during processing - " + ex.getMessage();
                     success = false;
                 } finally {
                     DB.releaseDB();
@@ -173,7 +181,14 @@ public class UpdateService extends IntentService {
 
             if (receiver != null) {
                 Bundle resultData = new Bundle();
-                receiver.send(0, resultData);
+                if (!success) {
+                    if (errmsg.length() == 0)
+                        errmsg = "Unknown error";
+                    resultData.putString("errmsg", errmsg);
+                    receiver.send(1, resultData);
+                } else {
+                    receiver.send(0, resultData);
+                }
             }
 
         } catch (Exception e) {
@@ -182,6 +197,9 @@ public class UpdateService extends IntentService {
                             + Log.getStackTraceString(e));
             if (receiver != null) {
                 Bundle resultData = new Bundle();
+                if (errmsg.length() == 0)
+                    errmsg = "Unknown error";
+                resultData.putString("errmsg", errmsg);
                 receiver.send(1, resultData);
             }
         } finally {