diff --git a/apps/openmw-mp/Script/CommandController.cpp b/apps/openmw-mp/Script/CommandController.cpp
index 00a4c0d7c..22c095ae2 100644
--- a/apps/openmw-mp/Script/CommandController.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw-mp/Script/CommandController.cpp
@@ -93,10 +93,10 @@ std::deque<std::string> CommandController::cmdParser(const std::string &message)
     /*auto const command = '/' >> *~x3::char_(sep) >> sep;
 
     if (!x3::phrase_parse(message.cbegin(), message.cend(), arguments, command, ret))
-        throw runtime_error("failed to parse message: "+ message);*/
+        Utils::throwError("failed to parse message: "+ message);*/
 
     if (!x3::parse(message.cbegin(), message.cend(), arguments, ret))
-        throw runtime_error("failed to parse message: " + message);
+        Utils::throwError("failed to parse message: " + message);
 
     return ret;
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw-mp/Script/EventController.cpp b/apps/openmw-mp/Script/EventController.cpp
index a87578894..e8b630e09 100644
--- a/apps/openmw-mp/Script/EventController.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw-mp/Script/EventController.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ EventController::EventController(LuaState *luaCtrl)
         });
 
         if (!found)
-            throw runtime_error("Event " + to_string(i) + " is not registered. Dear developer, please fix me :D");
+            Utils::throwError("Event " + to_string(i) + " is not registered");
 #endif
         events[i]; // create core event
     }
diff --git a/apps/openmw-mp/Script/LuaState.cpp b/apps/openmw-mp/Script/LuaState.cpp
index fbaef79fc..035f93b82 100644
--- a/apps/openmw-mp/Script/LuaState.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw-mp/Script/LuaState.cpp
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ void checkDependencies(const vector<ServerModuleInfo> &modules, const ServerModu
                 sstr << depNameRequest << ": version \"" << depVersionFound << "\" is not applicable for \""
                      << smi.name << "\" expected \"" << depVersionRequest + "\"";
                 if (fatal)
-                    throw runtime_error(sstr.str());
+                    Utils::throwError(sstr.str());
                 else
                     LOG_MESSAGE_SIMPLE(Log::LOG_WARN, "%s", sstr.str().c_str());
             }
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ void checkDependencies(const vector<ServerModuleInfo> &modules, const ServerModu
             stringstream sstr;
             sstr << depNameRequest + " \"" << depVersionRequest << "\" not found.";
             if (fatal)
-                throw runtime_error(sstr.str());
+                Utils::throwError(sstr.str());
             else
                 LOG_MESSAGE_SIMPLE(Log::LOG_WARN, "%s", sstr.str().c_str());
         }
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ vector<vector<ServerModuleInfo>::iterator> loadOrderSolver(vector<ServerModuleIn
                         stringstream sstr;
                         sstr << "Found circular dependency: \"" << (*it)->name << "\" and \"" << (*found)->name
                              << "\" depend on each other" << endl;
-                        throw runtime_error(sstr.str());
+                        Utils::throwError(sstr.str());
                     }
                 }
 
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ void LuaState::loadModules(const std::string &moduleDir, std::vector<std::string
     auto readConfig = [this](path homePath){
         const auto mainScript = "main.lua";
         if (!is_directory(homePath / "modules"))
-            throw runtime_error(homePath.string() + ": No such directory.");
+            Utils::throwError(homePath.string() + ": No such directory.");
         for (const auto &moduleDir : directory_iterator(homePath / "modules"))
         {
             if (is_directory(moduleDir.status()) && exists(moduleDir.path() / mainScript))
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ void LuaState::loadModules(const std::string &moduleDir, std::vector<std::string
                 }
             }
             if (!found)
-                throw runtime_error("Module: \"" + mssp + "\" not found");
+                Utils::throwError("Module: \"" + mssp + "\" not found");
         }
     }
     else
diff --git a/apps/openmw-mp/Utils.cpp b/apps/openmw-mp/Utils.cpp
index 47784dfe1..6f6eb39a5 100644
--- a/apps/openmw-mp/Utils.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw-mp/Utils.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 using namespace std;
 
+static std::string lastErrorMessage = "unknown error";
+
 const vector<string> Utils::split(const string &str, int delimiter)
 {
     string buffer;
@@ -52,3 +54,20 @@ ESM::Cell Utils::getCellFromDescription(std::string cellDescription)
 
     return cell;
 }
+
+const std::string Utils::getLastError()
+{
+    return lastErrorMessage;
+}
+
+void Utils::throwError(const std::string errorMessage)
+{
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    // Throwing exceptions makes them show up as "bad exception" on Windows with
+    // our stacktracer, so record their intended error messages separately here
+    // when possible
+    lastErrorMessage = errorMessage;
+#endif
+
+    throw runtime_error(errorMessage);
+}
diff --git a/apps/openmw-mp/Utils.hpp b/apps/openmw-mp/Utils.hpp
index 6d4713e1d..b6aaedc75 100644
--- a/apps/openmw-mp/Utils.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw-mp/Utils.hpp
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ namespace Utils
 
     ESM::Cell getCellFromDescription(std::string cellDescription);
 
+    const std::string getLastError();
+
+    void throwError(std::string errorMessage);
+
     template<size_t N>
     constexpr unsigned int hash(const char(&str)[N], size_t I = N)
     {
diff --git a/apps/openmw-mp/main.cpp b/apps/openmw-mp/main.cpp
index ea3a9aecf..ec37cfe05 100644
--- a/apps/openmw-mp/main.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw-mp/main.cpp
@@ -151,7 +151,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         }
         catch (const exception &e)
         {
-            LOG_MESSAGE_SIMPLE(Log::LOG_FATAL, " Woops, something wrong! Exception:\n\t%s", e.what());
+            LOG_MESSAGE_SIMPLE(Log::LOG_FATAL, "A fatal error has occurred!");
+
+#ifndef _WIN32
+            LOG_APPEND(Log::LOG_FATAL, "\t%s", e.what());
+#else
+            LOG_APPEND(Log::LOG_FATAL, "\t%s", Utils::getLastError().c_str());
+#endif
         }
 
         stacktrace();
@@ -232,21 +238,21 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         case RakNet::RAKNET_STARTED:
             break;
         case RakNet::RAKNET_ALREADY_STARTED:
-            throw runtime_error("Already started");
+            Utils::throwError("Already started");
         case RakNet::INVALID_SOCKET_DESCRIPTORS:
-            throw runtime_error("Incorrect port or address");
+            Utils::throwError("Incorrect port or address");
         case RakNet::INVALID_MAX_CONNECTIONS:
-            throw runtime_error("Max players cannot be negative or 0");
+            Utils::throwError("Max players cannot be negative or 0");
         case RakNet::SOCKET_FAILED_TO_BIND:
         case RakNet::SOCKET_PORT_ALREADY_IN_USE:
         case RakNet::PORT_CANNOT_BE_ZERO:
-            throw runtime_error("Failed to bind port");
+            Utils::throwError("Failed to bind port");
         case RakNet::SOCKET_FAILED_TEST_SEND:
         case RakNet::SOCKET_FAMILY_NOT_SUPPORTED:
         case RakNet::FAILED_TO_CREATE_NETWORK_THREAD:
         case RakNet::COULD_NOT_GENERATE_GUID:
         case RakNet::STARTUP_OTHER_FAILURE:
-            throw runtime_error("Cannot start server");
+            Utils::throwError("Cannot start server");
     }
 
     peer->SetMaximumIncomingConnections((unsigned short) (players));