diff --git a/.github/workflows/workflow.yml b/.github/workflows/workflow.yml
index 031685b..92acbb1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/workflow.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/workflow.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ on:
     branches: [ "main" ]
 env:
   upstream_version: v0.10.3
-  etke_version: etke8
+  etke_version: etke9
   bunny_version: v0.1.0
   base_path: ./
 permissions:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fa06ee3..8adf2eb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ The following changes are already implemented:
 * [Fix footer overlapping content](https://github.com/Awesome-Technologies/synapse-admin/issues/574)
 * Switch from nginx to [SWS](https://static-web-server.net/) for serving the app, reducing the size of the Docker image
 * [Fix redirect URL after user creation](https://github.com/etkecc/synapse-admin/pull/16)
+* [Display actual Synapse errors](https://github.com/etkecc/synapse-admin/pull/17)
 
 _the list will be updated as new changes are added_
 
diff --git a/src/components/error.ts b/src/components/error.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b09232
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/error.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+export type MatrixError = {
+	errcode: string;
+	error: string;
+}
+
+export const displayError = (errcode: string, status: number, message: string) => `${errcode} (${status}): ${message}`;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/synapse/authProvider.ts b/src/synapse/authProvider.ts
index 2134ee2..d221021 100644
--- a/src/synapse/authProvider.ts
+++ b/src/synapse/authProvider.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-import { AuthProvider, Options, fetchUtils } from "react-admin";
+import { AuthProvider, HttpError, Options, fetchUtils, useTranslate } from "react-admin";
 
 import storage from "../storage";
+import { MatrixError, displayError } from "../components/error";
 
 const authProvider: AuthProvider = {
   // called when the user attempts to log in
@@ -44,13 +45,36 @@ const authProvider: AuthProvider = {
     // use the base_url from login instead of the well_known entry from the
     // server, since the admin might want to access the admin API via some
     // private address
+    if (!base_url) {
+      // there is some kind of bug with base_url being present in the form, but not submitted
+      // ref: https://github.com/etkecc/synapse-admin/issues/14
+      localStorage.removeItem("base_url")
+      throw new Error("Homeserver URL is required.");
+    }
     base_url = base_url.replace(/\/+$/g, "");
     storage.setItem("base_url", base_url);
 
     const decoded_base_url = window.decodeURIComponent(base_url);
     const login_api_url = decoded_base_url + "/_matrix/client/r0/login";
 
-    const { json } = await fetchUtils.fetchJson(login_api_url, options);
+    let response;
+    try {
+      response = await fetchUtils.fetchJson(login_api_url, options);
+    } catch(err) {
+      const error = err as HttpError;
+      const errorStatus = error.status;
+      const errorBody = error.body as MatrixError;
+      const errMsg = !!errorBody?.errcode ? displayError(errorBody.errcode, errorStatus, errorBody.error) : displayError("M_INVALID", errorStatus, error.message);
+
+      return Promise.reject(
+        new HttpError(
+          errMsg,
+          errorStatus,
+        )
+    );
+    }
+
+    const json = response.json;
     storage.setItem("home_server", json.home_server);
     storage.setItem("user_id", json.user_id);
     storage.setItem("access_token", json.access_token);
@@ -77,10 +101,12 @@ const authProvider: AuthProvider = {
     }
   },
   // called when the API returns an error
-  checkError: ({ status }: { status: number }) => {
-    console.log("checkError " + status);
+  checkError: (err: HttpError) => {
+    const errorBody = err.body as MatrixError;
+    const status = err.status;
+
     if (status === 401 || status === 403) {
-      return Promise.reject();
+      return Promise.reject({message: displayError(errorBody.errcode, status, errorBody.error)});
     }
     return Promise.resolve();
   },
diff --git a/src/synapse/dataProvider.ts b/src/synapse/dataProvider.ts
index 41b05dc..05adec0 100644
--- a/src/synapse/dataProvider.ts
+++ b/src/synapse/dataProvider.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 import { stringify } from "query-string";
 
-import { DataProvider, DeleteParams, Identifier, Options, RaRecord, fetchUtils } from "react-admin";
+import { DataProvider, DeleteParams, HttpError, Identifier, Options, RaRecord, fetchUtils } from "react-admin";
 
 import storage from "../storage";
+import { MatrixError, displayError } from "../components/error";
 
 // Adds the access token to all requests
-const jsonClient = (url: string, options: Options = {}) => {
+const jsonClient = async (url: string, options: Options = {}) => {
   const token = storage.getItem("access_token");
   console.log("httpClient " + url);
   if (token != null) {
@@ -14,7 +15,17 @@ const jsonClient = (url: string, options: Options = {}) => {
       token: `Bearer ${token}`,
     };
   }
-  return fetchUtils.fetchJson(url, options);
+  try {
+    const response = await fetchUtils.fetchJson(url, options);
+    return response;
+  } catch (err: any) {
+    const error = err as HttpError;
+    const errorStatus = error.status;
+    const errorBody = error.body as MatrixError;
+    const errMsg = !!errorBody?.errcode ? displayError(errorBody.errcode, errorStatus, errorBody.error) : displayError("M_INVALID", errorStatus, error.message);
+
+    return Promise.reject(new HttpError(errMsg, errorStatus, errorBody));
+  }
 };
 
 const mxcUrlToHttp = (mxcUrl: string) => {