diff --git a/src/LyX.cpp b/src/LyX.cpp
index b7848311b8..98c5705917 100644
--- a/src/LyX.cpp
+++ b/src/LyX.cpp
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ static void error_handler(int err_sig)
 	if (!msg.empty()) {
 		lyxerr << "\nlyx: " << msg << endl;
 		// try to make a GUI message
-		Alert::error(_("LyX crashed!"), msg);
+		Alert::error(_("LyX crashed!"), msg, true);
 	}
 
 	// Deinstall the signal handlers
diff --git a/src/frontends/alert.h b/src/frontends/alert.h
index 4f05234297..b96ca1e1d8 100644
--- a/src/frontends/alert.h
+++ b/src/frontends/alert.h
@@ -48,8 +48,9 @@ void warning(docstring const & title, docstring const & message,
 /**
  * Display a warning to the user. Title should be a short (general) summary.
  * Only use this if the user cannot perform some remedial action.
+ * On some systems it is possible to show a backtrace.
  */
-void error(docstring const & title, docstring const & message);
+void error(docstring const & title, docstring const & message, bool backtrace = false);
 
 /**
  * Informational message. Use very very sparingly. That is, you must
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiAlert.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiAlert.cpp
index 4e9a8e4c2a..14cce933e4 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiAlert.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiAlert.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "support/debug.h"
 #include "support/docstring.h"
 #include "support/lstrings.h"
+#include "support/lassert.h"
 #include "support/ProgressInterface.h"
 
 #include <QApplication>
@@ -197,12 +198,17 @@ void warning(docstring const & title0, docstring const & message,
 				title0, message, askshowagain);
 }
 
-void doError(docstring const & title0, docstring const & message)
+void doError(docstring const & title0, docstring const & message, bool backtrace)
 {
 	lyxerr << "Error: " << title0 << '\n'
 	       << "----------------------------------------\n"
 	       << message << endl;
 
+	QString details;
+	if (backtrace) {
+		details = QString::fromLocal8Bit(to_local8bit(printCallStack()).c_str());
+	}
+
 	if (!use_gui)
 		return;
 
@@ -223,7 +229,8 @@ void doError(docstring const & title0, docstring const & message)
 
 	ProgressInterface::instance()->error(
 		toqstr(title),
-		toqstr(message));
+		toqstr(message),
+		details);
 
 	qApp->restoreOverrideCursor();
 
@@ -231,14 +238,14 @@ void doError(docstring const & title0, docstring const & message)
 		theApp()->startLongOperation();
 }
 
-void error(docstring const & title0, docstring const & message)
+void error(docstring const & title0, docstring const & message, bool backtrace)
 {
 #ifdef EXPORT_in_THREAD
 	InGuiThread<void>().call(&doError, 
 #else
 	doError(
 #endif
-				title0, message);
+				title0, message, backtrace);
 }
 
 void doInformation(docstring const & title0, docstring const & message)
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiProgress.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiProgress.cpp
index ab8c6bd3cf..a44438d489 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiProgress.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiProgress.cpp
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ GuiProgress::GuiProgress()
 		SLOT(doWarning(QString const &, QString const &)));
 	connect(this, SIGNAL(toggleWarning(QString const &, QString const &, QString const &)),
 		SLOT(doToggleWarning(QString const &, QString const &, QString const &)));
-	connect(this, SIGNAL(error(QString const &, QString const &)),
-		SLOT(doError(QString const &, QString const &)));
+	connect(this, SIGNAL(error(QString const &, QString const &, QString const &)),
+		SLOT(doError(QString const &, QString const &, QString const &)));
 	connect(this, SIGNAL(information(QString const &, QString const &)),
 		SLOT(doInformation(QString const &, QString const &)));
 	connect(this, SIGNAL(triggerFlush()),
@@ -183,9 +183,13 @@ void GuiProgress::doToggleWarning(QString const & title, QString const & msg, QS
 }
 
 
-void GuiProgress::doError(QString const & title, QString const & message)
+void GuiProgress::doError(QString const & title, QString const & message, QString const & details)
 {
-	QMessageBox::critical(qApp->focusWidget(), title, message);
+	QMessageBox box(QMessageBox::Critical, title, message, QMessageBox::Ok, qApp->focusWidget());
+	if (!details.isEmpty()) {
+		box.setDetailedText(details);
+	}
+	box.exec();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiProgress.h b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiProgress.h
index 9bb8b23034..80ab47a558 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiProgress.h
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiProgress.h
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ Q_SIGNALS:
 	// Alert interface
 	void warning(QString const & title, QString const & message);
 	void toggleWarning(QString const & title, QString const & msg, QString const & formatted);
-	void error(QString const & title, QString const & message);
+	void error(QString const & title, QString const & message, QString const & details = QString());
 	void information(QString const & title, QString const & message);
 
 private Q_SLOTS:
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ private Q_SLOTS:
 
 	void doWarning(QString const &, QString const &);
 	void doToggleWarning(QString const & title, QString const & msg, QString const & formatted);
-	void doError(QString const &, QString const &);
+	void doError(QString const &, QString const &, QString const &);
 	void doInformation(QString const &, QString const &);
 
 	void updateWithLyXErr();
diff --git a/src/support/CMakeLists.txt b/src/support/CMakeLists.txt
index b0d1c6db20..4a018e8cce 100644
--- a/src/support/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/support/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ else()
 	set(support_linkback_headers "")
 endif()
 
+if(UNIX AND CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC AND NOT APPLE)
+	add_definitions(-DLYX_CALLSTACK_PRINTING)
+endif()
+
 add_subdirectory(tests)
 
 # needed to compile tex2lyx in merged mode
diff --git a/src/support/ProgressInterface.h b/src/support/ProgressInterface.h
index 1efb79a7e3..4a9a1edb68 100644
--- a/src/support/ProgressInterface.h
+++ b/src/support/ProgressInterface.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public:
 	/// Alert interface
 	virtual void warning(QString const & title, QString const & message) = 0;
 	virtual void toggleWarning(QString const & title, QString const & msg, QString const & formatted) = 0;
-	virtual void error(QString const & title, QString const & message) = 0;
+	virtual void error(QString const & title, QString const & message, QString const & details) = 0;
 	virtual void information(QString const & title, QString const & message) = 0;
 	virtual int prompt(docstring const & title, docstring const & question,
 			   int default_button, int cancel_button,
diff --git a/src/support/Systemcall.cpp b/src/support/Systemcall.cpp
index dc76b3d44c..467f04bd84 100644
--- a/src/support/Systemcall.cpp
+++ b/src/support/Systemcall.cpp
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ public:
 
 	void warning(QString const &, QString const &) {}
 	void toggleWarning(QString const &, QString const &, QString const &) {}
-	void error(QString const &, QString const &) {}
+	void error(QString const &, QString const &, QString const &) {}
 	void information(QString const &, QString const &) {}
 	int prompt(docstring const &, docstring const &, int default_but, int,
 		   docstring const &, docstring const &) { return default_but; }
diff --git a/src/support/lassert.cpp b/src/support/lassert.cpp
index 02e64bf7bf..281330e52c 100644
--- a/src/support/lassert.cpp
+++ b/src/support/lassert.cpp
@@ -20,9 +20,8 @@
 
 #include <boost/assert.hpp>
 
+#include <QString>
 
-//#define LYX_CALLSTACK_PRINTING
-// must be linked with -rdynamic
 #ifdef LYX_CALLSTACK_PRINTING
 #include <cstdio>
 #include <cstdlib>
@@ -87,11 +86,12 @@ void doAppErr(char const * expr, char const * file, long line)
 }
 
 
-//TODO Return as string, so call stack could be used in dialogs.
-void printCallStack()
+docstring printCallStack()
 {
-#ifdef LYX_CALLSTACK_PRINTING
-	const int depth = 50;
+#ifndef LYX_CALLSTACK_PRINTING
+	return docstring();
+#else
+	const int depth = 200;
 	
 	// get void*'s for all entries on the stack
 	void* array[depth];
@@ -99,9 +99,9 @@ void printCallStack()
 	
 	char** messages = backtrace_symbols(array, size);
 	
-	for (size_t i = 0; i < size && messages != NULL; i++) {
-		std::string orig(messages[i]);
-		// extract mangled: bin/lyx2.0(_ZN3lyx7support7packageEv+0x32) [0x8a2e02b]
+	docstring bt;
+	for (size_t i = 1; i < size && messages != NULL; i++) {
+		const std::string orig(messages[i]);
 		char* mangled = 0;
 		for (char *p = messages[i]; *p; ++p) {
 			if (*p == '(') {
@@ -112,15 +112,16 @@ void printCallStack()
 				break;
 			}
 		}
-		int err = 0;
-		char* demangled = abi::__cxa_demangle(mangled, 0, 0, &err);
-		if (err == 0) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "[bt]: (%d) %s %s\n", i, messages[i], demangled);
-			free((void*)demangled);
-		} else {
-			fprintf(stderr, "[bt]: (%d) %s\n", i, orig.c_str());
-		}		
+		int status = 0;
+		const char* demangled = abi::__cxa_demangle(mangled, 0, 0, &status);
+		const QByteArray line = QString("(%1) %2: %3\n").arg(i, 3).arg(messages[i])
+								.arg(demangled ? demangled : orig.c_str()).toLocal8Bit();
+		free((void*)demangled);
+
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s", line.constData());
+		bt += from_local8bit(line.constData());
 	}
+		return bt;
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/support/lassert.h b/src/support/lassert.h
index 5e152e05bc..f9328f3581 100644
--- a/src/support/lassert.h
+++ b/src/support/lassert.h
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ void doBufErr(char const * expr, char const * file, long line);
 void doAppErr(char const * expr, char const * file, long line);
 
 /// Print demangled callstack to stderr
-void printCallStack();
+docstring printCallStack();
 
 
 } // namespace lyx