diff --git a/src/frontends/controllers/tex_helpers.C b/src/frontends/controllers/tex_helpers.C
index 69db83b415..6b45889a6a 100644
--- a/src/frontends/controllers/tex_helpers.C
+++ b/src/frontends/controllers/tex_helpers.C
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@
 #include "tex_helpers.h"
 
 #include "debug.h"
+#include "gettext.h"
+
+#include "frontends/Alert.h"
 
 #include "support/filetools.h"
 #include "support/lstrings.h"
@@ -29,6 +32,7 @@ using std::endl;
 
 namespace lyx {
 
+using support::bformat;
 using support::contains;
 using support::GetExtension;
 using support::GetFileContents;
@@ -44,16 +48,18 @@ using support::token;
 
 namespace frontend {
 
-// build filelists of all availabe bst/cls/sty-files. done through
-// kpsewhich and an external script, saved in *Files.lst
 void rescanTexStyles()
 {
 	// Run rescan in user lyx directory
 	Path p(package().user_support());
+	string const command = LibFileSearch("scripts", "TeXFiles.py");
 	Systemcall one;
-	one.startscript(Systemcall::Wait,
-			"python " +
-			QuoteName(LibFileSearch("scripts", "TeXFiles.py")));
+	int const status = one.startscript(Systemcall::Wait,
+			"python " + QuoteName(command));
+	if (status == 0)
+		return;
+	Alert::error(_("Could not update TeX information"),
+	             bformat(_("The script `%s' failed."), command));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/frontends/controllers/tex_helpers.h b/src/frontends/controllers/tex_helpers.h
index 1865561783..7c73328196 100644
--- a/src/frontends/controllers/tex_helpers.h
+++ b/src/frontends/controllers/tex_helpers.h
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@
 namespace lyx {
 namespace frontend {
 
-// build filelists of all availabe bst/cls/sty-files. done through
-// kpsewhich and an external script, saved in *Files.lst
+/** Build filelists of all availabe bst/cls/sty-files. Done through
+ *  kpsewhich and an external script, saved in *Files.lst.
+ */
 void rescanTexStyles();
 
 /// rebuild the textree
diff --git a/status.14x b/status.14x
index 45545c3c02..567385bc89 100644
--- a/status.14x
+++ b/status.14x
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ What's new
 
 * User Interface:
 
+- Show an error box when failing to update the TeX Information dalog data.
+
 - Handle the Meta keyboard modifier as Alt (Qt only).
 
 * Miscellaneous