diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/audioengine.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/audioengine.h
index d1e3f8a7ef..fcb1226e1a 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/audioengine.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/audioengine.h
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API AudioEngine : public SessionHandlePtr, public PortManager
 	pframes_t      samples_since_cycle_start ();
 	bool           get_sync_offset (pframes_t& offset) const;
 
+	std::string    get_last_backend_error () const { return _last_backend_error_string; }
+
 	int            create_process_thread (boost::function<void()> func);
 	int            join_process_threads ();
 	bool           in_process_thread ();
@@ -280,6 +282,8 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API AudioEngine : public SessionHandlePtr, public PortManager
 	bool                      _started_for_latency;
 	bool                      _in_destructor;
 
+	std::string               _last_backend_error_string;
+
 	Glib::Threads::Thread*     _hw_reset_event_thread;
 	gint                       _hw_reset_request_count;
 	Glib::Threads::Cond        _hw_reset_condition;
diff --git a/libs/ardour/audioengine.cc b/libs/ardour/audioengine.cc
index 8091e2516c..c5e2f17d47 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/audioengine.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/audioengine.cc
@@ -835,8 +835,12 @@ AudioEngine::start (bool for_latency)
 
 	_processed_frames = 0;
 	last_monitor_check = 0;
-	
-	if (_backend->start (for_latency)) {
+
+	int error_code = _backend->start (for_latency);
+
+	if (error_code != 0) {
+		_last_backend_error_string =
+		    AudioBackend::get_error_string((AudioBackend::ErrorCode)error_code);
 		return -1;
 	}