diff --git a/src/background.js b/src/background.js
index aacd7f7..fec21b4 100644
--- a/src/background.js
+++ b/src/background.js
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ async function getFullSettings() {
     });
     var response = await hostAction(configureSettings, "configure");
     if (response.status != "ok") {
-        throw new Error(JSON.stringify(response)); // TODO handle host error
+        settings.hostError = response;
     }
     settings.version = response.version;
     if (Object.keys(settings.stores).length > 0) {
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ async function getFullSettings() {
                 }
             }
         }
-    } else {
+    } else if (response.status == "ok") {
         // no user-configured stores, so use the default store
         settings.stores.default = {
             id: "default",
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ async function handleMessage(settings, message, sendResponse) {
             } catch (e) {
                 sendResponse({
                     status: "error",
-                    message: "Unable to save settings" + e.toString()
+                    message: e.message
                 });
             }
             break;
@@ -863,9 +863,10 @@ async function saveSettings(settings) {
     // 'default' is our reserved name for the default store
     delete settingsToSave.stores.default;
 
+    // verify that the native host is happy with the provided settings
     var response = await hostAction(settingsToSave, "configure");
     if (response.status != "ok") {
-        throw new Error(JSON.stringify(response)); // TODO handle host error
+        throw new Error(`${response.params.message}: ${response.params.error}`);
     }
 
     // before save, make sure to remove store settings that we receive from the host app
diff --git a/src/options/interface.js b/src/options/interface.js
index 9719bb3..e982875 100644
--- a/src/options/interface.js
+++ b/src/options/interface.js
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ function view(ctl, params) {
     if (typeof this.error !== "undefined") {
         nodes.push(m("div.error", this.error.message));
     }
+    if (this.settings.hasOwnProperty("hostError")) {
+        let hostError = this.settings.hostError;
+        nodes.push(m("div.error", hostError.params.message));
+    }
 
     nodes.push(
         m(
@@ -84,7 +88,7 @@ function view(ctl, params) {
                 disabled: !this.saveEnabled,
                 onclick: async () => {
                     try {
-                        await this.saveSettings(this.settings);
+                        this.settings = await this.saveSettings(this.settings);
                         this.error = undefined;
                     } catch (e) {
                         this.error = e;
diff --git a/src/options/options.js b/src/options/options.js
index 6414482..a8fcb8d 100644
--- a/src/options/options.js
+++ b/src/options/options.js
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ function handleError(error, type = "error") {
  * @since 3.0.0
  *
  * @param object settings Settings object
+ * @return object Settings object
  */
 async function saveSettings(settings) {
     var response = await chrome.runtime.sendMessage({
@@ -42,6 +43,14 @@ async function saveSettings(settings) {
     if (response.status != "ok") {
         throw new Error(response.message);
     }
+
+    // reload settings
+    var response = await chrome.runtime.sendMessage({ action: "getSettings" });
+    if (response.status != "ok") {
+        throw new Error(response.message);
+    }
+
+    return response.settings;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/popup/popup.js b/src/popup/popup.js
index 1947634..30cf842 100644
--- a/src/popup/popup.js
+++ b/src/popup/popup.js
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ async function run() {
         }
         var settings = response.settings;
 
+        if (settings.hasOwnProperty("hostError")) {
+            throw new Error(settings.hostError.params.message);
+        }
+
         if (typeof settings.host === "undefined") {
             throw new Error("Unable to retrieve current tab information");
         }