diff --git a/src/components/GraphiQL.js b/src/components/GraphiQL.js
index 2250be06db0..1c8bfbad39a 100644
--- a/src/components/GraphiQL.js
+++ b/src/components/GraphiQL.js
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ export class GraphiQL extends React.Component {
         error: error => {
           this.setState({
             isWaitingForResponse: false,
-            response: error && String(error.stack || error),
+            response: this.makeSubscriptionErrorResponse(error),
             subscription: null,
           });
         },
@@ -592,6 +592,18 @@ export class GraphiQL extends React.Component {
     }
   }
 
+  makeSubscriptionErrorResponse = error => {
+    const errorResp = {
+      errors: [],
+    };
+    if (error.originalError) {
+      errorResp.errors.push(error.originalError);
+    } else {
+      errorResp.errors.push(error);
+    }
+    return JSON.stringify(errorResp, null, 2);
+  };
+
   handleClickReference = reference => {
     this.setState({ docExplorerOpen: true }, () => {
       this.docExplorerComponent.showDocForReference(reference);
@@ -642,7 +654,9 @@ export class GraphiQL extends React.Component {
     } catch (error) {
       this.setState({
         isWaitingForResponse: false,
-        response: error.message,
+        response: error.message
+          ? JSON.stringify(error.message, null, 2)
+          : JSON.stringify(error, null, 2),
       });
     }
   };