diff --git a/hexrdgui/image_file_manager.py b/hexrdgui/image_file_manager.py
index 50828a74a..6cfe79def 100644
--- a/hexrdgui/image_file_manager.py
+++ b/hexrdgui/image_file_manager.py
@@ -47,18 +47,10 @@ def load_dummy_images(self, initial=False):
     def load_images(self, detectors, file_names, options=None):
         HexrdConfig().imageseries_dict.clear()
         for name, f in zip(detectors, file_names):
-            try:
-                if isinstance(f, list):
-                    f = f[0]
-                ims = self.open_file(f, options)
-                HexrdConfig().imageseries_dict[name] = ims
-            except (Exception, IOError):
-                exc_str = traceback.format_exc()
-                msg = f'ERROR - Could not read file: \n{exc_str}'
-                HexrdConfig().logger.critical(msg)
-                # Since this is a non-gui thread, we can't use QMessageBox
-                # here, or we will have a segmentation fault.
-                return
+            if isinstance(f, list):
+                f = f[0]
+            ims = self.open_file(f, options)
+            HexrdConfig().imageseries_dict[name] = ims
 
         # Save the path if it should be remembered
         if self.remember:
@@ -85,7 +77,8 @@ def open_file(self, f, options=None):
                     if ims_type not in registry:
                         msg = (
                             '"dectris-compression" must be installed to load '
-                            'eiger stream files'
+                            'eiger stream files.\n\n'
+                            'Try `pip install dectris-compression`'
                         )
                         raise Exception(msg)
 
diff --git a/hexrdgui/image_load_manager.py b/hexrdgui/image_load_manager.py
index 84a8b46df..8c1341b44 100644
--- a/hexrdgui/image_load_manager.py
+++ b/hexrdgui/image_load_manager.py
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ def begin_processing(self, postprocess=False):
         worker.signals.progress.connect(progress_dialog.setValue)
         # On completion load imageseries nd close loading dialog
         worker.signals.result.connect(self.finish_processing_ims)
+        worker.signals.error.connect(self.on_process_ims_error)
         worker.signals.finished.connect(progress_dialog.accept)
         progress_dialog.exec()
 
@@ -229,6 +230,12 @@ def finish_processing_ims(self):
         if self.transformed_images:
             HexrdConfig().deep_rerender_needed.emit()
 
+    def on_process_ims_error(self, error):
+        exctype, value, tb = error
+        msg = f'Failed to process imageseries.\n\n{value}'
+        QMessageBox.critical(None, 'Error', msg)
+        HexrdConfig().logger.critical(tb)
+
     def get_dark_aggr_op(self, ims, idx):
         """
         Returns a tuple of the form (function, frames), where func is the
diff --git a/hexrdgui/simple_image_series_dialog.py b/hexrdgui/simple_image_series_dialog.py
index a99f2d83e..5ebd5ffc1 100644
--- a/hexrdgui/simple_image_series_dialog.py
+++ b/hexrdgui/simple_image_series_dialog.py
@@ -235,7 +235,13 @@ def select_images(self):
         if selected_files:
             self.update_allowed = False
             self.reset_data()
-            self.load_image_data(selected_files)
+
+            try:
+                self.load_image_data(selected_files)
+            except Exception as e:
+                QMessageBox.critical(self.ui, 'Failed to load files', str(e))
+                raise
+
             self.create_table()
             self.setup_gui()
             self.enable_read()