diff --git a/src/engine/Account.c b/src/engine/Account.c
index 3207baca79..bb1e9b6ed4 100644
--- a/src/engine/Account.c
+++ b/src/engine/Account.c
@@ -1063,6 +1063,7 @@ static void on_done(QofInstance *inst)
 static void on_err (QofInstance *inst, QofBackendError errcode)
 {
   PERR("commit error: %d", errcode);
+  gnc_engine_signal_commit_error( errcode );
 }
 
 static void acc_free (QofInstance *inst)
diff --git a/src/engine/SchedXaction.c b/src/engine/SchedXaction.c
index 8da9465321..441cd7203d 100644
--- a/src/engine/SchedXaction.c
+++ b/src/engine/SchedXaction.c
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ gnc_sx_begin_edit (SchedXaction *sx)
 static void commit_err (QofInstance *inst, QofBackendError errcode)
 {
      g_critical("Failed to commit: %d", errcode);
+     gnc_engine_signal_commit_error( errcode );
 }
 
 static void commit_done(QofInstance *inst)
diff --git a/src/engine/Split.c b/src/engine/Split.c
index 64b6a16c86..1cf42655da 100644
--- a/src/engine/Split.c
+++ b/src/engine/Split.c
@@ -498,6 +498,12 @@ xaccSplitSetAccount (Split *s, Account *acc)
         xaccTransCommitEdit(trans);
 }
 
+static void commit_err (QofInstance *inst, QofBackendError errcode)
+{
+  PERR("commit error: %d", errcode);
+  gnc_engine_signal_commit_error( errcode );
+}
+
 /* An engine-private helper for completing xaccTransCommitEdit(). */
 void
 xaccSplitCommitEdit(Split *s)
@@ -551,7 +557,7 @@ xaccSplitCommitEdit(Split *s)
        original and new transactions, for the _next_ begin/commit cycle. */
     s->orig_acc = s->acc;
     s->orig_parent = s->parent;
-    qof_commit_edit_part2(QOF_INSTANCE(s), NULL, NULL, 
+    qof_commit_edit_part2(QOF_INSTANCE(s), commit_err, NULL, 
                           (void (*) (QofInstance *)) xaccFreeSplit);
 
     if (acc) {
diff --git a/src/engine/Transaction.c b/src/engine/Transaction.c
index 83f57cdda9..20293fa418 100644
--- a/src/engine/Transaction.c
+++ b/src/engine/Transaction.c
@@ -940,6 +940,7 @@ static void trans_on_error(Transaction *trans, QofBackendError errcode)
     }
 
     xaccTransRollbackEdit(trans);
+    gnc_engine_signal_commit_error( errcode );
 }
 
 static void trans_cleanup_commit(Transaction *trans)
diff --git a/src/engine/gnc-budget.c b/src/engine/gnc-budget.c
index 5a610e02c2..9af51bc5b7 100644
--- a/src/engine/gnc-budget.c
+++ b/src/engine/gnc-budget.c
@@ -232,6 +232,7 @@ gnc_budget_class_init(GncBudgetClass* klass)
 static void commit_err (QofInstance *inst, QofBackendError errcode)
 {
   PERR ("Failed to commit: %d", errcode);
+  gnc_engine_signal_commit_error( errcode );
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/engine/gnc-commodity.c b/src/engine/gnc-commodity.c
index 8f7819398c..8a192d585e 100644
--- a/src/engine/gnc-commodity.c
+++ b/src/engine/gnc-commodity.c
@@ -519,6 +519,7 @@ gnc_commodity_begin_edit (gnc_commodity *cm)
 static void commit_err (QofInstance *inst, QofBackendError errcode)
 {
   PERR ("Failed to commit: %d", errcode);
+  gnc_engine_signal_commit_error( errcode );
 }
 
 static void noop (QofInstance *inst) {}
diff --git a/src/engine/gnc-engine.c b/src/engine/gnc-engine.c
index 0f0f53a84a..f80c58d37d 100644
--- a/src/engine/gnc-engine.c
+++ b/src/engine/gnc-engine.c
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@
 
 static GList * engine_init_hooks = NULL;
 static int engine_is_initialized = 0;
+
+EngineCommitErrorCallback g_error_cb;
+gpointer g_error_cb_data;
+
 // static QofLogModule log_module = GNC_MOD_ENGINE;
 
 /* GnuCash version functions */
@@ -165,3 +169,17 @@ void gnc_log_default(void)
 	qof_log_set_level(GNC_MOD_TEST, QOF_LOG_DEBUG);
 }
 
+void
+gnc_engine_add_commit_error_callback( EngineCommitErrorCallback cb, gpointer data )
+{
+    g_error_cb = cb;
+    g_error_cb_data = data;
+}
+
+void
+gnc_engine_signal_commit_error( QofBackendError errcode )
+{
+    if( g_error_cb != NULL ) {
+	(*g_error_cb)( g_error_cb_data, errcode );
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/engine/gnc-engine.h b/src/engine/gnc-engine.h
index b9627f244c..bc22b200c1 100644
--- a/src/engine/gnc-engine.h
+++ b/src/engine/gnc-engine.h
@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ typedef GList                  AccountGUIDList;
 /** GList of GUIDs of a GNCBook */
 typedef GList                  BookGUIDList;
 
+typedef void (*EngineCommitErrorCallback)( gpointer data, QofBackendError errcode );
 
 typedef  gint (*SplitCallback)(Split *s, gpointer data);
 typedef  gint (*TransactionCallback)(Transaction *t, void *data);
@@ -244,5 +245,11 @@ void gnc_log_default(void);
  * it will be called during the evaluation of gnc_engine_init */
 void gnc_engine_add_init_hook(gnc_engine_init_hook_t hook);
 
+/** Set a callback function to be called in case an engine commit
+ * fails */
+void gnc_engine_add_commit_error_callback( EngineCommitErrorCallback cb, gpointer data );
+
+void gnc_engine_signal_commit_error( QofBackendError errcode );
+
 #endif
 /** @} */
diff --git a/src/engine/gnc-lot.c b/src/engine/gnc-lot.c
index a5ae770a7e..9e92264c1f 100644
--- a/src/engine/gnc-lot.c
+++ b/src/engine/gnc-lot.c
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ gnc_lot_begin_edit (GNCLot *lot)
 static void commit_err (QofInstance *inst, QofBackendError errcode)
 {
   PERR ("Failed to commit: %d", errcode);
+  gnc_engine_signal_commit_error( errcode );
 }
 
 static void lot_free(QofInstance* inst)
diff --git a/src/engine/gnc-pricedb.c b/src/engine/gnc-pricedb.c
index 45062dce61..dc0f9bc4c0 100644
--- a/src/engine/gnc-pricedb.c
+++ b/src/engine/gnc-pricedb.c
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ gnc_price_begin_edit (GNCPrice *p)
 static void commit_err (QofInstance *inst, QofBackendError errcode)
 {
   PERR ("Failed to commit: %d", errcode);
+  gnc_engine_signal_commit_error( errcode );
 }
 
 static void noop (QofInstance *inst) {}
diff --git a/src/gnome-utils/gnc-main-window.c b/src/gnome-utils/gnc-main-window.c
index 028fe0762e..8ff55b6e35 100644
--- a/src/gnome-utils/gnc-main-window.c
+++ b/src/gnome-utils/gnc-main-window.c
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ static void gnc_main_window_page_reordered (GtkNotebook *notebook, GtkWidget *ch
 #endif
 static void gnc_main_window_plugin_added (GncPlugin *manager, GncPlugin *plugin, GncMainWindow *window);
 static void gnc_main_window_plugin_removed (GncPlugin *manager, GncPlugin *plugin, GncMainWindow *window);
+static void gnc_main_window_engine_commit_error_callback( gpointer data, QofBackendError errcode );
 
 /* Command callbacks */
 #ifdef HAVE_GTK_2_10
@@ -2039,6 +2040,9 @@ gnc_main_window_new (void)
     active_windows = g_list_append (active_windows, window);
     gnc_main_window_update_title(window);
     gnc_main_window_update_all_menu_items();
+
+    gnc_engine_add_commit_error_callback( gnc_main_window_engine_commit_error_callback, window );
+
     return window;
 }
 
@@ -2046,6 +2050,23 @@ gnc_main_window_new (void)
  *                     Utility Functions                    *
  ************************************************************/
 
+static void
+gnc_main_window_engine_commit_error_callback( gpointer data,
+					QofBackendError errcode )
+{
+      GncMainWindow* window = GNC_MAIN_WINDOW(data);
+      GtkWidget* dialog;
+
+      dialog = gtk_message_dialog_new( GTK_WINDOW(window),
+                                       GTK_DIALOG_DESTROY_WITH_PARENT,
+                                       GTK_MESSAGE_ERROR,
+                                       GTK_BUTTONS_CLOSE,
+                                       "Unable to save to database" );
+      gtk_dialog_run(GTK_DIALOG (dialog));
+      gtk_widget_destroy(dialog);
+
+}
+
 /** Connect a GncPluginPage to the window.  This function will insert
  *  the page in to the window's notebook and its list of active pages.
  *  It will also emit the "inserted" signal on the page, and the