diff --git a/src/attica/atticaprovider.cpp b/src/attica/atticaprovider.cpp
--- a/src/attica/atticaprovider.cpp
+++ b/src/attica/atticaprovider.cpp
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
         emit providerInitialized(this);
         emit categoriesMetadataLoded(categoryMetadataList);
     } else {
-        emit signalError(i18n("All categories are missing"));
+        emit signalErrorCode(KNSCore::ConfigFileError, i18n("All categories are missing"), QVariant());
     }
 }
 
@@ -437,13 +437,13 @@
     qCDebug(KNEWSTUFFCORE) << "job error: " << job->metadata().error() << " status code: " << job->metadata().statusCode() << job->metadata().message();
 
     if (job->metadata().error() == Attica::Metadata::NetworkError) {
-        emit signalError(i18n("Network error %1: %2", job->metadata().statusCode(), job->metadata().statusString()));
+        emit signalErrorCode(KNSCore::NetworkError, i18n("Network error %1: %2", job->metadata().statusCode(), job->metadata().statusString()), job->metadata().statusCode());
     }
     if (job->metadata().error() == Attica::Metadata::OcsError) {
         if (job->metadata().statusCode() == 200) {
-            emit signalError(i18n("Too many requests to server. Please try again in a few minutes."));
+            emit signalErrorCode(KNSCore::OcsError, i18n("Too many requests to server. Please try again in a few minutes."), job->metadata().statusCode());
         } else {
-            emit signalError(i18n("Unknown Open Collaboration Service API error. (%1)", job->metadata().statusCode()));
+            emit signalErrorCode(KNSCore::OcsError, i18n("Unknown Open Collaboration Service API error. (%1)", job->metadata().statusCode()), job->metadata().statusCode());
         }
     }
     return false;
diff --git a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@
   DownloadManager
   Engine
   EntryInternal
+  ErrorCode
   Installation
   ItemsModel
   Provider
diff --git a/src/core/downloadmanager.cpp b/src/core/downloadmanager.cpp
--- a/src/core/downloadmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/core/downloadmanager.cpp
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
     q->connect(engine, &KNSCore::Engine::signalUpdateableEntriesLoaded, q, &DownloadManager::searchResult);
     q->connect(engine, &KNSCore::Engine::signalEntriesLoaded, q, &DownloadManager::searchResult);
     q->connect(engine, &KNSCore::Engine::signalEntryChanged, q, &DownloadManager::entryStatusChanged);
-    q->connect(engine, &KNSCore::Engine::signalError, q, &DownloadManager::errorFound);
+    q->connect(engine, &KNSCore::Engine::signalErrorCode, q, [this](const KNSCore::ErrorCode &, const QString &message, const QVariant &){ emit q->errorFound(message); });
     engine->init(configFile);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/engine.h b/src/core/engine.h
--- a/src/core/engine.h
+++ b/src/core/engine.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 #include "provider.h"
 #include "entryinternal.h"
+#include "errorcode.h"
 
 #include "knewstuffcore_export.h"
 
@@ -417,9 +418,17 @@
     void signalDownloadDialogDone(KNSCore::EntryInternal::List);
     void jobStarted(KJob *, const QString &);
 
-    void signalError(const QString &);
+    QT_DEPRECATED void signalError(const QString &);
     void signalBusy(const QString &);
     void signalIdle(const QString &);
+    /**
+     * Fires in the case of any critical or serious errors, such as network or API problems.
+     * @param errorCode Represents the specific type of error which has occurred
+     * @param message A human-readable message which can be shown to the end user
+     * @param metadata Any additional data which might be hepful to further work out the details of the error (see KNSCore::EntryInternal::ErrorCode for the metadata details)
+     * @see KNSCore::EntryInternal::ErrorCode
+     */
+    void signalErrorCode(const KNSCore::ErrorCode &errorCode, const QString &message, const QVariant &metadata);
 
     void signalCategoriesMetadataLoded(const QList<Provider::CategoryMetadata> &categories);
 
diff --git a/src/core/engine.cpp b/src/core/engine.cpp
--- a/src/core/engine.cpp
+++ b/src/core/engine.cpp
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@
     connect(m_searchTimer, &QTimer::timeout, this, &Engine::slotSearchTimerExpired);
     connect(m_installation, &Installation::signalInstallationFinished, this, &Engine::slotInstallationFinished);
     connect(m_installation, &Installation::signalInstallationFailed, this, &Engine::slotInstallationFailed);
+    // Pass along old error signal through new signal for locations which have not been updated yet
+    connect(this, &Engine::signalError, this, [this](const QString& message){ emit signalErrorCode(ErrorCode::UnknownError, message, QVariant()); });
 }
 
 Engine::~Engine()
@@ -104,7 +106,7 @@
 
     KConfig conf(configfile);
     if (conf.accessMode() == KConfig::NoAccess) {
-        emit signalError(i18n("Configuration file exists, but cannot be opened: \"%1\"", configfile));
+        emit signalErrorCode(KNSCore::ConfigFileError, i18n("Configuration file exists, but cannot be opened: \"%1\"", configfile), configfile);
         qCCritical(KNEWSTUFFCORE) << "The knsrc file '" << configfile << "' was found but could not be opened.";
         return false;
     }
@@ -117,7 +119,7 @@
         qCDebug(KNEWSTUFFCORE) << "Loading KNewStuff2 config: " << configfile;
         group = conf.group("KNewStuff2");
     } else {
-        emit signalError(i18n("Configuration file is invalid: \"%1\"", configfile));
+        emit signalErrorCode(KNSCore::ConfigFileError, i18n("Configuration file is invalid: \"%1\"", configfile), configfile);
         qCCritical(KNEWSTUFFCORE) << configfile << " doesn't contain a KNewStuff3 section.";
         return false;
     }
@@ -209,7 +211,7 @@
         isAtticaProviderFile = true;
     } else if (providers.tagName() != QLatin1String("ghnsproviders") && providers.tagName() != QLatin1String("knewstuffproviders")) {
         qWarning() << "No document in providers.xml.";
-        emit signalError(i18n("Could not load get hot new stuff providers from file: %1", m_providerFileUrl));
+        emit signalErrorCode(KNSCore::ProviderError, i18n("Could not load get hot new stuff providers from file: %1", m_providerFileUrl), m_providerFileUrl);
         return;
     }
 
@@ -232,7 +234,7 @@
         if (provider->setProviderXML(n)) {
             addProvider(provider);
         } else {
-            emit signalError(i18n("Error initializing provider."));
+            emit signalErrorCode(KNSCore::ProviderError, i18n("Error initializing provider."), m_providerFileUrl);
         }
         n = n.nextSiblingElement();
     }
@@ -267,6 +269,7 @@
     connect(provider.data(), &Provider::entryDetailsLoaded, this, &Engine::slotEntryDetailsLoaded);
     connect(provider.data(), &Provider::payloadLinkLoaded, this, &Engine::downloadLinkLoaded);
     connect(provider.data(), &Provider::signalError, this, &Engine::signalError);
+    connect(provider.data(), &Provider::signalErrorCode, this, &Engine::signalErrorCode);
     connect(provider.data(), &Provider::signalInformation, this, &Engine::signalIdle);
 }
 
@@ -277,7 +280,7 @@
 
 void Engine::slotProvidersFailed()
 {
-    emit signalError(i18n("Loading of providers from file: %1 failed", m_providerFileUrl));
+    emit signalErrorCode(KNSCore::ProviderError, i18n("Loading of providers from file: %1 failed", m_providerFileUrl), m_providerFileUrl);
 }
 
 void Engine::providerInitialized(Provider *p)
@@ -511,7 +514,7 @@
 void Engine::slotInstallationFailed(const QString &message)
 {
     --m_numInstallJobs;
-    emit signalError(message);
+    emit signalErrorCode(KNSCore::InstallationError, message, QVariant());
 }
 
 void Engine::slotEntryDetailsLoaded(const KNSCore::EntryInternal &entry)
@@ -569,6 +572,7 @@
     connect(l, &ImageLoader::signalError, this, [this](const KNSCore::EntryInternal &entry,
                                                        EntryInternal::PreviewType type,
                                                        const QString &errorText) {
+        emit signalErrorCode(KNSCore::ImageError, errorText, QVariantList() << entry.name() << type);
         qCDebug(KNEWSTUFFCORE) << "ERROR preview: " << errorText << entry.name() << type;
         --m_numPictureJobs;
         updateStatus();
diff --git a/src/core/errorcode.h b/src/core/errorcode.h
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/errorcode.h
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/*
+    knewstuff3/errorcode.h.
+    Copyright (c) 2018 Dan Leinir Turthra Jensen <admin@leinir.dk>
+
+    This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+    modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+    License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+    version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+    This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+    Lesser General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+    License along with this library.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+
+#ifndef KNSCORE_ERRORCODE_H
+#define KNSCORE_ERRORCODE_H
+
+namespace KNSCore {
+    /**
+     * An enumeration of specific error conditions which might occur and which
+     * users of KNewStuff would want to react to. It is used by both the Engine and
+     * Provider classes.
+     */
+    enum ErrorCode {
+        UnknownError, // An unknown error (this should not be used, an error report of this nature should be considered a bug)
+        NetworkError, // A network error. In signalErrorCode, this will be accompanied by the QtNetwork error code in the metadata
+        OcsError, // An error reported by the OCS API server. In signalErrorCode, this will be accompanied by the OCS error code in the metadata
+        ConfigFileError, // The configuration file is missing or somehow incorrect. The configuration file filename will be held in the metadata
+        ProviderError, // A provider has failed to load or initialize. The provider file URL or provider URL will be held in the metadata
+        InstallationError, // Installation of a content item has failed
+        ImageError // Loading an image has failed. The entry name and preview type which failed will be held in the metadata as a QVariantList
+    };
+}
+#endif//KNSCORE_ERRORCODE_H
diff --git a/src/core/provider.h b/src/core/provider.h
--- a/src/core/provider.h
+++ b/src/core/provider.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <QUrl>
 
 #include "entryinternal.h"
+#include "errorcode.h"
 
 #include "knewstuffcore_export.h"
 
@@ -202,6 +203,7 @@
 
     void signalInformation(const QString &) const;
     void signalError(const QString &) const;
+    void signalErrorCode(const KNSCore::ErrorCode &errorCode, const QString &message, const QVariant &metadata) const;
 
     void categoriesMetadataLoded(const QList<CategoryMetadata> &categories);
 
diff --git a/src/downloadwidget.cpp b/src/downloadwidget.cpp
--- a/src/downloadwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/downloadwidget.cpp
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@
     q->connect(engine, &KNSCore::Engine::signalMessage, this, &DownloadWidgetPrivate::slotShowMessage);
 
     q->connect(engine, &KNSCore::Engine::signalBusy, ui.progressIndicator, &ProgressIndicator::busy);
-    q->connect(engine, &KNSCore::Engine::signalError, ui.progressIndicator, &ProgressIndicator::error);
+    q->connect(engine, &KNSCore::Engine::signalErrorCode, ui.progressIndicator, &ProgressIndicator::error);
     q->connect(engine, &KNSCore::Engine::signalIdle, ui.progressIndicator, &ProgressIndicator::idle);
 
     q->connect(engine, &KNSCore::Engine::signalProvidersLoaded, this, &DownloadWidgetPrivate::slotProvidersLoaded);
diff --git a/src/ui/progressindicator.cpp b/src/ui/progressindicator.cpp
--- a/src/ui/progressindicator.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/progressindicator.cpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
     busyWidget->setSequence(m_busyPixmap);
 }
 
-void ProgressIndicator::error(const QString &message)
+void KNS3::ProgressIndicator::error(const KNSCore::ErrorCode& /*errorCode*/, const QString& message, const QVariant& /*metadata*/)
 {
     m_statusLabel->setText(message);
     busyWidget->setVisible(true);
diff --git a/src/ui/progressindicator_p.h b/src/ui/progressindicator_p.h
--- a/src/ui/progressindicator_p.h
+++ b/src/ui/progressindicator_p.h
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 #ifndef KNEWSTUFF3_PROGRESSINDICATOR_P_H
 #define KNEWSTUFF3_PROGRESSINDICATOR_P_H
 
+#include "errorcode.h"
+
 #include <QFrame>
 #include <kpixmapsequence.h>
 
@@ -48,7 +50,7 @@
 
 public Q_SLOTS:
     void busy(const QString &message);
-    void error(const QString &message);
+    void error(const KNSCore::ErrorCode &errorCode, const QString &message, const QVariant &metadata);
     void idle(const QString &message);
 
 private: