diff --git a/spec/package-manager-spec.coffee b/spec/package-manager-spec.coffee
index 4d6c56d4e..bab5bb260 100644
--- a/spec/package-manager-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/package-manager-spec.coffee
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ describe "PackageManager", ->
       expect(pack.metadata.name).toBe "package-with-index"
 
     it "returns the package if it has an invalid keymap", ->
-      spyOn(console, 'warn')
       pack = atom.packages.loadPackage("package-with-broken-keymap")
       expect(pack instanceof Package).toBe true
       expect(pack.metadata.name).toBe "package-with-broken-keymap"
@@ -30,10 +29,11 @@ describe "PackageManager", ->
       expect(pack.stylesheets.length).toBe 0
 
     it "returns null if the package has an invalid package.json", ->
-      spyOn(console, 'warn')
+      addErrorHandler = jasmine.createSpy()
+      atom.notifications.onDidAddNotification(addErrorHandler)
       expect(atom.packages.loadPackage("package-with-broken-package-json")).toBeNull()
-      expect(console.warn.callCount).toBe(1)
-      expect(console.warn.argsForCall[0][0]).toContain("Failed to load package.json")
+      expect(addErrorHandler.callCount).toBe 1
+      expect(addErrorHandler.argsForCall[0][0].message).toContain("Failed to load the package-with-broken-package-json package")
 
     it "returns null if the package is not found in any package directory", ->
       spyOn(console, 'warn')
diff --git a/src/package-manager.coffee b/src/package-manager.coffee
index bcd7dc28e..22c62e9b4 100644
--- a/src/package-manager.coffee
+++ b/src/package-manager.coffee
@@ -343,16 +343,22 @@ class PackageManager
 
       try
         metadata = Package.loadMetadata(packagePath) ? {}
-        if metadata.theme
-          pack = new ThemePackage(packagePath, metadata)
-        else
-          pack = new Package(packagePath, metadata)
-        pack.load()
-        @loadedPackages[pack.name] = pack
-        @emitter.emit 'did-load-package', pack
-        return pack
       catch error
-        console.warn "Failed to load package.json '#{path.basename(packagePath)}'", error.stack ? error
+        metadataPath = path.join(packagePath, 'package.json')
+        detail = error.message + " in #{metadataPath}"
+        stack = error.stack + "\n  at #{metadataPath}:1:1"
+        message = "Failed to load the #{path.basename(packagePath)} package"
+        atom.notifications.addFatalError(message, {stack, detail, dismissable: true})
+        return null
+
+      if metadata.theme
+        pack = new ThemePackage(packagePath, metadata)
+      else
+        pack = new Package(packagePath, metadata)
+      pack.load()
+      @loadedPackages[pack.name] = pack
+      @emitter.emit 'did-load-package', pack
+      return pack
     else
       console.warn "Could not resolve '#{nameOrPath}' to a package path"
     null