diff --git a/packages/ddp/livedata_connection.js b/packages/ddp/livedata_connection.js
index 010c0822c2..3aeeec3878 100644
--- a/packages/ddp/livedata_connection.js
+++ b/packages/ddp/livedata_connection.js
@@ -950,9 +950,9 @@ _.extend(Connection.prototype, {
   // We detected via DDP-level heartbeats that we've lost the
   // connection.  Unlike `disconnect` or `close`, a lost connection
   // will be automatically retried.
-  _lostConnection: function () {
+  _lostConnection: function (error) {
     var self = this;
-    self._stream._lostConnection();
+    self._stream._lostConnection(error);
   },
 
   /**
@@ -1036,15 +1036,8 @@ _.extend(Connection.prototype, {
         heartbeatInterval: self._heartbeatInterval,
         heartbeatTimeout: self._heartbeatTimeout,
         onTimeout: function () {
-          if (Meteor.isClient && ! self._stream._isStub) {
-            // only print on the client. this message is useful on the
-            // browser console to see that we've lost connection. on the
-            // server (eg when doing server-to-server DDP), it gets
-            // kinda annoying. also this matches the behavior with
-            // sockjs timeouts.
-            Meteor._debug("Connection timeout. No DDP heartbeat received.");
-          }
-          self._lostConnection();
+          self._lostConnection(
+            new DDP.ConnectionError("DDP heartbeat timed out"));
         },
         sendPing: function () {
           self._send({msg: 'ping'});
diff --git a/packages/ddp/stream_client_common.js b/packages/ddp/stream_client_common.js
index f2c175f1bc..dda61396e4 100644
--- a/packages/ddp/stream_client_common.js
+++ b/packages/ddp/stream_client_common.js
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ _.extend(LivedataTest.ClientStream.prototype, {
 
     // if we're mid-connection, stop it.
     if (self.currentStatus.status === "connecting") {
+      // Pretend it's a clean close.
       self._lostConnection();
     }
 
@@ -193,8 +194,7 @@ _.extend(LivedataTest.ClientStream.prototype, {
     self.statusChanged();
   },
 
-  // maybeError is only guaranteed to be set for the Node implementation, and
-  // not on a clean close.
+  // maybeError is set unless it's a clean protocol-level close.
   _lostConnection: function (maybeError) {
     var self = this;
 
diff --git a/packages/ddp/stream_client_sockjs.js b/packages/ddp/stream_client_sockjs.js
index 7319e5ef1f..71df887e3c 100644
--- a/packages/ddp/stream_client_sockjs.js
+++ b/packages/ddp/stream_client_sockjs.js
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ _.extend(LivedataTest.ClientStream.prototype, {
 
   },
 
-  _cleanup: function () {
+  _cleanup: function (maybeError) {
     var self = this;
 
     self._clearConnectionAndHeartbeatTimers();
@@ -91,7 +91,9 @@ _.extend(LivedataTest.ClientStream.prototype, {
       self.socket = null;
     }
 
-    _.each(self.eventCallbacks.disconnect, function (callback) { callback(); });
+    _.each(self.eventCallbacks.disconnect, function (callback) {
+      callback(maybeError);
+    });
   },
 
   _clearConnectionAndHeartbeatTimers: function () {
@@ -109,7 +111,7 @@ _.extend(LivedataTest.ClientStream.prototype, {
   _heartbeat_timeout: function () {
     var self = this;
     Meteor._debug("Connection timeout. No sockjs heartbeat received.");
-    self._lostConnection();
+    self._lostConnection(new DDP.ConnectionError("Heartbeat timed out"));
   },
 
   _heartbeat_received: function () {
@@ -171,7 +173,6 @@ _.extend(LivedataTest.ClientStream.prototype, {
         });
     };
     self.socket.onclose = function () {
-      // Meteor._debug("stream disconnect", _.toArray(arguments), (new Date()).toDateString());
       self._lostConnection();
     };
     self.socket.onerror = function () {
@@ -185,8 +186,9 @@ _.extend(LivedataTest.ClientStream.prototype, {
 
     if (self.connectionTimer)
       clearTimeout(self.connectionTimer);
-    self.connectionTimer = setTimeout(
-      _.bind(self._lostConnection, self),
-      self.CONNECT_TIMEOUT);
+    self.connectionTimer = setTimeout(function () {
+      self._lostConnection(
+        new DDP.ConnectionError("DDP connection timed out"));
+    }, self.CONNECT_TIMEOUT);
   }
 });
diff --git a/tools/catalog.js b/tools/catalog.js
index 238577487e..c4382a936b 100644
--- a/tools/catalog.js
+++ b/tools/catalog.js
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart.prototype.beforeCommand = function () {
     if (self.options.ignoreErrors) {
       Console.debug("Failed to update package catalog, but will continue.");
     } else {
+      Console.error(catalog.refreshError);
       Console.error("This command requires an up-to-date package catalog.  Exiting.");
       // Avoid circular dependency.
       throw new (require('./main.js').ExitWithCode)(1);
@@ -79,14 +80,17 @@ catalog.refreshOrWarn = function (options) {
 
     // XXX is throwing correct for SQLite errors too? probably.
 
-    Console.warn("Unable to refresh catalog (are you offline?)\n");
+    Console.warn("Unable to refresh catalog (are you offline?)");
 
     // XXX: Make this Console.debug(err)
     if (Console.isDebugEnabled()) {
       Console.printError(err);
     }
 
+    Console.warn();
+
     catalog.refreshFailed = true;
+    catalog.refreshError = err;
     return false;
   }
 };
diff --git a/tools/service-connection.js b/tools/service-connection.js
index 6c1323e942..18b53c1145 100644
--- a/tools/service-connection.js
+++ b/tools/service-connection.js
@@ -68,10 +68,14 @@ var ServiceConnection = function (Package, endpointUrl, options) {
       // Otherwise, ignore this error. We're going to reconnect!
       return;
     }
+    // Are we waiting to connect or for the result of a method apply or a
+    // subscribeAndWait? If so, disconnecting is a problem.
     if (self.currentFuture) {
       var fut = self.currentFuture;
       self.currentFuture = null;
-      fut.throw(error || new Error("DDP disconnected"));
+      fut.throw(error ||
+                new Package.ddp.DDP.ConnectionError(
+                  "DDP disconnected while connection in progress"));
     } else if (error) {
       // We got some sort of error with nobody listening for it; handle it.
       // XXX probably have a better way to handle it than this