diff --git a/src/sdl/i_system.c b/src/sdl/i_system.c
index c04434347..0e921d73b 100644
--- a/src/sdl/i_system.c
+++ b/src/sdl/i_system.c
@@ -205,6 +205,21 @@ static char returnWadPath[256];
 // TODO - move this to some header file instead
 extern struct backtrace_state *bt_state;
 
+typedef struct bt_crash_reason_s {
+	enum {
+		BTCRASH_SIGNAL,
+		BTCRASH_ERRORMSG,
+	} type;
+
+	union {
+		INT32 signal;
+		const char *errormsg;
+	} value;
+} bt_crash_reason_t;
+
+#define BT_CRASH_REASON_SIGNAL(num) (bt_crash_reason_t){ .type = BTCRASH_SIGNAL, .value = { .signal = num } }
+#define BT_CRASH_REASON_ERRORMSG(msg) (bt_crash_reason_t){ .type = BTCRASH_ERRORMSG, .value = { .errormsg = msg } }
+
 static void printsignal(FILE *fp, INT32 num)
 {
 	switch (num)
@@ -295,7 +310,7 @@ static void bt_error_cb(void *data, const char *msg, int errnum)
 		buf->error = true;
 }
 
-static void write_backtrace(INT32 num)
+static void write_backtrace(bt_crash_reason_t reason)
 {
 	FILE *out = fopen(va("%s" PATHSEP "%s", srb2home, "srb2kart-crash-log.txt"), "a");
 
@@ -331,7 +346,17 @@ static void write_backtrace(INT32 num)
 	fprintf(out, "Time of crash: %s\n", asctime(timeinfo));
 
 	fprintf(out, "Caused by: ");
-	printsignal(out, num);
+
+	switch (reason.type)
+	{
+		case BTCRASH_SIGNAL:
+			printsignal(out, reason.value.signal);
+		break;
+
+		case BTCRASH_ERRORMSG:
+			fprintf(out, "%s", reason.value.errormsg);
+		break;
+	}
 
 	fprintf(out, "\nBacktrace:\n");
 
@@ -484,7 +509,7 @@ FUNCNORETURN static ATTRNORETURN void signal_handler(INT32 num)
 	D_QuitNetGame(); // Fix server freezes
 
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBBACKTRACE
-	write_backtrace(num);
+	write_backtrace(BT_CRASH_REASON_SIGNAL(num));
 #endif
 
 	I_ReportSignal(num, 0);
@@ -883,7 +908,7 @@ static void signal_handler_child(INT32 num)
 {
 
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBBACKTRACE
-	write_backtrace(num);
+	write_backtrace(BT_CRASH_REASON_SIGNAL(num));
 #endif
 
 	signal(num, SIG_DFL);               //default signal action
@@ -3508,6 +3533,11 @@ void I_Error(const char *error, ...)
 	vsprintf(buffer, error, argptr);
 	va_end(argptr);
 	I_OutputMsg("\nI_Error(): %s\n", buffer);
+
+#ifdef HAVE_LIBBACKTRACE
+	write_backtrace(BT_CRASH_REASON_ERRORMSG(buffer));
+#endif
+
 	// ---
 
 	I_ShutdownConsole();