diff --git a/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/highlightdefinition.cpp b/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/highlightdefinition.cpp
index 0f6556e50e1..c1ad484dbfb 100644
--- a/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/highlightdefinition.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/highlightdefinition.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "itemdata.h"
 #include "reuse.h"
 
+#include <QCoreApplication>
 #include <QString>
 
 using namespace TextEditor;
@@ -45,11 +46,16 @@ namespace {
 template <class Element, class Container>
 QSharedPointer<Element> createHelper(const QString &name, Container &container)
 {
-    if (name.isEmpty())
-        throw HighlighterException();
+    if (name.isEmpty()) {
+        throw HighlighterException(
+                    QCoreApplication::translate("GenericHighlighter", "Element name is empty"));
+    }
 
-    if (container.contains(name))
-        throw HighlighterException();
+    if (container.contains(name)) {
+        throw HighlighterException(
+                QCoreApplication::translate("GenericHighlighter",
+                                            "Duplicate element name \"%1\"").arg(name));
+    }
 
     return container.insert(name, QSharedPointer<Element>(new Element)).value();
 }
@@ -59,8 +65,11 @@ QSharedPointer<Element>
 findHelper(const QString &name, const Container &container)
 {
     typename Container::const_iterator it = container.find(name);
-    if (it == container.end())
-        throw HighlighterException();
+    if (it == container.end()) {
+        throw HighlighterException(
+                    QCoreApplication::translate("GenericHighlighter",
+                                                "name \"%1\" not found").arg(name));
+    }
 
     return it.value();
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/highlighter.cpp b/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/highlighter.cpp
index 74f2898f0aa..07e26893ab6 100644
--- a/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/highlighter.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/highlighter.cpp
@@ -38,8 +38,9 @@
 #include "reuse.h"
 #include "tabsettings.h"
 
-#include <QLatin1String>
-#include <QLatin1Char>
+#include <coreplugin/messagemanager.h>
+
+#include <QCoreApplication>
 
 using namespace TextEditor;
 using namespace Internal;
@@ -205,7 +206,11 @@ void Highlighter::highlightBlock(const QString &text)
             }
             TextDocumentLayout::setParentheses(currentBlock(), parentheses);
 
-        } catch (const HighlighterException &) {
+        } catch (const HighlighterException &e) {
+            Core::MessageManager::write(
+                        QCoreApplication::translate("GenericHighlighter",
+                                                    "Generic highlighter error: ") + e.message(),
+                        Core::MessageManager::WithFocus);
             m_isBroken = true;
         }
     }
@@ -388,8 +393,10 @@ void Highlighter::changeContext(const QString &contextName,
     if (contextName.startsWith(kPop)) {
         QStringList list = contextName.split(kHash, QString::SkipEmptyParts);
         for (int i = 0; i < list.size(); ++i) {
-            if (m_contexts.isEmpty())
-                throw HighlighterException();
+            if (m_contexts.isEmpty()) {
+                throw HighlighterException(
+                        QCoreApplication::translate("GenericHighlighter", "Reached empty context"));
+            }
             m_contexts.pop_back();
         }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/highlighterexception.h b/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/highlighterexception.h
index eabb3d95081..2f55cee4ebf 100644
--- a/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/highlighterexception.h
+++ b/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/highlighterexception.h
@@ -31,8 +31,20 @@
 #ifndef HIGHLIGHTEREXCEPTION_H
 #define HIGHLIGHTEREXCEPTION_H
 
+#include <QString>
+
 namespace TextEditor {
-namespace Internal { class HighlighterException {}; }
+namespace Internal {
+class HighlighterException
+{
+public:
+    HighlighterException(const QString &msg) : m_message(msg) {}
+    QString message() const { return m_message; }
+
+private:
+    QString m_message;
+};
+}
 } // namespace TextEditor
 
 #endif // HIGHLIGHTEREXCEPTION_H
diff --git a/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/manager.cpp b/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/manager.cpp
index e385c88041c..d44eec53749 100644
--- a/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/manager.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/texteditor/generichighlighter/manager.cpp
@@ -39,14 +39,14 @@
 #include <texteditor/texteditorsettings.h>
 
 #include <coreplugin/icore.h>
+#include <coreplugin/messagemanager.h>
 #include <coreplugin/progressmanager/progressmanager.h>
 #include <utils/algorithm.h>
 #include <utils/QtConcurrentTools>
 #include <utils/networkaccessmanager.h>
 
+#include <QCoreApplication>
 #include <QString>
-#include <QLatin1Char>
-#include <QLatin1String>
 #include <QStringList>
 #include <QFile>
 #include <QFileInfo>
@@ -175,7 +175,11 @@ QSharedPointer<HighlightDefinition> Manager::definition(const QString &id)
         m_isBuildingDefinition.insert(id);
         try {
             reader.parse(source);
-        } catch (const HighlighterException &) {
+        } catch (const HighlighterException &e) {
+            Core::MessageManager::write(
+                        QCoreApplication::translate("GenericHighlighter",
+                                                    "Generic highlighter error: ") + e.message(),
+                        Core::MessageManager::WithFocus);
             definition.clear();
         }
         m_isBuildingDefinition.remove(id);