diff --git a/zerver/lib/event_queue.py b/zerver/lib/event_queue.py
index b80fcad1da..938e34d17a 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/event_queue.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/event_queue.py
@@ -469,13 +469,14 @@ def fetch_events(query):
             was_connected = client.finish_current_handler()
 
         if not client.event_queue.empty() or dont_block:
-            ret = {'events': client.event_queue.contents()}
+            response = dict(events=client.event_queue.contents(),
+                            handler_id=handler_id)
             if orig_queue_id is None:
-                ret['queue_id'] = queue_id
-            extra_log_data = "[%s/%s]" % (queue_id, len(ret["events"]))
+                response['queue_id'] = queue_id
+            extra_log_data = "[%s/%s]" % (queue_id, len(response["events"]))
             if was_connected:
                 extra_log_data += " [was connected]"
-            return (ret, extra_log_data)
+            return dict(type="response", response=response, extra_log_data=extra_log_data)
 
         # After this point, dont_block=False, the queue is empty, and we
         # have a pre-existing queue, so we wait for new events.
@@ -483,10 +484,13 @@ def fetch_events(query):
             logging.info("Disconnected handler for queue %s (%s/%s)" % (queue_id, user_profile_email,
                                                                         client_type_name))
     except JsonableError as e:
+        if hasattr(e, 'to_json_error_msg') and callable(e.to_json_error_msg):
+            return dict(type="error", handler_id=handler_id,
+                        message=e.to_json_error_msg())
         raise e
 
     client.connect_handler(handler_id, client_type_name)
-    return (RespondAsynchronously, None)
+    return dict(type="async")
 
 # The following functions are called from Django
 
diff --git a/zerver/lib/test_helpers.py b/zerver/lib/test_helpers.py
index 87780f5090..d40db5c6ed 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/test_helpers.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/test_helpers.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from django.test import TestCase
 
 from zerver.lib.initial_password import initial_password
 from zerver.lib.db import TimeTrackingCursor
+from zerver.lib.handlers import allocate_handler_id
 from zerver.lib import cache
 from zerver.lib import event_queue
 from zerver.worker import queue_processors
diff --git a/zerver/tornadoviews.py b/zerver/tornadoviews.py
index 8db02509c3..2386652642 100644
--- a/zerver/tornadoviews.py
+++ b/zerver/tornadoviews.py
@@ -82,9 +82,13 @@ def get_events_backend(request, user_profile, handler,
             last_connection_time = time.time(),
             narrow = narrow)
 
-    (result, log_data) = fetch_events(events_query)
-    request._log_data['extra'] = log_data
-    if result == RespondAsynchronously:
+    result = fetch_events(events_query)
+    if "extra_log_data" in result:
+        request._log_data['extra'] = result["extra_log_data"]
+
+    if result["type"] == "async":
         handler._request = request
-        return result
-    return json_success(result)
+        return RespondAsynchronously
+    if result["type"] == "error":
+        return json_error(result["message"])
+    return json_success(result["response"])