diff --git a/resources/lang/en.json b/resources/lang/en.json
index 92111a61b..2946e5e2f 100644
--- a/resources/lang/en.json
+++ b/resources/lang/en.json
@@ -453,6 +453,7 @@
   },
   "error_modal": {
     "crashed": "Game crashed!",
+    "connection_error": "Connection error!",
     "paste_discord": "Please paste the following in your bug report in Discord:",
     "copy_clipboard": "Copy to clipboard",
     "copied": "Copied!",
diff --git a/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts b/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
index 401ea2653..80771b257 100644
--- a/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
+++ b/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
@@ -99,6 +99,17 @@ export function joinLobby(
         terrainLoad,
       ).then((r) => r.start());
     }
+    if (message.type === "error") {
+      showErrorModal(
+        message.error,
+        "",
+        lobbyConfig.gameID,
+        lobbyConfig.clientID,
+        true,
+        false,
+        "error_modal.connection_error",
+      );
+    }
   };
   transport.connect(onconnect, onmessage);
   return () => {
@@ -309,7 +320,19 @@ export class ClientGameRunner {
           this.lobby.gameStartInfo.gameID,
           this.lobby.clientID,
           true,
-          translateText("error_modal.desync_notice"),
+          false,
+          "error_modal.desync_notice",
+        );
+      }
+      if (message.type === "error") {
+        showErrorModal(
+          message.error,
+          "",
+          this.lobby.gameID,
+          this.lobby.clientID,
+          true,
+          false,
+          "error_modal.connection_error",
         );
       }
       if (message.type === "turn") {
@@ -538,7 +561,8 @@ function showErrorModal(
   gameID: GameID,
   clientID: ClientID,
   closable = false,
-  heading = translateText("error_modal.crashed"),
+  showDiscord = true,
+  heading = "error_modal.crashed",
 ) {
   const errorText = `Error: ${errMsg}\nStack: ${stack}`;
 
@@ -550,7 +574,9 @@ function showErrorModal(
 
   modal.id = "error-modal";
 
-  const content = `${translateText(heading)}\n game id: ${gameID}, client id: ${clientID}\n${translateText("error_modal.paste_discord")}\n${errorText}`;
+  const discord = showDiscord ? translateText("error_modal.paste_discord") : "";
+
+  const content = `${discord}\n${translateText(heading)}\n game id: ${gameID}, client id: ${clientID}\n${errorText}`;
 
   // Create elements
   const pre = document.createElement("pre");
diff --git a/src/client/Transport.ts b/src/client/Transport.ts
index 7d112c8ad..f4b732f8d 100644
--- a/src/client/Transport.ts
+++ b/src/client/Transport.ts
@@ -327,8 +327,8 @@ export class Transport {
       console.log(
         `WebSocket closed. Code: ${event.code}, Reason: ${event.reason}`,
       );
-      if (event.code !== 1000) {
-        console.log(`reconnecting`);
+      if (event.code !== 1000 && event.code !== 1002) {
+        console.log(`recieved error code ${event.code}, reconnecting`);
         this.reconnect();
       }
     };
diff --git a/src/core/Schemas.ts b/src/core/Schemas.ts
index 471dd647f..bb0ca9550 100644
--- a/src/core/Schemas.ts
+++ b/src/core/Schemas.ts
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@ export type ServerMessage =
   | ServerStartGameMessage
   | ServerPingMessage
   | ServerDesyncMessage
-  | ServerPrestartMessage;
+  | ServerPrestartMessage
+  | ServerErrorMessage;
 
 export type ServerSyncMessage = z.infer<typeof ServerTurnMessageSchema>;
 export type ServerStartGameMessage = z.infer<
@@ -89,6 +90,7 @@ export type ServerStartGameMessage = z.infer<
 export type ServerPingMessage = z.infer<typeof ServerPingMessageSchema>;
 export type ServerDesyncMessage = z.infer<typeof ServerDesyncSchema>;
 export type ServerPrestartMessage = z.infer<typeof ServerPrestartMessageSchema>;
+export type ServerErrorMessage = z.infer<typeof ServerErrorSchema>;
 export type ClientSendWinnerMessage = z.infer<typeof ClientSendWinnerSchema>;
 export type ClientPingMessage = z.infer<typeof ClientPingMessageSchema>;
 export type ClientIntentMessage = z.infer<typeof ClientIntentMessageSchema>;
@@ -330,7 +332,7 @@ export const TurnSchema = z.object({
 // Server
 
 const ServerBaseMessageSchema = z.object({
-  type: z.enum(["turn", "ping", "prestart", "start", "desync"]),
+  type: z.enum(["turn", "ping", "prestart", "start", "desync", "error"]),
 });
 
 export const ServerTurnMessageSchema = ServerBaseMessageSchema.extend({
@@ -375,12 +377,18 @@ export const ServerDesyncSchema = ServerBaseMessageSchema.extend({
   yourHash: z.number().optional(),
 });
 
+export const ServerErrorSchema = ServerBaseMessageSchema.extend({
+  type: z.literal("error"),
+  error: z.string(),
+});
+
 export const ServerMessageSchema = z.discriminatedUnion("type", [
   ServerTurnMessageSchema,
   ServerPrestartMessageSchema,
   ServerStartGameMessageSchema,
   ServerPingMessageSchema,
   ServerDesyncSchema,
+  ServerErrorSchema,
 ]);
 
 // Client
diff --git a/src/server/GameServer.ts b/src/server/GameServer.ts
index 3b538cb32..37c51c7f1 100644
--- a/src/server/GameServer.ts
+++ b/src/server/GameServer.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   Intent,
   PlayerRecord,
   ServerDesyncSchema,
+  ServerErrorMessage,
   ServerPrestartMessageSchema,
   ServerStartGameMessageSchema,
   ServerTurnMessageSchema,
@@ -195,7 +196,16 @@ export class GameServer {
             this.log.error("Failed to parse client message", error, {
               clientID: client.clientID,
             });
-            client.ws.close(1002, "ClientMessageSchema");
+            client.ws.send(
+              JSON.stringify({
+                type: "error",
+                error: error.toString(),
+              } satisfies ServerErrorMessage),
+            );
+            // Add a small delay before closing the connection to ensure the error message is received
+            setTimeout(() => {
+              client.ws.close(1002, "ClientMessageSchema");
+            }, 100);
             return;
           }
           const clientMsg = parsed.data;
@@ -543,11 +553,20 @@ export class GameServer {
         clientID: client.clientID,
         persistentID: client.persistentID,
       });
-      client.ws.close(1000, "Kicked from game");
-      this.activeClients = this.activeClients.filter(
-        (c) => c.clientID !== clientID,
+      client.ws.send(
+        JSON.stringify({
+          type: "error",
+          error: "Kicked from game (you may have been playing on another tab)",
+        } satisfies ServerErrorMessage),
       );
-      this.kickedClients.add(clientID);
+      // Add a small delay before closing the connection to ensure the error message is received
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        client.ws.close(1000, "Kicked from game");
+        this.activeClients = this.activeClients.filter(
+          (c) => c.clientID !== clientID,
+        );
+        this.kickedClients.add(clientID);
+      }, 100);
     } else {
       this.log.warn(`cannot kick client, not found in game`, {
         clientID,
diff --git a/src/server/Worker.ts b/src/server/Worker.ts
index 57db1c8b2..427e369b0 100644
--- a/src/server/Worker.ts
+++ b/src/server/Worker.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   ClientJoinMessageSchema,
   GameRecord,
   GameRecordSchema,
+  ServerErrorMessage,
 } from "../core/Schemas";
 import { CreateGameInputSchema, GameInputSchema } from "../core/WorkerSchemas";
 import { archive, readGameRecord } from "./Archive";
@@ -300,6 +301,12 @@ export function startWorker() {
           if (!parsed.success) {
             const error = z.prettifyError(parsed.error);
             log.warn("Error parsing join message client", error);
+            ws.send(
+              JSON.stringify({
+                type: "error",
+                error: error.toString(),
+              } satisfies ServerErrorMessage),
+            );
             ws.close(1002, "ClientJoinMessageSchema");
             return;
           }