diff --git a/src/cluster.ts b/src/cluster.ts
index 51c8b07e..6a719a4f 100644
--- a/src/cluster.ts
+++ b/src/cluster.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { RpcProvider } from 'worker-rpc';
 import { NormalizedMessage } from './NormalizedMessage';
 import { Message } from './Message';
 import { RunPayload, RunResult, RUN } from './RpcTypes';
+import { prepareErrorForSerialization } from './util';
 
 // fork workers...
 const division = parseInt(process.env.WORK_DIVISION || '', 10);
@@ -51,7 +52,9 @@ parentRpc.registerRpcHandler<RunPayload, RunResult>(RUN, async message => {
     workerRpcs.map(workerRpc =>
       workerRpc.rpc<RunPayload, RunResult>(RUN, message)
     )
-  );
+  ).catch(e => {
+    throw prepareErrorForSerialization(e);
+  });
 
   function workerFinished(
     workerResult: (Message | undefined)[]
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index f6334e9f..e6a1cf0b 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -412,7 +412,9 @@ class ForkTsCheckerWebpackPlugin {
                   this.logger.error(
                     this.colors.red(
                       'Error during checking: ' +
-                        (error ? error.toString() : 'Unknown error')
+                        (error
+                          ? error.message || error.toString()
+                          : 'Unknown error')
                     )
                   );
                 }
@@ -477,7 +479,9 @@ class ForkTsCheckerWebpackPlugin {
                     this.logger.error(
                       this.colors.red(
                         'Error during checking: ' +
-                          (error ? error.toString() : 'Unknown error')
+                          (error
+                            ? error.message || error.toString()
+                            : 'Unknown error')
                       )
                     );
                   }
diff --git a/src/service.ts b/src/service.ts
index 90c47306..c1c7871f 100644
--- a/src/service.ts
+++ b/src/service.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
 } from './NormalizedMessageFactories';
 import { RpcProvider } from 'worker-rpc';
 import { RunPayload, RunResult, RUN } from './RpcTypes';
+import { prepareErrorForSerialization } from './util';
 
 const rpc = new RpcProvider(message => {
   try {
@@ -91,7 +92,9 @@ async function run(cancellationToken: CancellationToken) {
 
 rpc.registerRpcHandler<RunPayload, RunResult>(RUN, message =>
   typeof message !== 'undefined'
-    ? run(CancellationToken.createFromJSON(typescript, message!))
+    ? run(CancellationToken.createFromJSON(typescript, message!)).catch(e => {
+        throw prepareErrorForSerialization(e);
+      })
     : undefined
 );
 
diff --git a/src/util.ts b/src/util.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ac952160
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+export function prepareErrorForSerialization(e: any) {
+  const prepared = {
+    message: 'unkonwn error',
+    stack: 'no stack trace available',
+    fileName: 'unknown',
+    lineNumber: 'unknown',
+    columnNumber: 'unknown'
+  };
+
+  if (e) {
+    if (typeof e === 'string') {
+      prepared.message = e;
+    } else {
+      for (const key of Object.keys(prepared)) {
+        if (typeof e[key] !== 'undefined') {
+          prepared[key] = String(e[key]);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return prepared;
+}