diff --git a/backend/pkg/models/background_job.go b/backend/pkg/models/background_job.go
index 185a704b..0bc7bcd2 100644
--- a/backend/pkg/models/background_job.go
+++ b/backend/pkg/models/background_job.go
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ type BackgroundJob struct {
 	User   User      `json:"user,omitempty"` //SECURITY: user and user.id will be set by the repository service
 	UserID uuid.UUID `json:"user_id"`
 
-	JobType    pkg.BackgroundJobType      `json:"job_type"`
+	JobType pkg.BackgroundJobType `json:"job_type"`
+	//this should be JSON encoded data from BackgroundJobSyncData or
 	Data       datatypes.JSON             `gorm:"column:data;type:text;serializer:json" json:"data,omitempty"`
 	JobStatus  pkg.BackgroundJobStatus    `json:"job_status"`
 	LockedTime *time.Time                 `json:"locked_time"`
diff --git a/backend/pkg/web/handler/background_jobs.go b/backend/pkg/web/handler/background_jobs.go
index 3c3a0f84..be0e47e7 100644
--- a/backend/pkg/web/handler/background_jobs.go
+++ b/backend/pkg/web/handler/background_jobs.go
@@ -239,6 +239,46 @@ func ListBackgroundJobs(c *gin.Context) {
 	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, gin.H{"success": true, "data": backgroundJobs})
 }
 
+// CreateBackgroundJobError this function is used to store error data related to a Source/Provider connection operation that fails in the client-side
+// - client errors occur when the OAuth provider sends back an error message (error, error_description query string parameters) or when the code -> access token swap results in an error.
+// - server side errors occur for a number of reasons (unable to initialize client, unable to store crednetial in db, unable to sync 1 or more FHIR resources from a patient's medical record)
+func CreateBackgroundJobError(c *gin.Context) {
+
+	logger := c.MustGet(pkg.ContextKeyTypeLogger).(*logrus.Entry)
+	databaseRepo := c.MustGet(pkg.ContextKeyTypeDatabase).(database.DatabaseRepository)
+
+	var payload models.BackgroundJobSyncData
+	if err := c.ShouldBindJSON(&payload); err != nil {
+		logger.Errorln("An error occurred while parsing error data", err)
+		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, gin.H{"success": false})
+		return
+	}
+
+	//override the job type to be an error
+	errJsonData, err := json.MarshalIndent(payload, "", "  ")
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Errorln("An error occurred re-encoding error data", err)
+		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"success": false})
+		return
+	}
+	now := time.Now()
+	backgroundJob := models.BackgroundJob{
+		JobType:    pkg.BackgroundJobTypeSync,
+		JobStatus:  pkg.BackgroundJobStatusFailed,
+		DoneTime:   &now,
+		LockedTime: &now,
+		Data:       errJsonData,
+	}
+
+	err = databaseRepo.CreateBackgroundJob(c, &backgroundJob)
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Errorln("An error occurred while creating background job to store client-side error data", err)
+		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"success": false})
+		return
+	}
+	c.JSON(http.StatusOK, gin.H{"success": true})
+}
+
 // Utilities
 
 func GetBackgroundContext(ginContext *gin.Context) context.Context {
diff --git a/backend/pkg/web/handler/source.go b/backend/pkg/web/handler/source.go
index eb738b3e..1a7212ac 100644
--- a/backend/pkg/web/handler/source.go
+++ b/backend/pkg/web/handler/source.go
@@ -89,9 +89,12 @@ func CreateReconnectSource(c *gin.Context) {
 
 	summary, err := BackgroundJobSyncResources(GetBackgroundContext(c), logger, databaseRepo, &sourceCred)
 	if err != nil {
-		err := fmt.Errorf("an error occurred while starting initial sync: %w", err)
 		logger.Errorln(err)
-		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"success": false, "error": err.Error()})
+		//errors from the background job will be wrapped and stored in the database, lets just return a generic error
+		// this is also important because these errors:
+		// 1. are not user facing - longer/scarier for users, and may show information that they are not equipped to resolve themselves.
+		// 2. lots of duplicate text ("an error occurred while...") due to wrapping as the error bubbles up the codebase.
+		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"success": false, "error": "initial record sync failed. See background jobs page for more details"})
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -118,7 +121,11 @@ func SourceSync(c *gin.Context) {
 	if err != nil {
 		err := fmt.Errorf("an error occurred while syncing resources: %w", err)
 		logger.Errorln(err)
-		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"success": false, "error": err.Error()})
+		//errors from the background job will be wrapped and stored in the database, lets just return a generic error
+		// this is also important because these errors:
+		// 1. are not user facing - longer/scarier for users, and may show information that they are not equipped to resolve themselves.
+		// 2. lots of duplicate text ("an error occurred while...") due to wrapping as the error bubbles up the codebase.
+		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"success": false, "error": "record sync failed. See background jobs page for more details"})
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/backend/pkg/web/server.go b/backend/pkg/web/server.go
index fcc55f31..cdb21a16 100644
--- a/backend/pkg/web/server.go
+++ b/backend/pkg/web/server.go
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ func (ae *AppEngine) Setup() (*gin.RouterGroup, *gin.Engine) {
 				//secure.GET("/dashboard/:dashboardId", handler.GetDashboard)
 
 				secure.GET("/jobs", handler.ListBackgroundJobs)
+				secure.POST("/jobs/error", handler.CreateBackgroundJobError)
 
 				secure.POST("/query", handler.QueryResourceFhir)