diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/message_box.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/message_box.py
index a107bf985b..b9e11c9745 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/message_box.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/message_box.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import sys
 
 from PyQt4.Qt import (QDialog, QIcon, QApplication, QSize, QKeySequence,
     QAction, Qt, QTextBrowser, QDialogButtonBox, QVBoxLayout, QGridLayout,
-    QLabel, QPlainTextEdit, QTextDocument)
+    QLabel, QPlainTextEdit, QTextDocument, QCheckBox, pyqtSignal)
 
 from calibre.constants import __version__, isfrozen
 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.message_box_ui import Ui_Dialog
@@ -270,12 +270,14 @@ class ErrorNotification(MessageBox): # {{{
 class JobError(QDialog): # {{{
 
     WIDTH = 600
+    do_pop = pyqtSignal()
 
     def __init__(self, gui):
         QDialog.__init__(self, gui)
         self.setAttribute(Qt.WA_DeleteOnClose, False)
         self.gui = gui
         self.queue = []
+        self.do_pop.connect(self.pop, type=Qt.QueuedConnection)
 
         self._layout = l = QGridLayout()
         self.setLayout(l)
@@ -285,6 +287,7 @@ class JobError(QDialog): # {{{
         self.icon_label.setPixmap(self.icon.pixmap(128, 128))
         self.icon_label.setMaximumSize(QSize(128, 128))
         self.msg_label = QLabel('<p>&nbsp;')
+        self.msg_label.setStyleSheet('QLabel { margin-top: 1ex; }')
         self.msg_label.setWordWrap(True)
         self.msg_label.setTextFormat(Qt.RichText)
         self.det_msg = QPlainTextEdit(self)
@@ -302,17 +305,25 @@ class JobError(QDialog): # {{{
         self.det_msg_toggle.clicked.connect(self.toggle_det_msg)
         self.det_msg_toggle.setToolTip(
                 _('Show detailed information about this error'))
+        self.suppress = QCheckBox(self)
+        self.suppress.setVisible(False)
 
         l.addWidget(self.icon_label, 0, 0, 1, 1)
-        l.addWidget(self.msg_label,  0, 1, 1, 1, Qt.AlignLeft|Qt.AlignTop)
-        l.addWidget(self.det_msg, 1, 0, 1, 2)
-
-        l.addWidget(self.bb, 2, 0, 1, 2, Qt.AlignRight|Qt.AlignBottom)
+        l.addWidget(self.msg_label,  0, 1, 1, 1, Qt.AlignTop)
+        l.addWidget(self.det_msg,    1, 0, 1, 2)
+        l.addWidget(self.suppress,   2, 0, 1, 2, Qt.AlignLeft|Qt.AlignBottom)
+        l.addWidget(self.bb,         3, 0, 1, 2, Qt.AlignRight|Qt.AlignBottom)
+        l.setColumnStretch(1, 100)
 
         self.setModal(False)
         self.base_height = max(200, self.sizeHint().height() + 20)
         self.do_resize()
 
+    def update_suppress_state(self):
+        self.suppress.setText(_(
+            'Hide the remaining %d error messages'%len(self.queue)))
+        self.suppress.setVisible(len(self.queue) > 3)
+
     def copy_to_clipboard(self, *args):
         d = QTextDocument()
         d.setHtml(self.msg_label.text())
@@ -342,6 +353,33 @@ class JobError(QDialog): # {{{
         self.bb.button(self.bb.Close).setFocus(Qt.OtherFocusReason)
         return ret
 
+    def show_error(self, title, msg, det_msg=u''):
+        self.queue.append((title, msg, det_msg))
+        self.update_suppress_state()
+        self.pop()
+
+    def pop(self):
+        if not self.queue or self.isVisible(): return
+        title, msg, det_msg = self.queue.pop(0)
+        self.setWindowTitle(title)
+        self.msg_label.setText(msg)
+        self.det_msg.setPlainText(det_msg)
+        self.det_msg.setVisible(False)
+        self.det_msg_toggle.setText(self.show_det_msg)
+        self.det_msg_toggle.setVisible(True)
+        self.suppress.setChecked(False)
+        self.update_suppress_state()
+        if not det_msg:
+            self.det_msg_toggle.setVisible(False)
+        self.do_resize()
+        self.show()
+
+    def done(self, r):
+        if self.suppress.isChecked():
+            self.queue = []
+        self.do_pop.emit()
+        return QDialog.done(self, r)
+
 # }}}
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
@@ -349,7 +387,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     from calibre.gui2.preferences import init_gui
     gui = init_gui()
     d = JobError(gui)
-    d.show()
+    d.show_error('test title', 'some long meaningless test message')
     app.exec_()
     gui.shutdown()
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py b/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py
index 3490c63215..f07fb0d211 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ from calibre.gui2.keyboard import Manager
 from calibre.gui2.auto_add import AutoAdder
 from calibre.library.sqlite import sqlite, DatabaseException
 from calibre.gui2.proceed import ProceedQuestion
+from calibre.gui2.dialogs.message_box import JobError
 
 class Listener(Thread): # {{{
 
@@ -111,6 +112,7 @@ class Main(MainWindow, MainWindowMixin, DeviceMixin, EmailMixin, # {{{
         self.proceed_requested.connect(self.do_proceed,
                 type=Qt.QueuedConnection)
         self.proceed_question = ProceedQuestion(self)
+        self.job_error_dialog = JobError(self)
         self.keyboard = Manager(self)
         _gui = self
         self.opts = opts
@@ -690,12 +692,9 @@ class Main(MainWindow, MainWindowMixin, DeviceMixin, EmailMixin, # {{{
         except:
             pass
         if not minz:
-            d = error_dialog(self, dialog_title,
+            self.job_error_dialog.show_error(dialog_title,
                     _('<b>Failed</b>')+': '+unicode(job.description),
                     det_msg=job.details)
-            d.setModal(False)
-            d.show()
-            self._modeless_dialogs.append(d)
 
     def read_settings(self):
         geometry = config['main_window_geometry']