diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/types/panel.ts b/packages/grafana-ui/src/types/panel.ts
index 44336555a81..cf808f514de 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-ui/src/types/panel.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/types/panel.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export interface PanelProps<T = any> {
   renderCounter: number;
   width: number;
   height: number;
+  onRenderError: () => void;
 }
 
 export interface PanelOptionsProps<T = any> {
diff --git a/packages/grafana-ui/src/visualizations/Graph/Graph.tsx b/packages/grafana-ui/src/visualizations/Graph/Graph.tsx
index 51afb33802d..b3f2120639c 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-ui/src/visualizations/Graph/Graph.tsx
+++ b/packages/grafana-ui/src/visualizations/Graph/Graph.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ interface GraphProps {
   showBars?: boolean;
   width: number;
   height: number;
+  onRenderError: () => void;
 }
 
 export class Graph extends PureComponent<GraphProps> {
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ export class Graph extends PureComponent<GraphProps> {
       return;
     }
 
-    const { width, timeSeries, timeRange, showLines, showBars, showPoints } = this.props;
+    const { width, timeSeries, timeRange, showLines, showBars, showPoints, onRenderError } = this.props;
 
     if (!width) {
       return;
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ export class Graph extends PureComponent<GraphProps> {
       $.plot(this.element, timeSeries, flotOptions);
     } catch (err) {
       console.log('Graph rendering error', err, flotOptions, timeSeries);
+      onRenderError();
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/Popper.tsx b/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/Popper.tsx
index d5ea1d93091..65ef510ba8f 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/Popper.tsx
+++ b/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/Popper.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ import Portal from 'app/core/components/Portal/Portal';
 import { Manager, Popper as ReactPopper, Reference } from 'react-popper';
 import Transition from 'react-transition-group/Transition';
 
+export enum Themes {
+  Default = 'popper__background--default',
+  Error = 'popper__background--error',
+}
+
 const defaultTransitionStyles = {
   transition: 'opacity 200ms linear',
   opacity: 0,
@@ -21,12 +26,7 @@ interface Props {
   placement?: any;
   content: string | ((props: any) => JSX.Element);
   refClassName?: string;
-  theme?: string;
-}
-
-export enum Themes {
-  Default = 'popper__background--default',
-  Error = 'popper__background--error',
+  theme?: Themes;
 }
 
 class Popper extends PureComponent<Props> {
diff --git a/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/withPopper.tsx b/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/withPopper.tsx
index 7be12748247..3766b78f0f6 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/withPopper.tsx
+++ b/public/app/core/components/Tooltip/withPopper.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import React from 'react';
-
+import { Themes } from './Popper';
 export interface UsingPopperProps {
   showPopper: (prevState: object) => void;
   hidePopper: (prevState: object) => void;
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ export interface UsingPopperProps {
   content: string | ((props: any) => JSX.Element);
   className?: string;
   refClassName?: string;
-  theme?: string;
+  theme?: Themes;
 }
 
 interface Props {
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ interface Props {
   className?: string;
   refClassName?: string;
   content: string | ((props: any) => JSX.Element);
-  theme?: string;
+  theme?: Themes;
 }
 
 interface State {
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DataPanel.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DataPanel.tsx
index d57b787bf57..4cd9460802a 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DataPanel.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/DataPanel.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { Themes } from 'app/core/components/Tooltip/Popper';
 interface RenderProps {
   loading: LoadingState;
   timeSeries: TimeSeries[];
+  onRenderError: () => void;
 }
 
 export interface Props {
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ export interface Props {
 export interface State {
   isFirstLoad: boolean;
   loading: LoadingState;
+  errorMessage: string;
   response: DataQueryResponse;
 }
 
@@ -53,6 +55,7 @@ export class DataPanel extends Component<Props, State> {
 
     this.state = {
       loading: LoadingState.NotStarted,
+      errorMessage: '',
       response: {
         data: [],
       },
@@ -92,7 +95,7 @@ export class DataPanel extends Component<Props, State> {
       return;
     }
 
-    this.setState({ loading: LoadingState.Loading });
+    this.setState({ loading: LoadingState.Loading, errorMessage: '' });
 
     try {
       const ds = await this.dataSourceSrv.get(datasource);
@@ -130,10 +133,24 @@ export class DataPanel extends Component<Props, State> {
       });
     } catch (err) {
       console.log('Loading error', err);
-      this.setState({ loading: LoadingState.Error, isFirstLoad: false });
+      this.onError('Request Error');
     }
   };
 
+  onError = (errorMessage: string) => {
+    if (this.state.loading !== LoadingState.Error || this.state.errorMessage !== errorMessage) {
+      this.setState({
+        loading: LoadingState.Error,
+        isFirstLoad: false,
+        errorMessage: errorMessage
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
+  onRenderError = () => {
+    this.onError('Error rendering panel');
+  }
+
   render() {
     const { queries } = this.props;
     const { response, loading, isFirstLoad } = this.state;
@@ -158,13 +175,14 @@ export class DataPanel extends Component<Props, State> {
         {this.props.children({
           timeSeries,
           loading,
+          onRenderError: this.onRenderError
         })}
       </>
     );
   }
 
   private renderLoadingStates(): JSX.Element {
-    const { loading } = this.state;
+    const { loading, errorMessage } = this.state;
     if (loading === LoadingState.Loading) {
       return (
         <div className="panel-loading">
@@ -174,7 +192,7 @@ export class DataPanel extends Component<Props, State> {
     } else if (loading === LoadingState.Error) {
       return (
         <Tooltip
-          content="Request Error"
+          content={errorMessage}
           className="popper__manager--block"
           refClassName={`panel-info-corner panel-info-corner--error`}
           placement="bottom-start"
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/PanelChrome.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/PanelChrome.tsx
index 94719dfe6e0..90d66a14cd3 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/PanelChrome.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/dashgrid/PanelChrome.tsx
@@ -87,7 +87,6 @@ export class PanelChrome extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
     const { datasource, targets, transparent } = panel;
     const PanelComponent = plugin.exports.Panel;
     const containerClassNames = `panel-container panel-container--absolute ${transparent ? 'panel-transparent' : ''}`;
-
     return (
       <AutoSizer>
         {({ width, height }) => {
@@ -115,7 +114,7 @@ export class PanelChrome extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
                 widthPixels={width}
                 refreshCounter={refreshCounter}
               >
-                {({ loading, timeSeries }) => {
+                {({ loading, timeSeries, onRenderError }) => {
                   return (
                     <div className="panel-content">
                       <PanelComponent
@@ -126,6 +125,7 @@ export class PanelChrome extends PureComponent<Props, State> {
                         width={width}
                         height={height - PANEL_HEADER_HEIGHT}
                         renderCounter={renderCounter}
+                        onRenderError={onRenderError}
                       />
                     </div>
                   );
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/panel/graph2/GraphPanel.tsx b/public/app/plugins/panel/graph2/GraphPanel.tsx
index a08276e5179..1a23fba0c27 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/panel/graph2/GraphPanel.tsx
+++ b/public/app/plugins/panel/graph2/GraphPanel.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // Libraries
 import _ from 'lodash';
-import React, { PureComponent } from 'react';
+import React, { Component } from 'react';
 import colors from 'app/core/utils/colors';
 
 // Components & Types
@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@ import { Options } from './types';
 
 interface Props extends PanelProps<Options> {}
 
-export class GraphPanel extends PureComponent<Props> {
+export class GraphPanel extends Component<Props> {
   constructor(props) {
     super(props);
   }
 
   render() {
-    const { timeSeries, timeRange, width, height } = this.props;
+    const { timeSeries, timeRange, width, height, onRenderError } = this.props;
     const { showLines, showBars, showPoints } = this.props.options;
 
     const vmSeries = processTimeSeries({
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ export class GraphPanel extends PureComponent<Props> {
         showBars={showBars}
         width={width}
         height={height}
+        onRenderError={onRenderError}
       />
     );
   }
diff --git a/public/sass/pages/_dashboard.scss b/public/sass/pages/_dashboard.scss
index 81698d396f8..a0ff9fd877c 100644
--- a/public/sass/pages/_dashboard.scss
+++ b/public/sass/pages/_dashboard.scss
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ div.flot-text {
 
   &--error {
     display: block;
-    color: $text-color;
+    color: $white;
     @include panel-corner-color($popover-error-bg);
     .fa:before {
       content: '\f12a';