diff --git a/electrum/base_wizard.py b/electrum/base_wizard.py
index da9cf9e3f..52b5abc8c 100644
--- a/electrum/base_wizard.py
+++ b/electrum/base_wizard.py
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ class BaseWizard(object):
         try:
             scanned_devices = devmgr.scan_devices()
         except BaseException as e:
-            devmgr.print_error('error scanning devices: {}'.format(e))
+            devmgr.print_error('error scanning devices: {}'.format(repr(e)))
             debug_msg = '  {}:\n    {}'.format(_('Error scanning devices'), e)
         else:
             debug_msg = ''
diff --git a/electrum/gui/qt/__init__.py b/electrum/gui/qt/__init__.py
index 4379c894a..a5fdb78bd 100644
--- a/electrum/gui/qt/__init__.py
+++ b/electrum/gui/qt/__init__.py
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ class ElectrumGui(PrintError):
                 self.app.setStyleSheet(qdarkstyle.load_stylesheet_pyqt5())
             except BaseException as e:
                 use_dark_theme = False
-                self.print_error('Error setting dark theme: {}'.format(e))
+                self.print_error('Error setting dark theme: {}'.format(repr(e)))
         # Even if we ourselves don't set the dark theme,
         # the OS/window manager/etc might set *a dark theme*.
         # Hence, try to choose colors accordingly:
diff --git a/electrum/gui/qt/main_window.py b/electrum/gui/qt/main_window.py
index a37c2be84..7ee309c5c 100644
--- a/electrum/gui/qt/main_window.py
+++ b/electrum/gui/qt/main_window.py
@@ -2409,7 +2409,7 @@ class ElectrumWindow(QMainWindow, MessageBoxMixin, PrintError):
         try:
             data = bh2u(bitcoin.base_decode(data, length=None, base=43))
         except BaseException as e:
-            self.show_error((_('Could not decode QR code')+':\n{}').format(e))
+            self.show_error((_('Could not decode QR code')+':\n{}').format(repr(e)))
             return
         tx = self.tx_from_text(data)
         if not tx:
diff --git a/electrum/interface.py b/electrum/interface.py
index 92ac59113..6f38f2c26 100644
--- a/electrum/interface.py
+++ b/electrum/interface.py
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ class Interface(PrintError):
             try:
                 return await func(self, *args, **kwargs)
             except GracefulDisconnect as e:
-                self.print_error("disconnecting gracefully. {}".format(e))
+                self.print_error("disconnecting gracefully. {}".format(repr(e)))
             finally:
                 await self.network.connection_down(self)
                 self.got_disconnected.set_result(1)
diff --git a/electrum/plugins/email_requests/qt.py b/electrum/plugins/email_requests/qt.py
index c5e2a10e3..931121422 100644
--- a/electrum/plugins/email_requests/qt.py
+++ b/electrum/plugins/email_requests/qt.py
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ class Processor(threading.Thread, PrintError):
                 self.M = imaplib.IMAP4_SSL(self.imap_server)
                 self.M.login(self.username, self.password)
             except BaseException as e:
-                self.print_error('connecting failed: {}'.format(e))
+                self.print_error('connecting failed: {}'.format(repr(e)))
                 self.connect_wait *= 2
             else:
                 self.reset_connect_wait()
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class Processor(threading.Thread, PrintError):
                 try:
                     self.poll()
                 except BaseException as e:
-                    self.print_error('polling failed: {}'.format(e))
+                    self.print_error('polling failed: {}'.format(repr(e)))
                     break
                 time.sleep(self.polling_interval)
             time.sleep(random.randint(0, self.connect_wait))
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 3e71caab5..41c3d9f9f 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class CustomInstallCommand(install):
                 if not os.path.exists(path):
                     subprocess.call(["pyrcc5", "icons.qrc", "-o", path])
             except Exception as e:
-                print('Warning: building icons file failed with {}'.format(e))
+                print('Warning: building icons file failed with {}'.format(repr(e)))
 
 
 setup(