diff --git a/proto/backend.proto b/proto/backend.proto
index 71a68154c..8c240d5a3 100644
--- a/proto/backend.proto
+++ b/proto/backend.proto
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ message InvalidInputError {
 
 message TemplateParseError {
     string info = 1;
+    bool q_side = 2;
 }
 
 message TemplateRequirementsIn {
diff --git a/pylib/anki/template.py b/pylib/anki/template.py
index 894058242..cbd0d9226 100644
--- a/pylib/anki/template.py
+++ b/pylib/anki/template.py
@@ -121,7 +121,14 @@ def render_card(
     try:
         output = render_card_from_context(ctx)
     except anki.rsbackend.BackendException as e:
-        errmsg = _("Card template has a problem:") + f"<br>{e}"
+        # fixme: specific exception in 2.1.21
+        err = e.args[0].template_parse
+        if err.q_side:
+            side = _("Front")
+        else:
+            side = _("Back")
+        errmsg = _("{} template has a problem:").format(side) + f"<br>{e}"
+        errmsg += "<br><a href=https://anki.tenderapp.com/kb/problems/card-template-has-a-problem>{}</a>".format(_("More info"))
         output = TemplateRenderOutput(
             question_text=errmsg,
             answer_text=errmsg,
diff --git a/rslib/src/backend.rs b/rslib/src/backend.rs
index 04505055a..c0a318d7e 100644
--- a/rslib/src/backend.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/backend.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ impl std::convert::From<AnkiError> for pt::BackendError {
         use pt::backend_error::Value as V;
         let value = match err {
             AnkiError::InvalidInput { info } => V::InvalidInput(pt::InvalidInputError { info }),
-            AnkiError::TemplateError { info } => V::TemplateParse(pt::TemplateParseError { info }),
+            AnkiError::TemplateError { info, q_side } => {
+                V::TemplateParse(pt::TemplateParseError { info, q_side })
+            }
         };
 
         pt::BackendError { value: Some(value) }
diff --git a/rslib/src/err.rs b/rslib/src/err.rs
index 9b50a9d30..ceb9626bf 100644
--- a/rslib/src/err.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/err.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ pub enum AnkiError {
     InvalidInput { info: String },
 
     #[fail(display = "invalid card template: {}", info)]
-    TemplateError { info: String },
+    TemplateError { info: String, q_side: bool },
 }
 
 // error helpers
@@ -34,33 +34,3 @@ pub enum TemplateError {
         field: String,
     },
 }
-
-impl From<TemplateError> for AnkiError {
-    fn from(terr: TemplateError) -> Self {
-        AnkiError::TemplateError {
-            info: match terr {
-                TemplateError::NoClosingBrackets(context) => {
-                    format!("missing '}}}}' in '{}'", context)
-                }
-                TemplateError::ConditionalNotClosed(tag) => format!("missing '{{{{/{}}}}}'", tag),
-                TemplateError::ConditionalNotOpen {
-                    closed,
-                    currently_open,
-                } => {
-                    if let Some(open) = currently_open {
-                        format!("Found {{{{/{}}}}}, but expected {{{{/{}}}}}", closed, open)
-                    } else {
-                        format!(
-                            "Found {{{{/{}}}}}, but missing '{{{{#{}}}}}' or '{{{{^{}}}}}'",
-                            closed, closed, closed
-                        )
-                    }
-                }
-                TemplateError::FieldNotFound { field, filters } => format!(
-                    "found '{{{{{}{}}}}}', but there is no field called '{}'",
-                    filters, field, field
-                ),
-            },
-        }
-    }
-}
diff --git a/rslib/src/template.rs b/rslib/src/template.rs
index cdf0b5995..739c771c6 100644
--- a/rslib/src/template.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/template.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright: Ankitects Pty Ltd and contributors
 // License: GNU AGPL, version 3 or later; http://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl.html
 
-use crate::err::{Result, TemplateError};
+use crate::err::{AnkiError, Result, TemplateError};
 use crate::template_filters::apply_filters;
 use lazy_static::lazy_static;
 use nom;
@@ -189,6 +189,33 @@ fn parse_inner<'a, I: Iterator<Item = TemplateResult<Token<'a>>>>(
     }
 }
 
+fn template_error_to_anki_error(err: TemplateError, q_side: bool) -> AnkiError {
+    AnkiError::TemplateError {
+        info: match err {
+            TemplateError::NoClosingBrackets(context) => format!("Missing '}}}}' in '{}'", context),
+            TemplateError::ConditionalNotClosed(tag) => format!("Missing '{{{{/{}}}}}'", tag),
+            TemplateError::ConditionalNotOpen {
+                closed,
+                currently_open,
+            } => {
+                if let Some(open) = currently_open {
+                    format!("Found {{{{/{}}}}}, but expected {{{{/{}}}}}", closed, open)
+                } else {
+                    format!(
+                        "Found {{{{/{}}}}}, but missing '{{{{#{}}}}}' or '{{{{^{}}}}}'",
+                        closed, closed, closed
+                    )
+                }
+            }
+            TemplateError::FieldNotFound { field, filters } => format!(
+                "Found '{{{{{}{}}}}}', but there is no field called '{}'",
+                filters, field, field
+            ),
+        },
+        q_side,
+    }
+}
+
 // Legacy support
 //----------------------------------------
 
@@ -438,12 +465,16 @@ pub fn render_card(
 
     // question side
     let qnorm = without_legacy_template_directives(qfmt);
-    let qnodes = ParsedTemplate::from_text(qnorm.as_ref())?.render(&context)?;
+    let qnodes = ParsedTemplate::from_text(qnorm.as_ref())
+        .and_then(|tmpl| tmpl.render(&context))
+        .map_err(|e| template_error_to_anki_error(e, true))?;
 
     // answer side
     context.question_side = false;
     let anorm = without_legacy_template_directives(afmt);
-    let anodes = ParsedTemplate::from_text(anorm.as_ref())?.render(&context)?;
+    let anodes = ParsedTemplate::from_text(anorm.as_ref())
+        .and_then(|tmpl| tmpl.render(&context))
+        .map_err(|e| template_error_to_anki_error(e, false))?;
 
     Ok((qnodes, anodes))
 }