diff --git a/docs/index.md b/docs/index.md
index bdf8c00382..fb641066da 100644
--- a/docs/index.md
+++ b/docs/index.md
@@ -3499,12 +3499,22 @@ This event is emitted when there is an error on the connection to the server tha
 
 ### Return Value
 
-The first parameter is a string indicating the error type, which may be `badMessage` (meaning that rippled returned a malformed message), or one of the [rippled Universal Errors](https://ripple.com/build/rippled-apis/#universal-errors). The second parameter is a message explaining the error, or the message that caused the error in the case of `badMessage`.
+The first parameter is a string indicating the error type:
+* `badMessage` - rippled returned a malformed message
+* `websocket` - the websocket library emitted an error
+* one of the error codes found in the [rippled Universal Errors](https://ripple.com/build/rippled-apis/#universal-errors).
+
+The second parameter is a message explaining the error.
+
+The third parameter is:
+* the message that caused the error for `badMessage`
+* the error object emitted for `websocket`
+* the parsed response for rippled errors
 
 ### Example
 
 ```javascript
-api.on('error', (errorCode, errorMessage) => {
+api.on('error', (errorCode, errorMessage, data) => {
   console.log(errorCode + ': ' + errorMessage);
 });
 ```
diff --git a/docs/src/events.md.ejs b/docs/src/events.md.ejs
index 6353f4b927..11fe3ba319 100644
--- a/docs/src/events.md.ejs
+++ b/docs/src/events.md.ejs
@@ -24,12 +24,22 @@ This event is emitted when there is an error on the connection to the server tha
 
 ### Return Value
 
-The first parameter is a string indicating the error type, which may be `badMessage` (meaning that rippled returned a malformed message), or one of the [rippled Universal Errors](https://ripple.com/build/rippled-apis/#universal-errors). The second parameter is a message explaining the error, or the message that caused the error in the case of `badMessage`.
+The first parameter is a string indicating the error type:
+* `badMessage` - rippled returned a malformed message
+* `websocket` - the websocket library emitted an error
+* one of the error codes found in the [rippled Universal Errors](https://ripple.com/build/rippled-apis/#universal-errors).
+
+The second parameter is a message explaining the error.
+
+The third parameter is:
+* the message that caused the error for `badMessage`
+* the error object emitted for `websocket`
+* the parsed response for rippled errors
 
 ### Example
 
 ```javascript
-api.on('error', (errorCode, errorMessage) => {
+api.on('error', (errorCode, errorMessage, data) => {
   console.log(errorCode + ': ' + errorMessage);
 });
 ```
diff --git a/src/api.js b/src/api.js
index ce6c636575..adeef1395b 100644
--- a/src/api.js
+++ b/src/api.js
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ class RippleAPI extends EventEmitter {
       this.connection.on('ledgerClosed', message => {
         this.emit('ledger', server.formatLedgerClose(message));
       });
-      this.connection.on('error', (type, info) => {
-        this.emit('error', type, info);
+      this.connection.on('error', (errorCode, errorMessage, data) => {
+        this.emit('error', errorCode, errorMessage, data);
       });
     } else {
       // use null object pattern to provide better error message if user
diff --git a/src/broadcast.js b/src/broadcast.js
index 122c3defda..041ab31501 100644
--- a/src/broadcast.js
+++ b/src/broadcast.js
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ class RippleAPIBroadcast extends RippleAPI {
 
     apis.forEach(api => {
       api.on('ledger', this.onLedgerEvent.bind(this));
-      api.on('error', (type, info) => this.emit('error', type, info));
+      api.on('error', (errorCode, errorMessage, data) =>
+        this.emit('error', errorCode, errorMessage, data));
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/src/common/connection.js b/src/common/connection.js
index f0dfa0ab6a..cb87dbefd6 100644
--- a/src/common/connection.js
+++ b/src/common/connection.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ class Connection extends EventEmitter {
       }
       return [data.type, data];
     } else if (data.type === undefined && data.error) {
-      return ['error', data.error, data.error_message];  // e.g. slowDown
+      return ['error', data.error, data.error_message, data];  // e.g. slowDown
     }
     throw new ResponseFormatError('unrecognized message type: ' + data.type);
   }
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class Connection extends EventEmitter {
     try {
       parameters = this._parseMessage(message);
     } catch (error) {
-      this.emit('error', 'badMessage', message);
+      this.emit('error', 'badMessage', error.message, message);
       return;
     }
     // we don't want this inside the try/catch or exceptions in listener
@@ -161,6 +161,12 @@ class Connection extends EventEmitter {
         this._ws.once('open', resolve);
       } else {
         this._ws = this._createWebSocket();
+        // when an error causes the connection to close, the close event
+        // should still be emitted; the "ws" documentation says: "The close
+        // event is also emitted when then underlying net.Socket closes the
+        // connection (end or close)."
+        this._ws.on('error', error =>
+          this.emit('error', 'websocket', error.messsage, error));
         this._ws.on('message', this._onMessage.bind(this));
         this._onUnexpectedCloseBound = this._onUnexpectedClose.bind(this);
         this._ws.once('close', this._onUnexpectedCloseBound);
diff --git a/test/connection-test.js b/test/connection-test.js
index 870861ad17..24f2dd884b 100644
--- a/test/connection-test.js
+++ b/test/connection-test.js
@@ -227,8 +227,9 @@ describe('Connection', function() {
   });
 
   it('invalid message id', function(done) {
-    this.api.on('error', (type, message) => {
-      assert.strictEqual(type, 'badMessage');
+    this.api.on('error', (errorCode, errorMessage, message) => {
+      assert.strictEqual(errorCode, 'badMessage');
+      assert.strictEqual(errorMessage, 'valid id not found in response');
       assert.strictEqual(message,
         '{"type":"response","id":"must be integer"}');
       done();
@@ -239,9 +240,10 @@ describe('Connection', function() {
   });
 
   it('propagate error message', function(done) {
-    this.api.on('error', (type, message) => {
-      assert.strictEqual(type, 'slowDown');
-      assert.strictEqual(message, 'slow down');
+    this.api.on('error', (errorCode, errorMessage, data) => {
+      assert.strictEqual(errorCode, 'slowDown');
+      assert.strictEqual(errorMessage, 'slow down');
+      assert.deepEqual(data, {error: 'slowDown', error_message: 'slow down'});
       done();
     });
     this.api.connection._onMessage(JSON.stringify({
@@ -250,8 +252,9 @@ describe('Connection', function() {
   });
 
   it('unrecognized message type', function(done) {
-    this.api.on('error', (type, message) => {
-      assert.strictEqual(type, 'badMessage');
+    this.api.on('error', (errorCode, errorMessage, message) => {
+      assert.strictEqual(errorCode, 'badMessage');
+      assert.strictEqual(errorMessage, 'unrecognized message type: unknown');
       assert.strictEqual(message, '{"type":"unknown"}');
       done();
     });