diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/__snapshots__/extend_index_management.test.js.snap b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/__snapshots__/extend_index_management.test.js.snap
index 426e2683370ca..bb270350365c6 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/__snapshots__/extend_index_management.test.js.snap
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/__snapshots__/extend_index_management.test.js.snap
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ exports[`ilm summary extension should return extension when index has lifecycle
         "step": "ERROR",
         "step_info": Object {
           "reason": "setting [index.lifecycle.rollover_alias] for index [testy3] is empty or not defined",
+          "stack_trace": "fakestacktrace",
           "type": "illegal_argument_exception",
         },
         "step_time_millis": 1544187776208,
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/extend_index_management.test.js b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/extend_index_management.test.js
index 607bd96694cac..77f134479c819 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/extend_index_management.test.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/extend_index_management.test.js
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ const indexWithLifecycleError = {
     step_info: {
       type: 'illegal_argument_exception',
       reason: 'setting [index.lifecycle.rollover_alias] for index [testy3] is empty or not defined',
+      stack_trace: 'fakestacktrace'
     },
     phase_execution: {
       policy: 'testy',
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/extend_index_management/components/index_lifecycle_summary.js b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/extend_index_management/components/index_lifecycle_summary.js
index 697f94ecdec09..9e20da56d95c2 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/extend_index_management/components/index_lifecycle_summary.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/extend_index_management/components/index_lifecycle_summary.js
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ export class IndexLifecycleSummary extends Component {
             />
           </h3>
         </EuiTitle>
-        { ilm.step_info && ilm.step_info.type ? (
+        { ilm.step_info && ilm.step_info.type && ilm.step_info.stack_trace ? (
           <Fragment>
             <EuiSpacer size="s"/>
             <EuiCallOut
@@ -188,6 +188,22 @@ export class IndexLifecycleSummary extends Component {
             </EuiCallOut>
           </Fragment>
         ) : null}
+        { ilm.step_info && ilm.step_info.message && !ilm.step_info.stack_trace ? (
+          <Fragment>
+            <EuiSpacer size="s"/>
+            <EuiCallOut
+              color="primary"
+              title={
+                <FormattedMessage
+                  defaultMessage="Action status"
+                  id="xpack.idxMgmt.indexLifecycleMgmtSummary.actionStatusTitle"
+                />
+              }
+            >
+              {ilm.step_info.message}
+            </EuiCallOut>
+          </Fragment>
+        ) : null}
         <EuiSpacer size="m"/>
         <EuiFlexGroup>
           <EuiFlexItem>