diff --git a/lib/backup/restored-migrations.js b/lib/backup/restored-migrations.js
--- a/lib/backup/restored-migrations.js
+++ b/lib/backup/restored-migrations.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import { databaseIdentifier } from '../types/database-identifier-types.js';
 import { syncedMetadataNames } from '../types/synced-metadata-types.js';
 import { getConfig } from '../utils/config.js';
-import { getMessageForException } from '../utils/errors.js';
+import { BackupIsNewerError, getMessageForException } from '../utils/errors.js';
 
 async function getRestoredStoreVersion(): Promise<number> {
   const { sqliteAPI } = getConfig();
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
   return parseInt(storeVersion, 10);
 }
 
-async function runRestoredBackupMigrations() {
+async function runRestoredBackupMigrations(restoredDatabaseVersion: number) {
   const currentStoreVersion = getConfig().platformDetails.stateVersion;
   if (!currentStoreVersion) {
     throw new Error('currentStoreVersion is missing');
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@
 
   if (restoredStoreVersion > currentStoreVersion) {
     console.log('backup-restore: current app is older than backup');
-    throw new Error('backup_is_newer');
+    throw new BackupIsNewerError(
+      'backup_is_newer',
+      restoredDatabaseVersion,
+      restoredStoreVersion,
+    );
   }
 
   console.log(
diff --git a/lib/backup/use-user-data-restore.js b/lib/backup/use-user-data-restore.js
--- a/lib/backup/use-user-data-restore.js
+++ b/lib/backup/use-user-data-restore.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import { syncedMetadataNames } from '../types/synced-metadata-types.js';
 import type { QRAuthBackupData } from '../types/tunnelbroker/qr-code-auth-message-types.js';
 import { getConfig } from '../utils/config.js';
+import { BackupIsNewerError } from '../utils/errors.js';
 import { useDispatchActionPromise } from '../utils/redux-promise-utils.js';
 import { useSelector, useDispatch } from '../utils/redux-utils.js';
 
@@ -139,8 +140,11 @@
       if (startStepIndex <= 1) {
         const migrateBackupSchemaPromise = (async () => {
           storeAndDatabaseVersions = await getStoreAndDatabaseVersions(addLog);
-          const { mainDatabaseVersion, restoredDatabaseVersion } =
-            storeAndDatabaseVersions;
+          const {
+            mainDatabaseVersion,
+            restoredDatabaseVersion,
+            restoredStoreVersion,
+          } = storeAndDatabaseVersions;
 
           if (mainDatabaseVersion === restoredDatabaseVersion) {
             addLog(
@@ -166,7 +170,11 @@
                 ` aborting.`,
               new Set([logTypes.BACKUP, logTypes.ERROR]),
             );
-            throw new Error('backup_is_newer');
+            throw new BackupIsNewerError(
+              'backup_is_newer',
+              restoredDatabaseVersion,
+              restoredStoreVersion,
+            );
           }
         })();
         void dispatchActionPromise(
@@ -187,8 +195,11 @@
             storeAndDatabaseVersions =
               await getStoreAndDatabaseVersions(addLog);
           }
-          const { mainStoreVersion, restoredStoreVersion } =
-            storeAndDatabaseVersions;
+          const {
+            mainStoreVersion,
+            restoredStoreVersion,
+            restoredDatabaseVersion,
+          } = storeAndDatabaseVersions;
           if (mainStoreVersion === restoredStoreVersion) {
             addLog(
               'User Data Restore',
@@ -203,7 +214,7 @@
                 `restored store version (${restoredStoreVersion}), migrating data`,
               new Set([logTypes.BACKUP]),
             );
-            await runRestoredBackupMigrations();
+            await runRestoredBackupMigrations(restoredDatabaseVersion);
           } else if (mainStoreVersion < restoredStoreVersion) {
             addLog(
               'User Data Restore',
@@ -211,7 +222,11 @@
                 `restored store version (${restoredStoreVersion}), aborting`,
               new Set([logTypes.BACKUP, logTypes.ERROR]),
             );
-            throw new Error('backup_is_newer');
+            throw new BackupIsNewerError(
+              'backup_is_newer',
+              restoredDatabaseVersion,
+              restoredStoreVersion,
+            );
           }
         })();
         void dispatchActionPromise(
diff --git a/lib/utils/errors.js b/lib/utils/errors.js
--- a/lib/utils/errors.js
+++ b/lib/utils/errors.js
@@ -62,6 +62,21 @@
   }
 }
 
+class BackupIsNewerError extends ExtendableError {
+  backupDBVersion: number;
+  backupStoreVersion: number;
+
+  constructor(
+    error: string,
+    backupDBVersion: number,
+    backupStoreVersion: number,
+  ) {
+    super(error);
+    this.backupDBVersion = backupDBVersion;
+    this.backupStoreVersion = backupStoreVersion;
+  }
+}
+
 function getMessageForException(e: mixed): ?string {
   if (typeof e === 'string') {
     return e;
@@ -84,4 +99,5 @@
   SocketOffline,
   SocketTimeout,
   SendMessageError,
+  BackupIsNewerError,
 };
diff --git a/native/account/restore.js b/native/account/restore.js
--- a/native/account/restore.js
+++ b/native/account/restore.js
@@ -23,7 +23,10 @@
 import { getConfig } from 'lib/utils/config.js';
 import { getContentSigningKey } from 'lib/utils/crypto-utils.js';
 import { composeRawDeviceList } from 'lib/utils/device-list-utils.js';
-import { getMessageForException } from 'lib/utils/errors.js';
+import {
+  BackupIsNewerError,
+  getMessageForException,
+} from 'lib/utils/errors.js';
 import { useDispatchActionPromise } from 'lib/utils/redux-promise-utils.js';
 import { useSelector } from 'lib/utils/redux-utils.js';
 import { fullBackupSupport } from 'lib/utils/services-utils.js';
@@ -224,7 +227,7 @@
           messageForException ?? 'unknown error',
           new Set([logTypes.ERROR, logTypes.BACKUP]),
         );
-        if (messageForException === 'backup_is_newer') {
+        if (error instanceof BackupIsNewerError) {
           Alert.alert(
             backupIsNewerThanAppAlertDetails.title,
             backupIsNewerThanAppAlertDetails.message,
diff --git a/native/utils/qr-code-utils.js b/native/utils/qr-code-utils.js
--- a/native/utils/qr-code-utils.js
+++ b/native/utils/qr-code-utils.js
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@
   qrCodeAuthMessagePayloadValidator,
   type QRCodeAuthMessagePayload,
 } from 'lib/types/tunnelbroker/qr-code-auth-message-types.js';
-import { getMessageForException } from 'lib/utils/errors.js';
+import {
+  BackupIsNewerError,
+  getMessageForException,
+} from 'lib/utils/errors.js';
 
 import * as AES from './aes-crypto-module.js';
 import {
@@ -76,7 +79,7 @@
       networkErrorAlertDetails.title,
       networkErrorAlertDetails.message,
     );
-  } else if (messageForException === 'backup_is_newer') {
+  } else if (error instanceof BackupIsNewerError) {
     Alert.alert(
       backupIsNewerThanAppAlertDetails.title,
       backupIsNewerThanAppAlertDetails.message,
diff --git a/web/utils/qr-code-utils.js b/web/utils/qr-code-utils.js
--- a/web/utils/qr-code-utils.js
+++ b/web/utils/qr-code-utils.js
@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@
   convertBytesToObj,
   convertObjToBytes,
 } from 'lib/utils/conversion-utils.js';
-import { getMessageForException } from 'lib/utils/errors.js';
+import {
+  BackupIsNewerError,
+  getMessageForException,
+} from 'lib/utils/errors.js';
 
 import { base64DecodeBuffer, base64EncodeBuffer } from './base64-utils.js';
 import { getBackupIsNewerThanAppError } from './version-utils.js';
@@ -75,7 +78,7 @@
             connection.
           </Alert>,
         );
-      } else if (messageForException === 'backup_is_newer') {
+      } else if (error instanceof BackupIsNewerError) {
         const message = getBackupIsNewerThanAppError();
         pushModal(<Alert title="App out of date">{message}</Alert>);
       } else {