diff --git a/lib/utils/errors.js b/lib/utils/errors.js
index 52c6f1112..a2da5be66 100644
--- a/lib/utils/errors.js
+++ b/lib/utils/errors.js
@@ -1,66 +1,68 @@
 // @flow
 
 import copyError from 'utils-copy-error';
 
 import type { PlatformDetails } from '../types/device-types';
 
 class ExtendableError extends Error {
   constructor(message: string) {
     super(message);
     this.name = this.constructor.name;
     this.message = message;
     if (typeof Error.captureStackTrace === 'function') {
       Error.captureStackTrace(this, this.constructor);
     } else {
       this.stack = new Error(message).stack;
     }
   }
 }
 
 class ServerError extends ExtendableError {
   // When specified on server side, will get passed down to client
   // Only used in updateEntry and deleteEntry currently
   payload: ?Object;
   // Used for client_version_unsupported on server-side only
   platformDetails: ?PlatformDetails;
   // Used for input validators on server-side only
   sanitizedInput: mixed;
 
   constructor(error: string, payload?: ?Object) {
     super(error);
     this.payload = payload;
   }
 }
 
 class FetchTimeout extends ExtendableError {
   url: string;
 
   constructor(error: string, url: string) {
     super(error);
     this.url = url;
   }
 }
 
 function getMessageForException(e: mixed): ?string {
-  if (
+  if (typeof e === 'string') {
+    return e;
+  } else if (
     e &&
     typeof e === 'object' &&
     e.message &&
     typeof e.message === 'string'
   ) {
     return e.message;
   }
   return undefined;
 }
 
 function cloneError<E>(e: E): E {
   return copyError(e);
 }
 
 export {
   ExtendableError,
   ServerError,
   FetchTimeout,
   getMessageForException,
   cloneError,
 };