diff --git a/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.css b/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.css
index 24a29cc268..d4d5dea1a8 100644
--- a/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.css
+++ b/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.css
@@ -20,6 +20,17 @@
     top: 4px;
 }
 
+.mdl-card {
+    width: 100%;
+    min-height: initial;
+    margin-bottom: 20px;
+}
+
+.mdl-card .mdl-dialog__content {
+    width: 100%;
+    padding: 20px;
+}
+
 .mdl-dialog {
     width: -moz-fit-content;
     width: -webkit-fit-content;
diff --git a/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.html b/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.html
index fba8ef3380..46db03fb2e 100644
--- a/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.html
+++ b/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.html
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 <dialog class="mdl-dialog" #dialog>
     <h4 class="mdl-dialog__title">{{'START_PROCESS.DIALOG.TITLE'|translate}}</h4>
     <div class="mdl-dialog__content">
+        <div class="mdl-card mdl-shadow--2dp error-message" *ngIf="errorMessageId">
+            <div class="mdl-card__supporting-text">{{errorMessageId|translate}}</div>
+        </div>
         <div class="mdl-textfield mdl-js-textfield alf-mdl-selectfield">
             <select name="processDefinition" [(ngModel)]="currentProcessDef.id" (ngModelChange)="onProcessDefChange($event)" id="processDefinition" required>
                 <option value="" selected="selected">{{'START_PROCESS.DIALOG.TYPE_PLACEHOLDER'|translate}}</option>
diff --git a/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.spec.ts b/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.spec.ts
index 708cd042e0..56dccd5531 100644
--- a/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.spec.ts
+++ b/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.spec.ts
@@ -102,6 +102,16 @@ describe('ActivitiStartProcessButton', () => {
             });
         });
 
+        it('should indicate an error to the user if process defs cannot be loaded', async(() => {
+            getDefinitionsSpy = getDefinitionsSpy.and.returnValue(Observable.throw({}));
+            fixture.detectChanges();
+            fixture.whenStable().then(() => {
+                let errorEl: DebugElement = debugElement.query(By.css('.error-message'));
+                expect(errorEl).not.toBeNull('Expected error message to be present');
+                expect(errorEl.nativeElement.innerText).toBe('START_PROCESS.ERROR.LOAD_PROCESS_DEFS');
+            });
+        }));
+
     });
 
     describe('input changes', () => {
@@ -176,6 +186,29 @@ describe('ActivitiStartProcessButton', () => {
             });
         }));
 
+        it('should throw start event error when process cannot be started', async(() => {
+            let errorSpy = spyOn(component.start, 'error');
+            let error = { message: 'My error' };
+            startProcessSpy = startProcessSpy.and.returnValue(Observable.throw(error));
+            component.onProcessDefChange('my:process1');
+            component.startProcess();
+            fixture.whenStable().then(() => {
+                expect(errorSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(error);
+            });
+        }));
+
+        it('should indicate an error to the user if process cannot be started', async(() => {
+            startProcessSpy = startProcessSpy.and.returnValue(Observable.throw({}));
+            component.onProcessDefChange('my:process1');
+            component.startProcess();
+            fixture.whenStable().then(() => {
+                fixture.detectChanges();
+                let errorEl: DebugElement = debugElement.query(By.css('.error-message'));
+                expect(errorEl).not.toBeNull();
+                expect(errorEl.nativeElement.innerText).toBe('START_PROCESS.ERROR.START');
+            });
+        }));
+
     });
 
     describe('start forms', () => {
diff --git a/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.ts b/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.ts
index 8de557fdf1..abc7bcdd3d 100644
--- a/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.ts
+++ b/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/components/activiti-start-process.component.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ export class ActivitiStartProcessButton implements OnInit, OnChanges {
 
     currentProcessDef: ProcessDefinitionRepresentation = new ProcessDefinitionRepresentation();
 
+    errorMessageId: string = '';
+
     constructor(private translate: AlfrescoTranslationService,
                 private activitiProcess: ActivitiProcessService) {
 
@@ -73,12 +75,13 @@ export class ActivitiStartProcessButton implements OnInit, OnChanges {
 
     public load(appId: string) {
         this.resetSelectedProcessDefinition();
+        this.resetErrorMessage();
         this.activitiProcess.getProcessDefinitions(appId).subscribe(
             (res) => {
                 this.processDefinitions = res;
             },
-            (err) => {
-                console.log(err);
+            () => {
+                this.errorMessageId = 'START_PROCESS.ERROR.LOAD_PROCESS_DEFS';
             }
         );
     }
@@ -92,6 +95,7 @@ export class ActivitiStartProcessButton implements OnInit, OnChanges {
 
     public startProcess() {
         if (this.currentProcessDef.id && this.name) {
+            this.resetErrorMessage();
             let formValues = this.startForm ? this.startForm.form.values : undefined;
             this.activitiProcess.startProcess(this.currentProcessDef.id, this.name, formValues).subscribe(
                 (res) => {
@@ -100,7 +104,8 @@ export class ActivitiStartProcessButton implements OnInit, OnChanges {
                     this.cancel();
                 },
                 (err) => {
-                    console.log(err);
+                    this.errorMessageId = 'START_PROCESS.ERROR.START';
+                    this.start.error(err);
                 }
             );
         }
@@ -135,11 +140,16 @@ export class ActivitiStartProcessButton implements OnInit, OnChanges {
         this.currentProcessDef = new ProcessDefinitionRepresentation();
     }
 
+    private resetErrorMessage(): void {
+        this.errorMessageId = '';
+    }
+
     private reset() {
         this.resetSelectedProcessDefinition();
         this.name = '';
         if (this.startForm) {
             this.startForm.data = {};
         }
+        this.resetErrorMessage();
     }
 }
diff --git a/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/i18n/en.json b/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/i18n/en.json
index 865f813a78..6d713c06e6 100644
--- a/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/i18n/en.json
+++ b/ng2-components/ng2-activiti-processlist/src/i18n/en.json
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@
                 "START": "Start",
                 "CANCEL": "Cancel"
             }
+        },
+        "ERROR": {
+          "LOAD_PROCESS_DEFS": "Could not load process definitions, please check you have access.",
+          "START": "Could start new process instance, please check you have permission."
         }
     }
 }