diff --git a/extensions/git/src/commands.ts b/extensions/git/src/commands.ts
index 76cc3725c59..af1210cb6c3 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/commands.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/commands.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 'use strict';
 
-import { Uri, commands, scm, Disposable, SCMResourceGroup, SCMResource, window, workspace, QuickPickItem } from 'vscode';
+import { Uri, commands, scm, Disposable, SCMResourceGroup, SCMResource, window, workspace, QuickPickItem, OutputChannel } from 'vscode';
 import { IRef, RefType } from './git';
 import { Model, Resource } from './model';
 import { log } from './util';
@@ -15,7 +15,30 @@ import * as path from 'path';
 type Command = (...args: any[]) => any;
 
 function catchErrors(fn: (...args) => Promise<any>): (...args) => void {
-	return (...args) => fn.call(this, ...args).catch(err => console.log(err));
+	return (...args) => fn.call(this, ...args).catch(async err => {
+		if (err.gitErrorCode) {
+			let message: string;
+
+			switch (err.gitErrorCode) {
+				case 'DirtyWorkTree':
+					message = 'Please clean your repository working tree before checkout.';
+					break;
+				default:
+					message = (err.stderr || err.message).replace(/^error: /, '');
+					break;
+			}
+
+			const outputChannel = this.outputChannel as OutputChannel;
+			const openOutputChannelChoice = 'Open Git Log';
+			const choice = await window.showErrorMessage(message, openOutputChannelChoice);
+
+			if (choice === openOutputChannelChoice) {
+				outputChannel.show();
+			}
+		} else {
+			console.error(err);
+		}
+	});
 }
 
 function resolveGitURI(uri: Uri): SCMResource | SCMResourceGroup | undefined {
@@ -79,7 +102,7 @@ class CommandCenter {
 
 	private disposables: Disposable[] = [];
 
-	constructor(private model: Model) {
+	constructor(private model: Model, private outputChannel: OutputChannel) {
 		this.disposables.push(
 			commands.registerCommand('git.refresh', this.refresh, this),
 			commands.registerCommand('git.openChange', this.openChange, this),
@@ -229,6 +252,6 @@ class CommandCenter {
 	}
 }
 
-export function registerCommands(model: Model): Disposable {
-	return new CommandCenter(model);
+export function registerCommands(model: Model, outputChannel: OutputChannel): Disposable {
+	return new CommandCenter(model, outputChannel);
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/extensions/git/src/git.ts b/extensions/git/src/git.ts
index a00980bae2b..24e46025e6d 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/git.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/git.ts
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ export class Git {
 			}
 
 			if (options.log !== false) {
-				this.log(`ERROR: ${result.stderr}\n`);
+				this.log(`${result.stderr}\n`);
 			}
 
 			return Promise.reject<IExecutionResult>(new GitError({
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ export class Git {
 		options.env = _.assign({}, process.env, options.env || {});
 
 		if (options.log !== false) {
-			this.log(`SPAWN: git ${args.join(' ')}\n`);
+			this.log(`git ${args.join(' ')}\n`);
 		}
 
 		return cp.spawn(this.gitPath, args, options);
diff --git a/extensions/git/src/main.ts b/extensions/git/src/main.ts
index fabfa6b327b..f317a0a788e 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/main.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/main.ts
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ async function init(disposables: Disposable[]): Promise<void> {
 	const syncStatusBar = new SyncStatusBar(model);
 
 	disposables.push(
-		registerCommands(model),
+		registerCommands(model, outputChannel),
 		scm.registerSCMProvider('git', provider),
 		workspace.registerTextDocumentContentProvider('git-index', textDocumentContentProvider),
 		textDocumentContentProvider,
diff --git a/extensions/git/src/statusbar.ts b/extensions/git/src/statusbar.ts
index 94919c56982..2355029ac32 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/statusbar.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/statusbar.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ export class SyncStatusBar {
 		}
 
 		const HEAD = this.model.HEAD;
-		let icon = '$(sync) ';
+		let icon = '$(sync)';
 		let text = '';
 
 		if (HEAD && HEAD.name && HEAD.commit) {
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ export class SyncStatusBar {
 				}
 				this.raw.command = 'git.sync';
 			} else {
-				icon = '$(cloud-upload) ';
+				icon = '$(cloud-upload)';
 				this.raw.command = 'git.publish';
 			}
 		} else {
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ export class SyncStatusBar {
 			this.raw.command = '';
 		}
 
-		this.raw.text = `${icon}${text}`;
+		this.raw.text = [icon, text].join(' ').trim();
 		this.raw.show();
 	}