diff --git a/pkg/cmd/api/api.go b/pkg/cmd/api/api.go
index 1ad97ea25..46ceddc26 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/api/api.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/api/api.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package api
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -109,24 +111,36 @@ func apiRun(opts *ApiOptions) error {
 	if resp.StatusCode == 204 {
 		return nil
 	}
+	var responseBody io.Reader = resp.Body
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 
 	isJSON, _ := regexp.MatchString(`[/+]json(;|$)`, resp.Header.Get("Content-Type"))
 
-	if isJSON && opts.IO.ColorEnabled() {
-		err = jsoncolor.Write(opts.IO.Out, resp.Body, "  ")
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	} else {
-		_, err = io.Copy(opts.IO.Out, resp.Body)
+	var serverError string
+	if isJSON && (opts.RequestPath == "graphql" || resp.StatusCode >= 400) {
+		responseBody, serverError, err = parseErrorResponse(responseBody, resp.StatusCode)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 
-	// TODO: detect GraphQL errors
-	if resp.StatusCode > 299 {
+	if isJSON && opts.IO.ColorEnabled() {
+		err = jsoncolor.Write(opts.IO.Out, responseBody, "  ")
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	} else {
+		_, err = io.Copy(opts.IO.Out, responseBody)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	if serverError != "" {
+		fmt.Fprintf(opts.IO.ErrOut, "gh: %s\n", serverError)
+		return cmdutil.SilentError
+	} else if resp.StatusCode > 299 {
+		fmt.Fprintf(opts.IO.ErrOut, "gh: HTTP %d\n", resp.StatusCode)
 		return cmdutil.SilentError
 	}
 
@@ -219,3 +233,34 @@ func readUserFile(fn string, stdin io.ReadCloser) ([]byte, error) {
 	defer r.Close()
 	return ioutil.ReadAll(r)
 }
+
+func parseErrorResponse(r io.Reader, statusCode int) (io.Reader, string, error) {
+	bodyCopy := &bytes.Buffer{}
+	b, err := ioutil.ReadAll(io.TeeReader(r, bodyCopy))
+	if err != nil {
+		return r, "", err
+	}
+
+	var parsedBody struct {
+		Message string
+		Errors  []struct {
+			Message string
+		}
+	}
+	err = json.Unmarshal(b, &parsedBody)
+	if err != nil {
+		return r, "", err
+	}
+
+	if parsedBody.Message != "" {
+		return bodyCopy, fmt.Sprintf("%s (HTTP %d)", parsedBody.Message, statusCode), nil
+	} else if len(parsedBody.Errors) > 0 {
+		msgs := make([]string, len(parsedBody.Errors))
+		for i, e := range parsedBody.Errors {
+			msgs[i] = e.Message
+		}
+		return bodyCopy, strings.Join(msgs, "\n"), nil
+	}
+
+	return bodyCopy, "", nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go b/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go
index 5bed57afc..dc00cb6ec 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go
@@ -160,6 +160,31 @@ func Test_apiRun(t *testing.T) {
 			stdout: ``,
 			stderr: ``,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "REST error",
+			httpResponse: &http.Response{
+				StatusCode: 400,
+				Body:       ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewBufferString(`{"message": "THIS IS FINE"}`)),
+				Header:     http.Header{"Content-Type": []string{"application/json; charset=utf-8"}},
+			},
+			err:    cmdutil.SilentError,
+			stdout: `{"message": "THIS IS FINE"}`,
+			stderr: "gh: THIS IS FINE (HTTP 400)\n",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "GraphQL error",
+			options: ApiOptions{
+				RequestPath: "graphql",
+			},
+			httpResponse: &http.Response{
+				StatusCode: 200,
+				Body:       ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewBufferString(`{"errors": [{"message":"AGAIN"}, {"message":"FINE"}]}`)),
+				Header:     http.Header{"Content-Type": []string{"application/json; charset=utf-8"}},
+			},
+			err:    cmdutil.SilentError,
+			stdout: `{"errors": [{"message":"AGAIN"}, {"message":"FINE"}]}`,
+			stderr: "gh: AGAIN\nFINE\n",
+		},
 		{
 			name: "failure",
 			httpResponse: &http.Response{
@@ -168,7 +193,7 @@ func Test_apiRun(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			err:    cmdutil.SilentError,
 			stdout: `gateway timeout`,
-			stderr: ``,
+			stderr: "gh: HTTP 502\n",
 		},
 	}