diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/aspect_membership_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/aspect_membership_view.js
index 238349e1d..34ba8bd77 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/aspect_membership_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/aspect_membership_view.js
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ app.views.AspectMembership = app.views.Base.extend({
   _displayError: function(model, resp) {
     this._done();
     this.dropdown.closest(".aspect_membership_dropdown").removeClass("open"); // close the dropdown
-    app.flashMessages.error(resp.responseText);
+    app.flashMessages.handleAjaxError(resp);
   },
 
   // remove the membership with the given id
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ app.views.AspectMembership = app.views.Base.extend({
     this.listenToOnce(membership, "sync", this._successDestroyCb);
     this.listenToOnce(membership, "error", this._displayError);
 
-    return membership.destroy();
+    return membership.destroy({wait: true});
   },
 
   _successDestroyCb: function(aspectMembership) {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/flash_messages_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/flash_messages_view.js
index cb5b214b2..b5c2286d6 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/flash_messages_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/views/flash_messages_view.js
@@ -16,5 +16,13 @@ app.views.FlashMessages = app.views.Base.extend({
 
   error: function(message){
     this._flash(message, true);
+  },
+
+  handleAjaxError: function(response) {
+    if (response.status === 0) {
+      this.error(Diaspora.I18n.t("errors.connection"));
+    } else {
+      this.error(response.responseText);
+    }
   }
 });
diff --git a/config/locales/javascript/javascript.en.yml b/config/locales/javascript/javascript.en.yml
index b7e71a955..e94e0eb9a 100644
--- a/config/locales/javascript/javascript.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/javascript/javascript.en.yml
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ en:
         success: "Your new aspect <%= name %> was created"
         failure: "Aspect creation failed."
 
+    errors:
+      connection: "Unable to connect to the server."
+
     timeago:
       prefixAgo: ""
       prefixFromNow: ""
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/app/views/aspect_membership_view_spec.js b/spec/javascripts/app/views/aspect_membership_view_spec.js
index 270aa4173..db671ce6b 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/app/views/aspect_membership_view_spec.js
+++ b/spec/javascripts/app/views/aspect_membership_view_spec.js
@@ -55,9 +55,12 @@ describe("app.views.AspectMembership", function(){
     });
 
     it('displays an error when it fails', function() {
+      spyOn(app.flashMessages, "handleAjaxError").and.callThrough();
       this.newAspect.trigger('click');
       jasmine.Ajax.requests.mostRecent().respondWith(resp_fail);
 
+      expect(app.flashMessages.handleAjaxError).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(app.flashMessages.handleAjaxError.calls.argsFor(0)[0].responseText).toBe("error message");
       expect(spec.content().find(".flash-message")).toBeErrorFlashMessage("error message");
     });
   });
@@ -95,9 +98,12 @@ describe("app.views.AspectMembership", function(){
     });
 
     it('displays an error when it fails', function() {
+      spyOn(app.flashMessages, "handleAjaxError").and.callThrough();
       this.oldAspect.trigger('click');
       jasmine.Ajax.requests.mostRecent().respondWith(resp_fail);
 
+      expect(app.flashMessages.handleAjaxError).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(app.flashMessages.handleAjaxError.calls.argsFor(0)[0].responseText).toBe("error message");
       expect(spec.content().find(".flash-message")).toBeErrorFlashMessage("error message");
     });
   });
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/app/views/flash_messages_view-spec.js b/spec/javascripts/app/views/flash_messages_view-spec.js
index bcae20b2c..ad4b40ec6 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/app/views/flash_messages_view-spec.js
+++ b/spec/javascripts/app/views/flash_messages_view-spec.js
@@ -30,4 +30,18 @@ describe("app.views.FlashMessages", function(){
       expect($(".flash-message").text().trim()).toBe("error!");
     });
   });
+
+  describe("handleAjaxError", function() {
+    it("shows a generic error if the connection failed", function() {
+      spyOn(flashMessages, "error");
+      flashMessages.handleAjaxError({status: 0});
+      expect(flashMessages.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith(Diaspora.I18n.t("errors.connection"));
+    });
+
+    it("shows the error given in the responseText otherwise", function() {
+      spyOn(flashMessages, "error");
+      flashMessages.handleAjaxError({status: 400, responseText: "some specific ajax error"});
+      expect(flashMessages.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith("some specific ajax error");
+    });
+  });
 });