diff --git a/src/wallet/api/wallet.cpp b/src/wallet/api/wallet.cpp
index 73e21db94..41b90c511 100644
--- a/src/wallet/api/wallet.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/api/wallet.cpp
@@ -798,12 +798,19 @@ bool WalletImpl::close(bool store)
 
 std::string WalletImpl::seed(const std::string& seed_offset) const
 {
-    if (checkBackgroundSync("cannot get seed"))
+    if (checkBackgroundSync("cannot get seed")) {
+        setStatusError("cannot get seed");
         return std::string();
-    epee::wipeable_string seed;
-    if (m_wallet)
-        m_wallet->get_seed(seed, seed_offset);
-    return std::string(seed.data(), seed.size()); // TODO
+    }
+    try {
+        epee::wipeable_string seed;
+        if (m_wallet)
+            m_wallet->get_seed(seed, seed_offset);
+        return std::string(seed.data(), seed.size()); // TODO
+    } catch (const std::exception &e) {
+        setStatusError(e.what());
+        return std::string();
+    }
 }
 
 std::string WalletImpl::getSeedLanguage() const
diff --git a/src/wallet/wallet2.cpp b/src/wallet/wallet2.cpp
index 8cf17a426..ae17a8de0 100644
--- a/src/wallet/wallet2.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/wallet2.cpp
@@ -1461,11 +1461,13 @@ bool wallet2::get_seed(epee::wipeable_string& electrum_words, const epee::wipeab
   bool keys_deterministic = is_deterministic();
   if (!keys_deterministic)
   {
+    THROW_WALLET_EXCEPTION(error::wallet_internal_error, "This is not a deterministic wallet");
     std::cout << "This is not a deterministic wallet" << std::endl;
     return false;
   }
   if (seed_language.empty())
   {
+    THROW_WALLET_EXCEPTION(error::wallet_internal_error, "seed_language not set");
     std::cout << "seed_language not set" << std::endl;
     return false;
   }
@@ -1475,8 +1477,9 @@ bool wallet2::get_seed(epee::wipeable_string& electrum_words, const epee::wipeab
     key = cryptonote::encrypt_key(key, passphrase);
   if (!crypto::ElectrumWords::bytes_to_words(key, electrum_words, seed_language))
   {
+    THROW_WALLET_EXCEPTION(error::wallet_internal_error, "Failed to create seed from key for language: "+seed_language+", falling back to English.");
     std::cout << "Failed to create seed from key for language: " << seed_language << std::endl;
-    return false;
+    crypto::ElectrumWords::bytes_to_words(key, electrum_words, "English");
   }
 
   return true;