diff --git a/core/js/sharedialogview.js b/core/js/sharedialogview.js
index 9e3de2636c..7c31239d4a 100644
--- a/core/js/sharedialogview.js
+++ b/core/js/sharedialogview.js
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@
 
 						deferred.resolve(suggestions);
 					} else {
-						deferred.resolve(null);
+						deferred.reject(result.ocs.meta.message);
 					}
 				}
 			).fail(function() {
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@
 				$loading.removeClass('inlineblock');
 				$confirm.removeClass('hidden');
 
-				if (suggestions && suggestions.length > 0) {
+				if (suggestions.length > 0) {
 					$shareWithField
 						.autocomplete("option", "autoFocus", true);
 
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@
 						$('.ui-autocomplete').append('<li class="autocomplete-note">' + message + '</li>');
 					}
 
-				} else if (suggestions) {
+				} else {
 					var title = t('core', 'No users or groups found for {search}', {search: $shareWithField.val()});
 					if (!view.configModel.get('allowGroupSharing')) {
 						title = t('core', 'No users found for {search}', {search: $('.shareWithField').val()});
@@ -327,14 +327,17 @@
 						.tooltip('fixTitle')
 						.tooltip('show');
 					response();
-				} else {
-					response();
 				}
-			}).fail(function() {
+			}).fail(function(message) {
 				$loading.addClass('hidden');
 				$loading.removeClass('inlineblock');
 				$confirm.removeClass('hidden');
-				OC.Notification.showTemporary(t('core', 'An error occurred. Please try again'));
+
+				if (message) {
+					OC.Notification.showTemporary(t('core', 'An error occurred ("{message}"). Please try again', { message: message }));
+				} else {
+					OC.Notification.showTemporary(t('core', 'An error occurred. Please try again'));
+				}
 			});
 		},
 
diff --git a/core/js/tests/specs/sharedialogviewSpec.js b/core/js/tests/specs/sharedialogviewSpec.js
index c12c734a5d..be1aa4c9a8 100644
--- a/core/js/tests/specs/sharedialogviewSpec.js
+++ b/core/js/tests/specs/sharedialogviewSpec.js
@@ -1462,7 +1462,7 @@ describe('OC.Share.ShareDialogView', function() {
 			});
 		});
 
-		it('gracefully handles successful ajax call with failure content', function () {
+		it('throws a notification for a successful ajax call with failure content', function () {
 			dialog.render();
 			var response = sinon.stub();
 			dialog.autocompleteHandler({term: 'bob'}, response);
@@ -1470,7 +1470,8 @@ describe('OC.Share.ShareDialogView', function() {
 				'ocs' : {
 					'meta' : {
 						'status': 'failure',
-						'statuscode': 400
+						'statuscode': 400,
+						'message': 'error message'
 					}
 				}
 			});
@@ -1479,7 +1480,9 @@ describe('OC.Share.ShareDialogView', function() {
 					{'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
 					jsonData
 			);
-			expect(response.calledWithExactly()).toEqual(true);
+			expect(response.called).toEqual(false);
+			expect(showTemporaryNotificationStub.calledOnce).toEqual(true);
+			expect(showTemporaryNotificationStub.firstCall.args[0]).toContain('error message');
 		});
 
 		it('throws a notification when the ajax search lookup fails', function () {