diff --git a/src/client/game.cpp b/src/client/game.cpp
index c9bcaba86..c13e4aa05 100644
--- a/src/client/game.cpp
+++ b/src/client/game.cpp
@@ -4536,7 +4536,7 @@ void the_game(bool *kill,
 		error_message = e.what();
 		errorstream << "ServerError: " << error_message << std::endl;
 	} catch (ModError &e) {
-		// DO NOT TRANSLATE the `ModError`, it's used by ui.lua
+		// DO NOT TRANSLATE the `ModError`, it's used by `ui.lua`
 		error_message = std::string("ModError: ") + e.what() +
 				strgettext("\nCheck debug.txt for details.");
 		errorstream << error_message << std::endl;
diff --git a/src/server.cpp b/src/server.cpp
index 3380ac63c..2dca13cf0 100644
--- a/src/server.cpp
+++ b/src/server.cpp
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 #include "database/database-dummy.h"
 #include "gameparams.h"
 #include "particles.h"
+#include "gettext.h"
 
 class ClientNotFoundException : public BaseException
 {
@@ -235,7 +236,7 @@ Server::Server(
 		Address bind_addr,
 		bool dedicated,
 		ChatInterface *iface,
-		std::string *on_shutdown_errmsg
+		std::string *shutdown_errmsg
 	):
 	m_bind_addr(bind_addr),
 	m_path_world(path_world),
@@ -254,7 +255,7 @@ Server::Server(
 	m_thread(new ServerThread(this)),
 	m_clients(m_con),
 	m_admin_chat(iface),
-	m_on_shutdown_errmsg(on_shutdown_errmsg),
+	m_shutdown_errmsg(shutdown_errmsg),
 	m_modchannel_mgr(new ModChannelMgr())
 {
 	if (m_path_world.empty())
@@ -353,14 +354,7 @@ Server::~Server()
 		try {
 			m_script->on_shutdown();
 		} catch (ModError &e) {
-			errorstream << "ModError: " << e.what() << std::endl;
-			if (m_on_shutdown_errmsg) {
-				if (m_on_shutdown_errmsg->empty()) {
-					*m_on_shutdown_errmsg = std::string("ModError: ") + e.what();
-				} else {
-					*m_on_shutdown_errmsg += std::string("\nModError: ") + e.what();
-				}
-			}
+			addShutdownError(e);
 		}
 
 		infostream << "Server: Saving environment metadata" << std::endl;
@@ -3759,6 +3753,23 @@ std::string Server::getBuiltinLuaPath()
 	return porting::path_share + DIR_DELIM + "builtin";
 }
 
+// Not thread-safe.
+void Server::addShutdownError(const ModError &e)
+{
+	// DO NOT TRANSLATE the `ModError`, it's used by `ui.lua`
+	std::string msg = fmtgettext("%s while shutting down: ", "ModError") +
+			e.what() + strgettext("\nCheck debug.txt for details.");
+	errorstream << msg << std::endl;
+
+	if (m_shutdown_errmsg) {
+		if (m_shutdown_errmsg->empty()) {
+			*m_shutdown_errmsg = msg;
+		} else {
+			*m_shutdown_errmsg += "\n\n" + msg;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 v3f Server::findSpawnPos()
 {
 	ServerMap &map = m_env->getServerMap();
diff --git a/src/server.h b/src/server.h
index faa23e74e..6c9f80180 100644
--- a/src/server.h
+++ b/src/server.h
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ public:
 		Address bind_addr,
 		bool dedicated,
 		ChatInterface *iface = nullptr,
-		std::string *on_shutdown_errmsg = nullptr
+		std::string *shutdown_errmsg = nullptr
 	);
 	~Server();
 	DISABLE_CLASS_COPY(Server);
@@ -300,6 +300,9 @@ public:
 		setAsyncFatalError(std::string("Lua: ") + e.what());
 	}
 
+	// Not thread-safe.
+	void addShutdownError(const ModError &e);
+
 	bool showFormspec(const char *name, const std::string &formspec, const std::string &formname);
 	Map & getMap() { return m_env->getMap(); }
 	ServerEnvironment & getEnv() { return *m_env; }
@@ -655,9 +658,9 @@ private:
 	ChatInterface *m_admin_chat;
 	std::string m_admin_nick;
 
-	// if a mod-error occurs in the on_shutdown callback, the error message will
-	// be written into this
-	std::string *const m_on_shutdown_errmsg;
+	// If a mod error occurs while shutting down, the error message will be
+	// written into this.
+	std::string *const m_shutdown_errmsg;
 
 	/*
 		Map edit event queue. Automatically receives all map edits.
diff --git a/src/serverenvironment.cpp b/src/serverenvironment.cpp
index 3925dab6d..a2f721b40 100644
--- a/src/serverenvironment.cpp
+++ b/src/serverenvironment.cpp
@@ -510,8 +510,12 @@ ServerEnvironment::~ServerEnvironment()
 	// This makes the next one delete all active objects.
 	m_active_blocks.clear();
 
-	// Convert all objects to static and delete the active objects
-	deactivateFarObjects(true);
+	try {
+		// Convert all objects to static and delete the active objects
+		deactivateFarObjects(true);
+	} catch (ModError &e) {
+		m_server->addShutdownError(e);
+	}
 
 	// Drop/delete map
 	if (m_map)