diff --git a/xbmc/network/WebServer.cpp b/xbmc/network/WebServer.cpp
index 3a14d51dadf9d..8e1fced651db2 100644
--- a/xbmc/network/WebServer.cpp
+++ b/xbmc/network/WebServer.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #ifdef HAS_WEB_SERVER
 #include <memory>
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <stdexcept>
 
 #include "URL.h"
 #include "Util.h"
@@ -1062,10 +1063,43 @@ void CWebServer::ContentReaderFreeCallback(void *cls)
 #endif
 }
 
+// local helper
+static void panicHandlerForMHD(void* unused, const char* file, unsigned int line, const char *reason)
+{
+  CLog::Log(LOGSEVERE, "CWebServer: MHD serious error: reason \"%s\" in file \"%s\" at line %ui", reason ? reason : "",
+            file ? file : "", line);
+  throw std::runtime_error("MHD serious error"); // FIXME: better solution?
+}
+
+// local helper
+static void logFromMHD(void* unused, const char* fmt, va_list ap)
+{
+  if (fmt == NULL || fmt[0] == 0)
+    CLog::Log(LOGERROR, "CWebServer: MHD reported error with empty string");
+  else
+  {
+    std::string errDsc = StringUtils::FormatV(fmt, ap);
+    if (errDsc.empty())
+      CLog::Log(LOGERROR, "CWebServer: MHD reported error with unprintable string \"%s\"", fmt);
+    else
+    {
+      if (errDsc.at(errDsc.length() - 1) == '\n')
+        errDsc.erase(errDsc.length() - 1);
+      
+      // Most common error is "aborted connection", so log it at LOGDEBUG level
+      CLog::Log(LOGDEBUG, "CWebServer [MHD]: %s", errDsc.c_str());
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 struct MHD_Daemon* CWebServer::StartMHD(unsigned int flags, int port)
 {
   unsigned int timeout = 60 * 60 * 24;
 
+#if MHD_VERSION >= 0x00040500
+  MHD_set_panic_func(&panicHandlerForMHD, NULL);
+#endif
+
   return MHD_start_daemon(flags |
 #if (MHD_VERSION >= 0x00040002) && (MHD_VERSION < 0x00090B01)
                           // use main thread for each connection, can only handle one request at a
@@ -1077,6 +1111,9 @@ struct MHD_Daemon* CWebServer::StartMHD(unsigned int flags, int port)
                           // otherwise on libmicrohttpd 0.4.4-1 it spins a busy loop
                           MHD_USE_THREAD_PER_CONNECTION
 #endif
+#if (MHD_VERSION >= 0x00040001)
+                          | MHD_USE_DEBUG /* Print MHD error messages to log */
+#endif 
                           ,
                           port,
                           NULL,
@@ -1090,6 +1127,9 @@ struct MHD_Daemon* CWebServer::StartMHD(unsigned int flags, int port)
                           MHD_OPTION_CONNECTION_LIMIT, 512,
                           MHD_OPTION_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT, timeout,
                           MHD_OPTION_URI_LOG_CALLBACK, &CWebServer::UriRequestLogger, this,
+#if (MHD_VERSION >= 0x00040001)
+                          MHD_OPTION_EXTERNAL_LOGGER, &logFromMHD, NULL,
+#endif // MHD_VERSION >= 0x00040001
                           MHD_OPTION_END);
 }