diff --git a/src/components/structures/login/Login.js b/src/components/structures/login/Login.js
index bc04434bb2..43264e7003 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/login/Login.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/login/Login.js
@@ -93,6 +93,13 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         this._unmounted = true;
     },
 
+    onPasswordLoginError: function(errorText) {
+        this.setState({
+            errorText,
+            loginIncorrect: Boolean(errorText),
+        });
+    },
+
     onPasswordLogin: function(username, phoneCountry, phoneNumber, password) {
         this.setState({
             busy: true,
@@ -357,6 +364,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         return (
             <PasswordLogin
                onSubmit={this.onPasswordLogin}
+               onError={this.onPasswordLoginError}
                initialUsername={this.state.username}
                initialPhoneCountry={this.state.phoneCountry}
                initialPhoneNumber={this.state.phoneNumber}
diff --git a/src/components/views/login/PasswordLogin.js b/src/components/views/login/PasswordLogin.js
index 71dfbe2c36..a0e5ab0ddb 100644
--- a/src/components/views/login/PasswordLogin.js
+++ b/src/components/views/login/PasswordLogin.js
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import SdkConfig from '../../../SdkConfig';
  */
 class PasswordLogin extends React.Component {
     static defaultProps = {
+        onError: function() {},
         onUsernameChanged: function() {},
         onPasswordChanged: function() {},
         onPhoneCountryChanged: function() {},
@@ -56,33 +57,64 @@ class PasswordLogin extends React.Component {
         this.onPhoneCountryChanged = this.onPhoneCountryChanged.bind(this);
         this.onPhoneNumberChanged = this.onPhoneNumberChanged.bind(this);
         this.onPasswordChanged = this.onPasswordChanged.bind(this);
+        this.isLoginEmpty = this.isLoginEmpty.bind(this);
     }
 
     componentWillMount() {
         this._passwordField = null;
+        this._loginField = null;
     }
 
     componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
         if (!this.props.loginIncorrect && nextProps.loginIncorrect) {
-            field_input_incorrect(this._passwordField);
+            field_input_incorrect(this.isLoginEmpty() ? this._loginField : this._passwordField);
         }
     }
 
     onSubmitForm(ev) {
         ev.preventDefault();
-        if (this.state.loginType === PasswordLogin.LOGIN_FIELD_PHONE) {
-            this.props.onSubmit(
-                '', // XXX: Synapse breaks if you send null here:
-                this.state.phoneCountry,
-                this.state.phoneNumber,
-                this.state.password,
-            );
+
+        let username = ''; // XXX: Synapse breaks if you send null here:
+        let phoneCountry = null;
+        let phoneNumber = null;
+        let error;
+
+        switch (this.state.loginType) {
+            case PasswordLogin.LOGIN_FIELD_EMAIL:
+                username = this.state.username;
+                if (!username) {
+                    error = _t('The email field must not be blank.');
+                }
+                break;
+            case PasswordLogin.LOGIN_FIELD_MXID:
+                username = this.state.username;
+                if (!username) {
+                    error = _t('The user name field must not be blank.');
+                }
+                break;
+            case PasswordLogin.LOGIN_FIELD_PHONE:
+                phoneCountry = this.state.phoneCountry;
+                phoneNumber = this.state.phoneNumber;
+                if (!phoneNumber) {
+                    error = _t('The phone number field must not be blank.');
+                }
+                break;
+        }
+
+        if (error) {
+            this.props.onError(error);
             return;
         }
+
+        if (!this.state.password) {
+            this.props.onError(_t('The password field must not be blank.'));
+            return;
+        }
+
         this.props.onSubmit(
-            this.state.username,
-            null,
-            null,
+            username,
+            phoneCountry,
+            phoneNumber,
             this.state.password,
         );
     }
@@ -93,6 +125,7 @@ class PasswordLogin extends React.Component {
     }
 
     onLoginTypeChange(loginType) {
+        this.props.onError(null); // send a null error to clear any error messages
         this.setState({
             loginType: loginType,
             username: "", // Reset because email and username use the same state
@@ -126,8 +159,10 @@ class PasswordLogin extends React.Component {
         switch (loginType) {
             case PasswordLogin.LOGIN_FIELD_EMAIL:
                 classes.mx_Login_email = true;
+                classes.error = this.props.loginIncorrect && !this.state.username;
                 return <input
                     className={classNames(classes)}
+                    ref={(e) => {this._loginField = e;}}
                     key="email_input"
                     type="text"
                     name="username" // make it a little easier for browser's remember-password
@@ -139,8 +174,10 @@ class PasswordLogin extends React.Component {
                 />;
             case PasswordLogin.LOGIN_FIELD_MXID:
                 classes.mx_Login_username = true;
+                classes.error = this.props.loginIncorrect && !this.state.username;
                 return <input
                     className={classNames(classes)}
+                    ref={(e) => {this._loginField = e;}}
                     key="username_input"
                     type="text"
                     name="username" // make it a little easier for browser's remember-password
@@ -153,14 +190,14 @@ class PasswordLogin extends React.Component {
                     autoFocus
                     disabled={disabled}
                 />;
-            case PasswordLogin.LOGIN_FIELD_PHONE:
+            case PasswordLogin.LOGIN_FIELD_PHONE: {
                 const CountryDropdown = sdk.getComponent('views.login.CountryDropdown');
                 classes.mx_Login_phoneNumberField = true;
                 classes.mx_Login_field_has_prefix = true;
+                classes.error = this.props.loginIncorrect && !this.state.phoneNumber;
                 return <div className="mx_Login_phoneSection">
                     <CountryDropdown
                         className="mx_Login_phoneCountry mx_Login_field_prefix"
-                        ref="phone_country"
                         onOptionChange={this.onPhoneCountryChanged}
                         value={this.state.phoneCountry}
                         isSmall={true}
@@ -169,7 +206,7 @@ class PasswordLogin extends React.Component {
                     />
                     <input
                         className={classNames(classes)}
-                        ref="phoneNumber"
+                        ref={(e) => {this._loginField = e;}}
                         key="phone_input"
                         type="text"
                         name="phoneNumber"
@@ -180,6 +217,17 @@ class PasswordLogin extends React.Component {
                         disabled={disabled}
                     />
                 </div>;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    isLoginEmpty() {
+        switch (this.state.loginType) {
+            case PasswordLogin.LOGIN_FIELD_EMAIL:
+            case PasswordLogin.LOGIN_FIELD_MXID:
+                return !this.state.username;
+            case PasswordLogin.LOGIN_FIELD_PHONE:
+                return !this.state.phoneCountry || !this.state.phoneNumber;
         }
     }
 
@@ -207,7 +255,7 @@ class PasswordLogin extends React.Component {
         const pwFieldClass = classNames({
             mx_Login_field: true,
             mx_Login_field_disabled: matrixIdText === '',
-            error: this.props.loginIncorrect,
+            error: this.props.loginIncorrect && !this.isLoginEmpty(), // only error password if error isn't top field
         });
 
         const Dropdown = sdk.getComponent('elements.Dropdown');
@@ -258,6 +306,7 @@ PasswordLogin.LOGIN_FIELD_PHONE = "login_field_phone";
 
 PasswordLogin.propTypes = {
     onSubmit: PropTypes.func.isRequired, // fn(username, password)
+    onError: PropTypes.func,
     onForgotPasswordClick: PropTypes.func, // fn()
     initialUsername: PropTypes.string,
     initialPhoneCountry: PropTypes.string,
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
index e4a66b9c12..d35555af6f 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
@@ -616,6 +616,10 @@
     "Code": "Code",
     "Start authentication": "Start authentication",
     "powered by Matrix": "powered by Matrix",
+    "The email field must not be blank.": "The email field must not be blank.",
+    "The user name field must not be blank.": "The user name field must not be blank.",
+    "The phone number field must not be blank.": "The phone number field must not be blank.",
+    "The password field must not be blank.": "The password field must not be blank.",
     "Username on %(hs)s": "Username on %(hs)s",
     "User name": "User name",
     "Mobile phone number": "Mobile phone number",