diff --git a/browserid/static/dialog/controllers/page_controller.js b/browserid/static/dialog/controllers/page_controller.js
index 0a9361bf7bfaa55162dbe61401a5ac3a1386d17d..6904b0fb8655e5e19a6b3a98399796dff154e070 100644
--- a/browserid/static/dialog/controllers/page_controller.js
+++ b/browserid/static/dialog/controllers/page_controller.js
@@ -133,16 +133,6 @@
       }
     },
 
-    /**
-     * Immediately show the error dialog
-     * @method errorDialog
-     * @param {object} info - info to use for the error dialog.  Should have 
-     * two fields, message, description.
-     */
-    errorDialog: function(info) {
-      this.renderError({title: info.message, message: info.description});
-    },
-
     /**
      * Get a curried function to an error dialog.
      * @method getErrorDialog
@@ -151,7 +141,7 @@
      */
     getErrorDialog: function(info) {
       var self=this;
-      return self.errorDialog.bind(self, info);
+      return self.renderError.bind(self, info);
     },
 
     onCancel: function(event) {
diff --git a/browserid/static/dialog/resources/error-messages.js b/browserid/static/dialog/resources/error-messages.js
index dd7ee7313210e4a5dd20645c2c06ed030e77fd05..860760fb88febb0e2645a94dda23b3cf7f314b5f 100644
--- a/browserid/static/dialog/resources/error-messages.js
+++ b/browserid/static/dialog/resources/error-messages.js
@@ -38,44 +38,44 @@ BrowserID.Errors = (function(){
   var Errors = {
     authentication: {
       type: "serverError",
-      message: "Error Authenticating",
-      description: "There was a technical problem while trying to log you in.  Yucky!"
+      title: "Error Authenticating",
+      message: "There was a technical problem while trying to log you in.  Yucky!"
     },
 
     addEmail: {
       type: "serverError",
-      message: "Error Adding Address",
-      description: "There was a technical problem while trying to add this email to your account.  Yucky!"
+      title: "Error Adding Address",
+      message: "There was a technical problem while trying to add this email to your account.  Yucky!"
     },
 
     checkAuthentication: {
       type: "serverError",
-      message: "Error Checking Authentication",
-      description: "There was a technical problem while trying to log you in.  Yucky!"
+      title: "Error Checking Authentication",
+      message: "There was a technical problem while trying to log you in.  Yucky!"
     },
 
     createAccount: {
       type: "serverError",
-      message: "Error Creating Account",
-      description: "There was a technical problem while trying to create your account.  Yucky!"
+      title: "Error Creating Account",
+      message: "There was a technical problem while trying to create your account.  Yucky!"
     },
 
     registration: {
       type: "serverError",
-      message: "Registration Failed",
-      description: "An error was encountered and the signup cannot be completed.  Yucky!"
+      title: "Registration Failed",
+      message: "An error was encountered and the signup cannot be completed.  Yucky!"
     },
 
     signIn: {
       type: "serverError",
-      message: "Signin Failed",
-      description: "There was an error signing in. Yucky!"
+      title: "Signin Failed",
+      message: "There was an error signing in. Yucky!"
     },
 
     syncAddress: {
       type: "serverError",
-      message: "Error Syncing Address",
-      description: "There was a technical problem while trying to synchronize your account.  Yucky!"
+      title: "Error Syncing Address",
+      message: "There was a technical problem while trying to synchronize your account.  Yucky!"
     }
 
   };
diff --git a/browserid/static/dialog/test/qunit/controllers/page_controller_unit_test.js b/browserid/static/dialog/test/qunit/controllers/page_controller_unit_test.js
index 92ed30efcfb848c7a7a5ce79fb0913374b1fdc14..fca829d5c917981be1272ff7ee2148d1f089fa5c 100644
--- a/browserid/static/dialog/test/qunit/controllers/page_controller_unit_test.js
+++ b/browserid/static/dialog/test/qunit/controllers/page_controller_unit_test.js
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ steal.plugins("jquery").then("/dialog/controllers/page_controller", function() {
     ok(html.length, "with wait template specified, wait text is loaded");
   });
 
-  test("renderError does what it is meant to", function() {
+  test("renderError renders an error message", function() {
     controller = el.page({
       waitTemplate: waitTemplate,
       waitVars: {
@@ -109,14 +109,38 @@ steal.plugins("jquery").then("/dialog/controllers/page_controller", function() {
       }
     }).controller();
    
-    el.page("renderError", {
+    controller.renderError({
       title: "error title",
       message: "error message"
     });
 
     var html = el.find("#error .contents").html();
+    // XXX underpowered test, we don't actually check the contents.
     ok(html.length, "with error template specified, error text is loaded");
   });
 
+  test("getErrorDialog gets a function that can be used to render an error message", function() {
+    controller = el.page({
+      waitTemplate: waitTemplate,
+      waitVars: {
+        title: "Test title",
+        message: "Test message"
+      }
+    }).controller();
+   
+    var func = controller.getErrorDialog({
+      title: "error title",
+      message: "error message"
+    });
+
+    equal(typeof func, "function", "a function was returned from getErrorDialog");
+    func();
+
+    var html = el.find("#error .contents").html();
+    // XXX underpowered test, we don't actually check the contents.
+    ok(html.length, "when function is run, error text is loaded");
+
+  });
+
 });