diff --git a/client/client_state.C b/client/client_state.C
index 753d89064f..87369cf23c 100644
--- a/client/client_state.C
+++ b/client/client_state.C
@@ -884,3 +884,21 @@ void CLIENT_STATE::set_client_state_dirty(char* source) {
     }
     client_state_dirty = true;
 }
+
+// Report error back to project, setting result state to finished and backing
+// off on the project.  The error will appear in the stderr_out field of
+// the result
+// 
+int CLIENT_STATE::report_project_error( RESULT &res, int err_num, char *err_msg ) {
+    char total_err[256];
+    
+    res.state = RESULT_READY_TO_ACK;
+    scheduler_op->backoff(res.project,"");
+    
+    sprintf( total_err, "BOINC Core Client: Err %d: %s\n", err_num, err_msg );
+    if( strlen(res.stderr_out)+strlen(total_err) < STDERR_MAX_LEN ) {
+        strcat( res.stderr_out, total_err );
+    }
+    
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/client/client_state.h b/client/client_state.h
index 0292816c78..288ca91390 100644
--- a/client/client_state.h
+++ b/client/client_state.h
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ public:
     int make_scheduler_request(PROJECT*, double);
     void handle_scheduler_reply(PROJECT*, char* scheduler_url);
     void set_client_state_dirty(char*);
+    int report_project_error( RESULT &res, int err_num, char *err_msg );
 private:
     PROJECT* find_project_with_overdue_results();
     bool some_project_rpc_ok();