diff --git a/rollup.config.js b/rollup.config.js
index 5b7898b0d148..12043ae600e5 100644
--- a/rollup.config.js
+++ b/rollup.config.js
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ const rollup = {
 			targets: [
 				{src: './source/manifest.json', dest: 'distribution'},
 				{src: './source/*.+(html|png)', dest: 'distribution/assets'},
+				{src: './source/background-loader.js', dest: 'distribution/assets'},
 				{src: './source/options-preflight.js', dest: 'distribution/assets'},
 			],
 		}),
diff --git a/source/background-loader.js b/source/background-loader.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..890c45a6285b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/background-loader.js
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+function storeBackgroundLoadError(error) {
+	localStorage.backgroundLoadErrors ??= '';
+	localStorage.backgroundLoadErrors += `${error?.stack ?? error?.message ?? String(error)}\n\n`;
+}
+
+function backgroundLoadErrorListener(event) {
+	storeBackgroundLoadError(event.error ?? event.message);
+}
+
+globalThis.addEventListener('error', backgroundLoadErrorListener);
+
+try {
+	// eslint-disable-next-line import-x/extensions -- The loader is copied to `distribution/assets`, where the built file is `background.js`.
+	await import('./background.js');
+	globalThis.removeEventListener('error', backgroundLoadErrorListener);
+} catch (error) {
+	storeBackgroundLoadError(error);
+	throw error;
+}
diff --git a/source/background.ts b/source/background.ts
index e05c04e7cebd..25bc462f6b3c 100644
--- a/source/background.ts
+++ b/source/background.ts
@@ -115,3 +115,5 @@ chrome.runtime.onInstalled.addListener(async () => {
 	// Call after the reset above just in case we nuked Safari's base permissions
 	await showWelcomePage();
 });
+
+delete localStorage.backgroundLoadErrors;
diff --git a/source/manifest.json b/source/manifest.json
index 614ddbe83c80..f31433a88a6b 100644
--- a/source/manifest.json
+++ b/source/manifest.json
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@
 	},
 	"options_page": "assets/options.html",
 	"background": {
-		"service_worker": "assets/background.js",
+		"service_worker": "assets/background-loader.js",
 		"type": "module",
 		"scripts": [
-			"assets/background.js"
+			"assets/background-loader.js"
 		]
 	},
 	"content_scripts": [
diff --git a/source/options.css b/source/options.css
index 5c6a0e0d542f..ed9d16e7a708 100644
--- a/source/options.css
+++ b/source/options.css
@@ -239,3 +239,10 @@ summary:hover {
 	border: 1px solid var(--rgh-red);
 	background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--rgh-red) 10%, transparent);
 }
+
+.js-background-fail-error {
+	overflow: auto;
+	white-space: pre-wrap;
+	margin: 1em 0 0;
+	font-size: 12px;
+}
diff --git a/source/options.html b/source/options.html
index e3d91c6274a8..f5e789557079 100644
--- a/source/options.html
+++ b/source/options.html
@@ -24,9 +24,12 @@
 	<!-- Captures and ignores native enter-to-submit action -->
 	<button hidden>Capture Submit</button>
 
-	<p hidden class="js-background-fail-banner">
-		It seems that the background page failed to load. This breaks some features. Please <a href="https://github.com/refined-github/refined-github/issues/new?template=1_bug_report.yml">report it</a>.
-	</p>
+	<div hidden class="js-background-fail-banner">
+		<p>
+			It seems that the background page failed to load. This breaks some features. Please <a href="https://github.com/refined-github/refined-github/issues/new?template=1_bug_report.yml">report it</a>.
+		</p>
+		<pre hidden class="js-background-fail-error"></pre>
+	</div>
 
 	<details id="token">
 		<summary><strong>🔑 Personal token</strong></summary>
diff --git a/source/options.tsx b/source/options.tsx
index 7f524471e366..29dd3a7f8629 100644
--- a/source/options.tsx
+++ b/source/options.tsx
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ import {isChrome, isFirefox} from 'webext-detect';
 import type {SyncedForm} from 'webext-options-sync-per-domain';
 import 'webext-bugs/target-blank';
 
-import {messageRuntime} from 'webext-msg';
-
 import {startFeatureIdentification} from './helpers/bisect.js';
 import clearCacheHandler from './helpers/clear-cache-handler.js';
 import {doesBrowserActionOpenOptions} from './helpers/feature-utils.js';
@@ -104,10 +102,16 @@ async function fetchHotfixes(event: MouseEvent): Promise<void> {
 	}
 }
 
-async function validateBackgroundPage(): Promise<void> {
-	if (await messageRuntime({ping: true}) !== 'pong') {
-		$('.js-background-fail-banner').hidden = false;
+function validateBackgroundPage(): void {
+	const backgroundLoadErrors = localStorage.backgroundLoadErrors?.trim();
+	if (!backgroundLoadErrors) {
+		return;
 	}
+
+	const errorField = $('.js-background-fail-error');
+	errorField.textContent = backgroundLoadErrors;
+	errorField.hidden = false;
+	$('.js-background-fail-banner').hidden = false;
 }
 
 async function generateDom(): Promise<void> {
@@ -138,7 +142,7 @@ async function generateDom(): Promise<void> {
 	// Show stored CSS hotfixes
 	void showStoredCssHotfixes();
 
-	void validateBackgroundPage();
+	validateBackgroundPage();
 }
 
 function addEventListeners(): void {