diff --git a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/AccountsScreen.hs b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/AccountsScreen.hs
index aa0ca7a8e..86214eb87 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/AccountsScreen.hs
+++ b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/AccountsScreen.hs
@@ -180,8 +180,8 @@ asDraw UIState{aopts=_uopts@UIOpts{uoCliOpts=copts@CliOpts{reportspec_=rspec}}
                 nonblanks = V.takeWhile (not . T.null . asItemAccountName) $ s ^. asList . listElementsL
 
         bottomlabel = case mode of
-                        Minibuffer ed -> minibuffer ed
-                        _             -> quickhelp
+                        Minibuffer label ed -> minibuffer label ed
+                        _                   -> quickhelp
           where
             quickhelp = borderKeysStr' [
                ("?", str "help")
@@ -242,15 +242,18 @@ asHandle ui0@UIState{
     ui = ui0{aScreen=scr & asSelectedAccount .~ selacct}
 
   case mode of
-    Minibuffer ed ->
+    Minibuffer _ ed ->
       case ev of
         VtyEvent (EvKey KEsc   []) -> continue $ closeMinibuffer ui
-        VtyEvent (EvKey KEnter []) -> continue $ regenerateScreens j d $ setFilter s $ closeMinibuffer ui
-                            where s = chomp $ unlines $ map strip $ getEditContents ed
+        VtyEvent (EvKey KEnter []) -> continue $ regenerateScreens j d $
+            case setFilter s $ closeMinibuffer ui of
+              Left bad -> showMinibuffer "Cannot compile regular expression" (Just bad) ui
+              Right ui' -> ui'
+          where s = chomp $ unlines $ map strip $ getEditContents ed
         VtyEvent (EvKey (KChar 'l') [MCtrl]) -> redraw ui
         VtyEvent (EvKey (KChar 'z') [MCtrl]) -> suspend ui
         VtyEvent ev        -> do ed' <- handleEditorEvent ev ed
-                                 continue $ ui{aMode=Minibuffer ed'}
+                                 continue $ ui{aMode=Minibuffer "filter" ed'}
         AppEvent _        -> continue ui
         MouseDown{}       -> continue ui
         MouseUp{}         -> continue ui
@@ -311,7 +314,7 @@ asHandle ui0@UIState{
         VtyEvent (EvKey (KUp)       [MShift]) -> continue $ regenerateScreens j d $ growReportPeriod d ui
         VtyEvent (EvKey (KRight)    [MShift]) -> continue $ regenerateScreens j d $ nextReportPeriod journalspan ui
         VtyEvent (EvKey (KLeft)     [MShift]) -> continue $ regenerateScreens j d $ previousReportPeriod journalspan ui
-        VtyEvent (EvKey (KChar '/') []) -> continue $ regenerateScreens j d $ showMinibuffer ui
+        VtyEvent (EvKey (KChar '/') []) -> continue $ regenerateScreens j d $ showMinibuffer "filter" Nothing ui
         VtyEvent (EvKey k           []) | k `elem` [KBS, KDel] -> (continue $ regenerateScreens j d $ resetFilter ui)
         VtyEvent e | e `elem` moveLeftEvents -> continue $ popScreen ui
         VtyEvent (EvKey (KChar 'l') [MCtrl]) -> scrollSelectionToMiddle _asList >> redraw ui
diff --git a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/RegisterScreen.hs b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/RegisterScreen.hs
index cf6ac5925..ee2fa83ff 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/RegisterScreen.hs
+++ b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/RegisterScreen.hs
@@ -227,8 +227,8 @@ rsDraw UIState{aopts=_uopts@UIOpts{uoCliOpts=copts@CliOpts{reportspec_=rspec}}
             -- query = query_ $ reportopts_ $ cliopts_ opts
 
         bottomlabel = case mode of
-                        Minibuffer ed -> minibuffer ed
-                        _             -> quickhelp
+                        Minibuffer label ed -> minibuffer label ed
+                        _                   -> quickhelp
           where
             quickhelp = borderKeysStr' [
                ("?", str "help")
@@ -288,15 +288,19 @@ rsHandle ui@UIState{
     lastnonblankidx = max 0 (length nonblanks - 1)
 
   case mode of
-    Minibuffer ed ->
+    Minibuffer _ ed ->
       case ev of
         VtyEvent (EvKey KEsc   []) -> continue $ closeMinibuffer ui
-        VtyEvent (EvKey KEnter []) -> continue $ regenerateScreens j d $ setFilter s $ closeMinibuffer ui
-                            where s = chomp $ unlines $ map strip $ getEditContents ed
+        VtyEvent (EvKey KEnter []) -> continue $ regenerateScreens j d $
+            case setFilter s $ closeMinibuffer ui of
+              Left bad -> showMinibuffer "Cannot compile regular expression" (Just bad) ui
+              Right ui' -> ui'
+          where s = chomp . unlines . map strip $ getEditContents ed
+        -- VtyEvent (EvKey (KChar '/') []) -> continue $ regenerateScreens j d $ showMinibuffer ui
         VtyEvent (EvKey (KChar 'l') [MCtrl]) -> redraw ui
         VtyEvent (EvKey (KChar 'z') [MCtrl]) -> suspend ui
         VtyEvent ev              -> do ed' <- handleEditorEvent ev ed
-                                       continue $ ui{aMode=Minibuffer ed'}
+                                       continue $ ui{aMode=Minibuffer "filter" ed'}
         AppEvent _        -> continue ui
         MouseDown{}       -> continue ui
         MouseUp{}         -> continue ui
@@ -342,7 +346,7 @@ rsHandle ui@UIState{
         VtyEvent (EvKey (KChar 'C') []) -> rsCenterAndContinue $ regenerateScreens j d $ toggleCleared ui
         VtyEvent (EvKey (KChar 'F') []) -> rsCenterAndContinue $ regenerateScreens j d $ toggleForecast d ui
 
-        VtyEvent (EvKey (KChar '/') []) -> continue $ regenerateScreens j d $ showMinibuffer ui
+        VtyEvent (EvKey (KChar '/') []) -> continue $ regenerateScreens j d $ showMinibuffer "filter" Nothing ui
         VtyEvent (EvKey (KDown)     [MShift]) -> continue $ regenerateScreens j d $ shrinkReportPeriod d ui
         VtyEvent (EvKey (KUp)       [MShift]) -> continue $ regenerateScreens j d $ growReportPeriod d ui
         VtyEvent (EvKey (KRight)    [MShift]) -> continue $ regenerateScreens j d $ nextReportPeriod journalspan ui
diff --git a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIState.hs b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIState.hs
index 9f2a32b22..b8a082b70 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIState.hs
+++ b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIState.hs
@@ -7,9 +7,11 @@ module Hledger.UI.UIState
 where
 
 import Brick.Widgets.Edit
+import Data.Bifunctor (first)
 import Data.Foldable (asum)
 import Data.Either (fromRight)
 import Data.List ((\\), foldl', sort)
+import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe)
 import Data.Semigroup (Max(..))
 import qualified Data.Text as T
 import Data.Text.Zipper (gotoEOL)
@@ -205,11 +207,9 @@ updateReportPeriod :: (Period -> Period) -> UIState -> UIState
 updateReportPeriod updatePeriod = fromRight err . overEither period updatePeriod  -- PARTIAL:
   where err = error "updateReportPeriod: updating period should not result in an error"
 
--- | Apply a new filter query.
-setFilter :: String -> UIState -> UIState
-setFilter s = over reportSpec update
-  where
-    update rspec = fromRight rspec $ setEither querystring (words'' prefixes $ T.pack s) rspec  -- XXX silently ignores an error
+-- | Apply a new filter query, or return the failing query.
+setFilter :: String -> UIState -> Either String UIState
+setFilter s = first (const s) . setEither querystring (words'' prefixes $ T.pack s)
 
 -- | Reset some filters & toggles.
 resetFilter :: UIState -> UIState
@@ -264,11 +264,11 @@ updateReportDepth updateDepth ui = over reportSpec update ui
                       | otherwise        = Just d
 
 -- | Open the minibuffer, setting its content to the current query with the cursor at the end.
-showMinibuffer :: UIState -> UIState
-showMinibuffer ui = setMode (Minibuffer e) ui
+showMinibuffer :: T.Text -> Maybe String -> UIState -> UIState
+showMinibuffer label moldq ui = setMode (Minibuffer label e) ui
   where
     e = applyEdit gotoEOL $ editor MinibufferEditor (Just 1) oldq
-    oldq = T.unpack . T.unwords . map textQuoteIfNeeded $ ui^.querystring
+    oldq = fromMaybe (T.unpack . T.unwords . map textQuoteIfNeeded $ ui^.querystring) moldq
 
 -- | Close the minibuffer, discarding any edit in progress.
 closeMinibuffer :: UIState -> UIState
diff --git a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UITypes.hs b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UITypes.hs
index bd790453a..5c0135e71 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UITypes.hs
+++ b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UITypes.hs
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ data UIState = UIState {
 data Mode =
     Normal
   | Help
-  | Minibuffer (Editor String Name)
+  | Minibuffer Text (Editor String Name)
   deriving (Show,Eq)
 
 -- Ignore the editor when comparing Modes.
diff --git a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIUtils.hs b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIUtils.hs
index 1844660af..e927f1a08 100644
--- a/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIUtils.hs
+++ b/hledger-ui/Hledger/UI/UIUtils.hs
@@ -176,11 +176,11 @@ helpHandle ui ev = do
     ui' = setMode Normal ui
     closeHelpEvents = moveLeftEvents ++ [EvKey KEsc [], EvKey (KChar '?') [], EvKey (KChar 'q') []]
 
--- | Draw the minibuffer.
-minibuffer :: Editor String Name -> Widget Name
-minibuffer ed =
+-- | Draw the minibuffer with the given label.
+minibuffer :: T.Text -> Editor String Name -> Widget Name
+minibuffer string ed =
   forceAttr ("border" <> "minibuffer") $
-  hBox [txt "filter: ", renderEditor (str . unlines) True ed]
+  hBox [txt $ string <> ": ", renderEditor (str . unlines) True ed]
 
 borderQueryStr :: String -> Widget Name
 borderQueryStr ""  = str ""