diff --git a/src/error.css b/src/error.css
index 8e24758..d3cd89a 100644
--- a/src/error.css
+++ b/src/error.css
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #errorOverlay {
   background: var(--bgcolor-danger);
   bottom: 0;
+  color: var(--color-danger);
   display: flex;
   flex-direction: column;
   left: 0;
@@ -17,8 +18,9 @@
 }
 
 #errorOverlay button {
-  background-color: rgba(0 0 0 / .5);
+  background-color: var(--bgcolor-danger-input);
   border: none;
+  color: var(--color-danger);
   display: inline-block;
 }
 #errorOverlay button:focus {
diff --git a/src/main.css b/src/main.css
index 11d7024..4d78b6f 100644
--- a/src/main.css
+++ b/src/main.css
@@ -32,11 +32,13 @@
   html {
     --bgcolor: #fdfefa;
     --bgcolor-accent: #7badfc;
+    --bgcolor-danger: rgb(225, 40, 40);
+    --bgcolor-danger-input: rgba(255 255 255 / .85);
     --bgcolor-inactive: #bababa;
     --bgcolor-textinput: #fff;
     --color: rgb(68 68 68);
     --color-accent: rgb(16, 93, 176);
-    --bgcolor-danger: rgb(255, 80, 80);
+    --color-danger: #0e0e0e;
   }
 }
 
@@ -44,11 +46,13 @@
   html {
     --bgcolor: #191919;
     --bgcolor-accent: rgb(16, 93, 176);
+    --bgcolor-danger: rgb(169, 0, 0);
+    --bgcolor-danger-input: rgba(0 0 0 / .5);
     --bgcolor-inactive: #434343;
     --bgcolor-textinput: #0e0e0e;
     --color: #e3e3e3;
     --color-accent: #7b7b7b;
-    --bgcolor-danger: rgb(169, 0, 0);
+    --color-danger: #e3e3e3;
   }
 
   img {
diff --git a/src/main.js b/src/main.js
index 4806af8..ed49b87 100644
--- a/src/main.js
+++ b/src/main.js
@@ -1046,7 +1046,7 @@ function promptError(error, options = {}) {
   lockScroll();
   errorOverlay.replaceChildren(
     elem('h1', {className: 'error-title'}, error),
-    elem('p', {}, 'something went wrong'),
+    elem('p', {}, 'time ran out finding a proof with the desired mining difficulty. either try again, lower the mining difficulty or increase the timeout in profile settings.'),
     elem('div', {className: 'buttons'}, [
       onCancel ? elem('button', {data: {action: 'close'}}, 'close') : '',
       onAgain ? elem('button', {data: {action: 'again'}}, 'try again') : '',