diff --git a/packages/metro/package.json b/packages/metro/package.json
index f63799227d..706abbaac0 100644
--- a/packages/metro/package.json
+++ b/packages/metro/package.json
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
     "mkdirp": "^0.5.1",
     "request": "^2.79.0",
     "rimraf": "^2.5.4",
+    "serialize-error": "^2.1.0",
     "source-map": "^0.5.6",
     "temp": "0.8.3",
     "throat": "^4.1.0",
diff --git a/packages/metro/src/Server/__tests__/Server-test.js b/packages/metro/src/Server/__tests__/Server-test.js
index c9e02e1246..3510b5d539 100644
--- a/packages/metro/src/Server/__tests__/Server-test.js
+++ b/packages/metro/src/Server/__tests__/Server-test.js
@@ -301,6 +301,31 @@ describe('processRequest', () => {
         expect(response.body).toEqual('{"delta": "bundle"}');
       });
     });
+
+    it('should include the error message for transform errors', () => {
+      Serializers.deltaBundle.mockImplementation(async () => {
+        const transformError = new SyntaxError('test syntax error');
+        transformError.type = 'TransformError';
+        transformError.filename = 'testFile.js';
+        transformError.lineNumber = 123;
+        throw transformError;
+      });
+
+      return makeRequest(requestHandler, 'index.delta?platform=ios').then(
+        function(response) {
+          expect(() => JSON.parse(response.body)).not.toThrow();
+          const body = JSON.parse(response.body);
+          expect(body).toMatchObject({
+            type: 'TransformError',
+            message: 'test syntax error',
+          });
+          expect(body.errors).toContainEqual({
+            filename: 'testFile.js',
+            lineNumber: 123,
+          });
+        },
+      );
+    });
   });
 
   describe('/onchange endpoint', () => {
diff --git a/packages/metro/src/Server/index.js b/packages/metro/src/Server/index.js
index 083b1699de..94f6e76a3c 100644
--- a/packages/metro/src/Server/index.js
+++ b/packages/metro/src/Server/index.js
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ const getOrderedDependencyPaths = require('../lib/getOrderedDependencyPaths');
 const mime = require('mime-types');
 const parsePlatformFilePath = require('../node-haste/lib/parsePlatformFilePath');
 const path = require('path');
+const serializeError = require('serialize-error');
 const symbolicate = require('./symbolicate');
 const url = require('url');
 
@@ -746,7 +747,7 @@ class Server {
     res.writeHead(error.status || 500, {
       'Content-Type': 'application/json; charset=UTF-8',
     });
-    res.end(JSON.stringify(formattedError));
+    res.end(JSON.stringify(serializeError(formattedError)));
     this._reporter.update({error, type: 'bundling_error'});
 
     log({
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 1a05b8bfce..b320d93798 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -4869,6 +4869,10 @@ send@0.13.2:
     range-parser "~1.0.3"
     statuses "~1.2.1"
 
+serialize-error@^2.1.0:
+  version "2.1.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/serialize-error/-/serialize-error-2.1.0.tgz#50b679d5635cdf84667bdc8e59af4e5b81d5f60a"
+
 serve-favicon@~2.3.0:
   version "2.3.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/serve-favicon/-/serve-favicon-2.3.2.tgz#dd419e268de012ab72b319d337f2105013f9381f"