diff --git a/public/500.html b/public/500.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eec0e49f7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/public/500.html
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+<html>
+<head>
+	<title>Internal Server Error</title>
+	<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
+	<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/assets/5xx.css" />
+
+	<script type="text/javascript">
+	window.onload = function() {
+		let count = 0;
+		const bounce = document.getElementById('click-me');
+		bounce.onclick = function() {
+			count++;
+			bounce.className = '';
+			setTimeout(function() {
+				bounce.className = 'animated bounce';
+			}, 50);
+
+			if (count > 5) {
+				document.getElementById('hide').className = '';
+			}
+		};
+	}
+	</script>
+</head>
+<body>
+	<div class="wrapper">
+		<div class="center">
+			<h1 id="click-me" class="animated bounce">500</h1>
+			<p>
+				<strong>Internal server error. </strong>
+			</p>
+			<p>
+				{message}
+			</p>
+			<p>
+				&nbsp;<small id="hide" class="hide">Alright. You can stop clicking... it's not going to make the site come back sooner!</small>
+			</p>
+		</div>
+	</div>
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/public/503.html b/public/503.html
index 43d1e648d9..51d0e52d53 100644
--- a/public/503.html
+++ b/public/503.html
@@ -2,147 +2,12 @@
 <head>
 	<title>Excessive Load Warning</title>
 	<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
-	<style type="text/css">
-	body {
-		background: #00A9EA;
-		color: white;
-		font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji";
-		text-align: center;
-		-webkit-transform-style: preserve-3d;
-		-moz-transform-style: preserve-3d;
-		transform-style: preserve-3d;
-	}
+	<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/assets/5xx.css" />
 
-	h1 {
-		font-size: 250px;
-		color: #fff;
-		opacity: 0.5;
-		margin: 10px;
-		cursor: pointer;
-		-moz-user-select: none;
-		-khtml-user-select: none;
-		-webkit-user-select: none;
-	}
-
-	p {
-		font-size: 20px;
-	}
-
-	p strong {
-		font-size: 28px;
-	}
-
-	@media (max-width: 640px) {
-		h1 {
-			font-size: 125px;
-		}
-
-		p {
-			font-size: 16px;
-		}
-
-		p strong {
-			font-size: 20px;
-		}
-	}
-
-	.center {
-		position: relative;
-		top: 50%;
-		-webkit-transform: translateY(50%);
-		-ms-transform: translateY(50%);
-		transform: translateY(50%);
-	}
-
-	@-webkit-keyframes bounce {
-		0%, 20%, 53%, 80%, 100% {
-			-webkit-transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.215, 0.610, 0.355, 1.000);
-			transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.215, 0.610, 0.355, 1.000);
-			-webkit-transform: translate3d(0,0,0);
-			transform: translate3d(0,0,0);
-		}
-
-		40%, 43% {
-			-webkit-transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
-			transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
-			-webkit-transform: translate3d(0, -30px, 0);
-			transform: translate3d(0, -30px, 0);
-		}
-
-		70% {
-			-webkit-transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
-			transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
-			-webkit-transform: translate3d(0, -15px, 0);
-			transform: translate3d(0, -15px, 0);
-		}
-
-		90% {
-			-webkit-transform: translate3d(0,-4px,0);
-			transform: translate3d(0,-4px,0);
-		}
-	}
-
-	@keyframes bounce {
-		0%, 20%, 53%, 80%, 100% {
-			-webkit-transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.215, 0.610, 0.355, 1.000);
-			transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.215, 0.610, 0.355, 1.000);
-			-webkit-transform: translate3d(0,0,0);
-			transform: translate3d(0,0,0);
-		}
-
-		40%, 43% {
-			-webkit-transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
-			transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
-			-webkit-transform: translate3d(0, -30px, 0);
-			transform: translate3d(0, -30px, 0);
-		}
-
-		70% {
-			-webkit-transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
-			transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
-			-webkit-transform: translate3d(0, -15px, 0);
-			transform: translate3d(0, -15px, 0);
-		}
-
-		90% {
-			-webkit-transform: translate3d(0,-4px,0);
-			transform: translate3d(0,-4px,0);
-		}
-	}
-
-	.bounce {
-		-webkit-animation-name: bounce;
-		animation-name: bounce;
-		-webkit-transform-origin: center bottom;
-		-ms-transform-origin: center bottom;
-		transform-origin: center bottom;
-	}
-
-	.animated {
-		-webkit-animation-duration: 1s;
-		animation-duration: 1s;
-		-webkit-animation-fill-mode: both;
-		animation-fill-mode: both;
-	}
-
-	.animated.infinite {
-		-webkit-animation-iteration-count: infinite;
-		animation-iteration-count: infinite;
-	}
-
-	.animated.hinge {
-		-webkit-animation-duration: 2s;
-		animation-duration: 2s;
-	}
-
-	.hide {
-		display: none;
-	}
-	</style>
 	<script type="text/javascript">
 	window.onload = function() {
-		var count = 0,
-			bounce = document.getElementById('click-me');
+		let count = 0;
+		const bounce = document.getElementById('click-me');
 		bounce.onclick = function() {
 			count++;
 			bounce.className = '';
diff --git a/public/5xx.css b/public/5xx.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..faba67a114
--- /dev/null
+++ b/public/5xx.css
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+body {
+	background: #00A9EA;
+	color: white;
+	font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji";
+	text-align: center;
+	-webkit-transform-style: preserve-3d;
+	-moz-transform-style: preserve-3d;
+	transform-style: preserve-3d;
+}
+
+h1 {
+	font-size: 250px;
+	color: #fff;
+	opacity: 0.5;
+	margin: 10px;
+	cursor: pointer;
+	-moz-user-select: none;
+	-khtml-user-select: none;
+	-webkit-user-select: none;
+}
+
+p {
+	font-size: 20px;
+}
+
+p strong {
+	font-size: 28px;
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 640px) {
+	h1 {
+		font-size: 125px;
+	}
+
+	p {
+		font-size: 16px;
+	}
+
+	p strong {
+		font-size: 20px;
+	}
+}
+
+.center {
+	position: relative;
+	top: 50%;
+	-webkit-transform: translateY(50%);
+	-ms-transform: translateY(50%);
+	transform: translateY(50%);
+}
+
+@-webkit-keyframes bounce {
+	0%, 20%, 53%, 80%, 100% {
+		-webkit-transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.215, 0.610, 0.355, 1.000);
+		transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.215, 0.610, 0.355, 1.000);
+		-webkit-transform: translate3d(0,0,0);
+		transform: translate3d(0,0,0);
+	}
+
+	40%, 43% {
+		-webkit-transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
+		transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
+		-webkit-transform: translate3d(0, -30px, 0);
+		transform: translate3d(0, -30px, 0);
+	}
+
+	70% {
+		-webkit-transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
+		transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
+		-webkit-transform: translate3d(0, -15px, 0);
+		transform: translate3d(0, -15px, 0);
+	}
+
+	90% {
+		-webkit-transform: translate3d(0,-4px,0);
+		transform: translate3d(0,-4px,0);
+	}
+}
+
+@keyframes bounce {
+	0%, 20%, 53%, 80%, 100% {
+		-webkit-transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.215, 0.610, 0.355, 1.000);
+		transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.215, 0.610, 0.355, 1.000);
+		-webkit-transform: translate3d(0,0,0);
+		transform: translate3d(0,0,0);
+	}
+
+	40%, 43% {
+		-webkit-transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
+		transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
+		-webkit-transform: translate3d(0, -30px, 0);
+		transform: translate3d(0, -30px, 0);
+	}
+
+	70% {
+		-webkit-transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
+		transition-timing-function: cubic-bezier(0.755, 0.050, 0.855, 0.060);
+		-webkit-transform: translate3d(0, -15px, 0);
+		transform: translate3d(0, -15px, 0);
+	}
+
+	90% {
+		-webkit-transform: translate3d(0,-4px,0);
+		transform: translate3d(0,-4px,0);
+	}
+}
+
+.bounce {
+	-webkit-animation-name: bounce;
+	animation-name: bounce;
+	-webkit-transform-origin: center bottom;
+	-ms-transform-origin: center bottom;
+	transform-origin: center bottom;
+}
+
+.animated {
+	-webkit-animation-duration: 1s;
+	animation-duration: 1s;
+	-webkit-animation-fill-mode: both;
+	animation-fill-mode: both;
+}
+
+.animated.infinite {
+	-webkit-animation-iteration-count: infinite;
+	animation-iteration-count: infinite;
+}
+
+.animated.hinge {
+	-webkit-animation-duration: 2s;
+	animation-duration: 2s;
+}
+
+.hide {
+	display: none;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/controllers/errors.js b/src/controllers/errors.js
index cd377f5d59..35e2617bb1 100644
--- a/src/controllers/errors.js
+++ b/src/controllers/errors.js
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 'use strict';
 
+const fs = require('fs');
 const nconf = require('nconf');
 const winston = require('winston');
 const validator = require('validator');
+const path = require('path');
 const translator = require('../translator');
 const plugins = require('../plugins');
 const middleware = require('../middleware');
@@ -54,6 +56,12 @@ exports.handleErrors = async function handleErrors(err, req, res, next) { // esl
 		controllers['404'].handle404(req, res);
 	};
 
+	const notBuiltHandler = async () => {
+		let file = await fs.promises.readFile(path.join(__dirname, '../../public/500.html'), { encoding: 'utf-8' });
+		file = file.replace('{message}', 'Failed to lookup view! Did you run `./nodebb build`?');
+		return res.type('text/html').send(file);
+	};
+
 	const defaultHandler = async function () {
 		if (res.headersSent) {
 			return;
@@ -95,6 +103,8 @@ exports.handleErrors = async function handleErrors(err, req, res, next) { // esl
 			data.cases[err.code](err, req, res, defaultHandler);
 		} else if (err.message.startsWith('[[error:no-') && err.message !== '[[error:no-privileges]]') {
 			notFoundHandler();
+		} else if (err.message.startsWith('Failed to lookup view')) {
+			notBuiltHandler();
 		} else {
 			await defaultHandler();
 		}
