diff --git a/libraries/AP_InternalError/AP_InternalError.cpp b/libraries/AP_InternalError/AP_InternalError.cpp
index 525d03ecb7..6d8bf2968b 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_InternalError/AP_InternalError.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_InternalError/AP_InternalError.cpp
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ void AP_InternalError::error(const AP_InternalError::error_t e, uint16_t line) {
         // don't panic on these to facilitate watchdog testing
         break;
     default:
-        AP_HAL::panic("internal error %u", unsigned(e));
+        char buffer[50];
+        AP::internalerror().error_to_string(buffer, ARRAY_SIZE(buffer), e);
+        AP_HAL::panic("AP_InternalError::error_t::%s", buffer);
     }
 #endif
     internal_errors |= uint32_t(e);
@@ -29,43 +31,49 @@ void AP_InternalError::error(const AP_InternalError::error_t e, uint16_t line) {
     hal.util->persistent_data.internal_error_last_line = line;
 }
 
-void AP_InternalError::errors_as_string(uint8_t *buffer, const uint16_t len) const
-{
-    static const char * const error_bit_descriptions[] {
-        "mapfailure",  // logger_mapfailure
-        "miss_struct",  // logger_missing_logstructure
-        "write_mssfmt",  // logger_logwrite_missingfmt
-        "many_deletes",  // logger_too_many_deletions
-        "bad_getfile",  // logger_bad_getfilename
-        "panic",
-        "flush_no_sem",  // logger_flushing_without_sem
-        "bad_curr_blk",  // logger_bad_current_block
-        "blkcnt_bad",  // logger_blockcount_mismatch
-        "dq_failure",  // logger_dequeue_failure
-        "cnstring_nan",  // constraining_nan
-        "watchdog_rst",  // watchdog_reset
-        "iomcu_reset",
-        "iomcu_fail",
-        "spi_fail",
-        "main_loop_stk",  // main_loop_stuck
-        "gcs_bad_link",  // gcs_bad_missionprotocol_link
-        "bitmask_range",
-        "gcs_offset",
-        "i2c_isr",
-        "flow_of_ctrl",  // flow_of_control
-        "sfs_recursion",  // switch_full_sector_recursion
-        "bad_rotation",
-        "stack_ovrflw",  // stack_overflow
-        "imu_reset",  // imu_reset
-        "gpio_isr",
-        "mem_guard",
-        "dma_fail",
-        "params_restored",
-        "invalid arguments",
-    };
+static const char * const error_bit_descriptions[] {
+    "mapfailure",  // logger_mapfailure
+    "miss_struct",  // logger_missing_logstructure
+    "write_mssfmt",  // logger_logwrite_missingfmt
+    "many_deletes",  // logger_too_many_deletions
+    "bad_getfile",  // logger_bad_getfilename
+    "panic",
+    "flush_no_sem",  // logger_flushing_without_sem
+    "bad_curr_blk",  // logger_bad_current_block
+    "blkcnt_bad",  // logger_blockcount_mismatch
+    "dq_failure",  // logger_dequeue_failure
+    "cnstring_nan",  // constraining_nan
+    "watchdog_rst",  // watchdog_reset
+    "iomcu_reset",
+    "iomcu_fail",
+    "spi_fail",
+    "main_loop_stk",  // main_loop_stuck
+    "gcs_bad_link",  // gcs_bad_missionprotocol_link
+    "bitmask_range",
+    "gcs_offset",
+    "i2c_isr",
+    "flow_of_ctrl",  // flow_of_control
+    "sfs_recursion",  // switch_full_sector_recursion
+    "bad_rotation",
+    "stack_ovrflw",  // stack_overflow
+    "imu_reset",  // imu_reset
+    "gpio_isr",
+    "mem_guard",
+    "dma_fail",
+    "params_restored",
+    "invalid arguments",
+};
+
+static_assert((1U<<(ARRAY_SIZE(error_bit_descriptions))) == uint32_t(AP_InternalError::error_t::__LAST__), "too few descriptions for bits");
 
-    static_assert((1U<<(ARRAY_SIZE(error_bit_descriptions))) == uint32_t(AP_InternalError::error_t::__LAST__), "too few descriptions for bits");
+void AP_InternalError::error_to_string(char *buffer, const uint16_t len, error_t error_code) const
+{
+    uint32_t temp = log2f(int(error_code));
+    strncpy(buffer, error_bit_descriptions[temp], len - 1);
+}
 
+void AP_InternalError::errors_as_string(uint8_t *buffer, const uint16_t len) const
+{
     buffer[0] = 0;
     uint32_t buffer_used = 0;
     for (uint8_t i=0; i<ARRAY_SIZE(error_bit_descriptions); i++) {
diff --git a/libraries/AP_InternalError/AP_InternalError.h b/libraries/AP_InternalError/AP_InternalError.h
index c2e5ef1dc3..c44b4134a9 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_InternalError/AP_InternalError.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_InternalError/AP_InternalError.h
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ public:
     // internal errors.  buffer will always be null-terminated.
     void errors_as_string(uint8_t *buffer, uint16_t len) const;
 
+    // convert an error code to a string
+    void error_to_string(char *buffer, uint16_t len, error_t error_code) const;
+
     uint32_t count() const { return total_error_count; }
 
     // internal_errors - return mask of internal errors seen