diff --git a/src/calls-account.c b/src/calls-account.c
index 414b714..5a61522 100644
--- a/src/calls-account.c
+++ b/src/calls-account.c
@@ -23,8 +23,13 @@
  */
 
 #include "calls-account.h"
+#include "calls-message-source.h"
+#include "calls-log.h"
+
 #include "enum-types.h"
 
+#include <glib/gi18n.h>
+
 /**
  * SECTION:account
  * @short_description: An interface for online accounts
@@ -42,6 +47,48 @@ enum {
 static guint signals [SIGNAL_LAST_SIGNAL];
 
 
+static gboolean
+calls_account_state_change_is_important (CallsAccountState new_state)
+{
+  if (calls_log_get_verbosity () >= 3)
+    return TRUE;
+
+  switch (new_state) {
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_UNKNOWN:
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_INITIALIZING:
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_DEINITIALIZING:
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_CONNECTING:
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_DISCONNECTING:
+    return FALSE;
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_ERROR:
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_OFFLINE:
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_ONLINE:
+    return TRUE;
+
+  default:
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+}
+
+
+static gboolean
+calls_account_state_reason_is_error (CallsAccountStateReason reason)
+{
+  switch (reason) {
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_NO_CREDENTIALS:
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT:
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_CONNECTION_DNS_ERROR:
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_AUTHENTICATION_FAILURE:
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_INTERNAL_ERROR:
+    return TRUE;
+
+  default:
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+}
+
+
 static void
 calls_account_default_init (CallsAccountInterface *iface)
 {
@@ -141,3 +188,136 @@ calls_account_get_address (CallsAccount *self)
 
   return iface->get_address (self);
 }
+
+/**
+ * calls_account_state_to_string:
+ * @state: A #CallsAccountState
+ *
+ * Returns: (transfer none): A human readable description of the account state
+ */
+const char *
+calls_account_state_to_string (CallsAccountState state)
+{
+  switch (state) {
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_UNKNOWN:
+    return _("Default (uninitialized) state");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_INITIALIZING:
+    return _("Initializing account…");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_DEINITIALIZING:
+    return _("Uninitializing account…");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_CONNECTING:
+    return _("Connecting to server…");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_ONLINE:
+    return _("Account is online");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_DISCONNECTING:
+    return _("Disconnecting from server…");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_OFFLINE:
+    return _("Account is offline");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_ERROR:
+    return _("Account encountered an error");
+
+  default:
+    return NULL;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * calls_account_state_reason_to_string:
+ * @reason: A #CallsAccountStateReason
+ *
+ * Returns: (transfer none): A human readable description for why an account state changed
+ */
+const char *
+calls_account_state_reason_to_string (CallsAccountStateReason reason)
+{
+  switch (reason) {
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_UNKNOWN:
+    return _("No reason given");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_INITIALIZATION_STARTED:
+    return _("Initialization started");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_INITIALIZED:
+    return _("Initialization complete");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_DEINITIALIZATION_STARTED:
+    return _("Uninitialization started");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_DEINITIALIZED:
+    return _("Uninitialization complete");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_NO_CREDENTIALS:
+    return _("No credentials set");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_CONNECT_STARTED:
+    return _("Starting to connect");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT:
+    return _("Connection timed out");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_CONNECTION_DNS_ERROR:
+    return _("Domain name could not be resolved");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_AUTHENTICATION_FAILURE:
+    return _("Server did not accept username or password");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_CONNECTED:
+    return _("Connecting complete");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_DISCONNECT_STARTED:
+    return _("Starting to disconnect");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_DISCONNECTED:
+    return _("Disconnecting complete");
+
+  case CALLS_ACCOUNT_STATE_REASON_INTERNAL_ERROR:
+    return _("Internal error occurred");
+
+  default:
+    return NULL;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * calls_account_emit_message_for_state_change:
+ * @account: A #CallsAccount
+ * @new_state: The new #CallsAccountState
+ * @reason: The #CallsAccountStateReason for the state change
+ *
+ * Returns: Emits a human readable message for a state change
+ */
+void
+calls_account_emit_message_for_state_change (CallsAccount           *account,
+                                             CallsAccountState       new_state,
+                                             CallsAccountStateReason reason)
+{
+  g_autofree char *message = NULL;
+  gboolean state_is_important = FALSE;
+  gboolean reason_is_error = FALSE;
+
+  g_return_if_fail (CALLS_IS_ACCOUNT (account));
+
+  state_is_important = calls_account_state_change_is_important (new_state);
+  reason_is_error = calls_account_state_reason_is_error (reason);
+
+  if (!state_is_important && !reason_is_error)
+    return;
+
+  if (reason_is_error || calls_log_get_verbosity () >= 3)
+    message = g_strdup_printf ("%s: %s",
+                            calls_account_state_to_string (new_state),
+                            calls_account_state_reason_to_string (reason));
+  else
+    message = g_strdup (calls_account_state_to_string (new_state));
+
+  calls_message_source_emit_message (CALLS_MESSAGE_SOURCE (account),
+                                     message,
+                                     reason_is_error ? GTK_MESSAGE_ERROR : GTK_MESSAGE_INFO);
+}
diff --git a/src/calls-account.h b/src/calls-account.h
index 8f56660..f405604 100644
--- a/src/calls-account.h
+++ b/src/calls-account.h
@@ -101,11 +101,14 @@ struct _CallsAccountInterface
 };
 
 
-void                   calls_account_go_online              (CallsAccount            *self,
-                                                             gboolean                 online);
-const char            *calls_account_get_address            (CallsAccount            *self);
-CallsAccountState      calls_account_get_state              (CallsAccount            *self);
-const char            *calls_account_state_to_string        (CallsAccountState       *state);
-const char            *calls_account_state_reason_to_string (CallsAccountStateReason *reason);
+void                   calls_account_go_online                     (CallsAccount            *self,
+                                                                    gboolean                 online);
+const char            *calls_account_get_address                   (CallsAccount            *self);
+CallsAccountState      calls_account_get_state                     (CallsAccount            *self);
+const char            *calls_account_state_to_string               (CallsAccountState        state);
+const char            *calls_account_state_reason_to_string        (CallsAccountStateReason  reason);
+void                   calls_account_emit_message_for_state_change (CallsAccount            *account,
+                                                                    CallsAccountState        new_state,
+                                                                    CallsAccountStateReason  reason);
 
 G_END_DECLS