diff --git a/src/app/utils/formatErrors.test.ts b/src/app/utils/formatErrors.test.ts
index e5b81ddc90..67597ad7bc 100644
--- a/src/app/utils/formatErrors.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/utils/formatErrors.test.ts
@@ -38,4 +38,17 @@ describe("formatErrors", () => {
     const typeError = new TypeError("Failed to fetch");
     expect(formatErrors(typeError)).toEqual("Failed to fetch");
   });
+
+  it("correctly formats a generic Error", () => {
+    const error = new Error("Something went wrong.");
+    expect(formatErrors(error)).toEqual("Something went wrong.");
+  });
+
+  it("correctly formats a JSON string error", () => {
+    const jsonError =
+      '{"__all__": ["The primary rack controller must be up and running to set a secondary rack controller."]}';
+    expect(formatErrors(jsonError)).toEqual(
+      "The primary rack controller must be up and running to set a secondary rack controller."
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/app/utils/formatErrors.ts b/src/app/utils/formatErrors.ts
index 14a9608902..2a1e6117e4 100644
--- a/src/app/utils/formatErrors.ts
+++ b/src/app/utils/formatErrors.ts
@@ -1,53 +1,90 @@
 import type { APIError } from "@/app/base/types";
 import type { EventError } from "@/app/store/types/state";
 
-const flattenErrors = <E>(errors: E): string | null => {
+type FlattenedError = string | null;
+
+const flattenErrors = <E>(errors: E): FlattenedError => {
   if (Array.isArray(errors)) {
     return errors.join(" ");
   }
-  if (typeof errors === "string") {
-    return errors;
+  return typeof errors === "string" ? errors : null;
+};
+
+const parseJSONError = (jsonError: string): FlattenedError => {
+  try {
+    const parsedError = JSON.parse(jsonError);
+    if (typeof parsedError === "object") {
+      const errorEntries = Object.entries(parsedError);
+      const isAllError =
+        errorEntries.length === 1 && errorEntries[0][0] === "__all__";
+      return isAllError
+        ? flattenErrors(errorEntries[0][1])
+        : errorEntries
+            .map(([key, value]) => `${key}: ${flattenErrors(value)}`)
+            .join(" ");
+    }
+    return flattenErrors(parsedError);
+  } catch {
+    return jsonError;
+  }
+};
+
+const formatObjectError = (
+  errors: Record<string, unknown>,
+  errorKey?: string
+): FlattenedError => {
+  if (errorKey && errorKey in errors) {
+    return flattenErrors(errors[errorKey]);
+  }
+  const errorEntries = Object.entries(errors);
+  return errorEntries.length > 0
+    ? errorEntries
+        .map(([key, value]) => `${key}: ${flattenErrors(value)}`)
+        .join(" ")
+    : null;
+};
+
+const parseObjectError = (
+  errors: Record<string, unknown>,
+  errorKey?: string
+): FlattenedError => {
+  if (Array.isArray(errors)) {
+    return errors.join(" ");
+  }
+  if (errors instanceof Error) {
+    return errors.message;
+  }
+  if (typeof errors === "object" && errors !== null) {
+    return formatObjectError(errors, errorKey);
   }
   return null;
 };
 
-/**
- * Format errors of different types to a single string.
- *
- * @param errors - the errors string/array/object
- * @returns error message
- */
+type ErrorFormatter = (errors: any, errorKey?: string) => FlattenedError;
+const errorTypeFormatters: Record<string, ErrorFormatter> = {
+  string: parseJSONError,
+  object: parseObjectError,
+};
 
 export type ErrorType<E = null, I = any, K extends keyof I = any> =
   | APIError<E>
   | EventError<I, E, K>
   | Error;
 
+/**
+ * Formats errors of different types into a single string.
+ * @param errors - The errors to format, which can be a string, array, object, or JSON string.
+ * @param errorKey - The optional key to extract the error from if the errors are an object.
+ * @returns The formatted error message or null if no errors are provided.
+ */
 export const formatErrors = <E, I, K extends keyof I>(
   errors?: ErrorType<E, I, K>,
   errorKey?: string
-): string | null => {
-  let errorMessage: string | null = null;
-  if (errors) {
-    if (Array.isArray(errors)) {
-      errorMessage = errors.join(" ");
-    } else if (typeof errors === "object") {
-      if (errorKey && errorKey in errors) {
-        errorMessage = flattenErrors(errors[errorKey as keyof typeof errors]);
-      } else {
-        const errorEntries = Object.entries(errors);
-        if (errorEntries.length > 0) {
-          errorMessage = Object.entries(errors)
-            .map(([key, value]) => `${key}: ${flattenErrors(value)}`)
-            .join(" ");
-        } else if (errors instanceof Error) {
-          errorMessage = errors?.message;
-        }
-      }
-    } else if (typeof errors === "string") {
-      errorMessage = errors;
-    }
+): FlattenedError => {
+  if (!errors) {
+    return null;
   }
-
-  return errorMessage;
+  const errorType = typeof errors;
+  const formatErrors = errorTypeFormatters[errorType];
+  return formatErrors ? formatErrors(errors, errorKey) : null;
 };