diff --git a/i18n/en.pot b/i18n/en.pot
index a161cb591..42f2b57e3 100644
--- a/i18n/en.pot
+++ b/i18n/en.pot
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ msgstr ""
 "Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8\n"
 "Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"
 "Plural-Forms: nplurals=2; plural=(n != 1)\n"
-"POT-Creation-Date: 2020-02-25T15:24:49.055Z\n"
-"PO-Revision-Date: 2020-02-25T15:24:49.055Z\n"
+"POT-Creation-Date: 2020-03-11T02:00:02.349Z\n"
+"PO-Revision-Date: 2020-03-11T02:00:02.349Z\n"
 
 msgid "Dashboard"
 msgstr ""
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "Unable to load the plugin for this item"
 msgstr ""
 
+msgid "There was a problem loading this dashboard item"
+msgstr ""
+
 msgid "No data to display"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -157,9 +160,6 @@ msgstr ""
 msgid "Pivot tables"
 msgstr ""
 
-msgid "Pivot tables"
-msgstr ""
-
 msgid "Charts"
 msgstr ""
 
diff --git a/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/FatalErrorBoundary.js b/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/FatalErrorBoundary.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7687526ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/FatalErrorBoundary.js
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import i18n from '@dhis2/d2-i18n';
+import { Warning } from './assets/icons';
+
+import classes from './styles/FatalErrorBoundary.module.css';
+
+class FatalErrorBoundary extends React.Component {
+    constructor(props) {
+        super(props);
+        this.state = {
+            errorFound: false,
+        };
+    }
+    componentDidCatch(error, info) {
+        this.setState({
+            errorFound: true,
+        });
+        console.log('error: ', error);
+        console.log('info: ', info);
+    }
+    render() {
+        if (this.state.errorFound) {
+            return (
+                <p className={classes.container}>
+                    <span className={classes.icon}>
+                        <Warning />
+                    </span>
+                    <span className={classes.message}>
+                        {i18n.t(
+                            'There was a problem loading this dashboard item'
+                        )}
+                    </span>
+                </p>
+            );
+        }
+        return this.props.children;
+    }
+}
+
+FatalErrorBoundary.propTypes = {
+    children: PropTypes.node,
+};
+
+export default FatalErrorBoundary;
diff --git a/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/Item.js b/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/Item.js
index 1b4f07d99..8a3c20159 100644
--- a/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/Item.js
+++ b/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/Item.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import VisualizationPlugin from '@dhis2/data-visualizer-plugin';
 import i18n from '@dhis2/d2-i18n';
 
 import DefaultPlugin from './DefaultPlugin';
+import FatalErrorBoundary from './FatalErrorBoundary';
 import ItemHeader from '../ItemHeader';
 import ItemHeaderButtons from './ItemHeaderButtons';
 import ItemFooter from './ItemFooter';
@@ -282,7 +283,11 @@ export class Item extends Component {
             ? {
                   height: item.originalHeight - HEADER_HEIGHT - PADDING_BOTTOM,
               }
-            : { height: this.contentRef.offsetHeight };
+            : {
+                  height: this.contentRef
+                      ? this.contentRef.offsetHeight
+                      : item.originalHeight - HEADER_HEIGHT - PADDING_BOTTOM,
+              };
     };
 
     render() {
@@ -308,13 +313,15 @@ export class Item extends Component {
                     itemId={item.id}
                     actionButtons={actionButtons}
                 />
-                <div
-                    key={this.getUniqueKey(itemFilters)}
-                    className="dashboard-item-content"
-                    ref={ref => (this.contentRef = ref)}
-                >
-                    {this.state.configLoaded && this.getPluginComponent()}
-                </div>
+                <FatalErrorBoundary>
+                    <div
+                        key={this.getUniqueKey(itemFilters)}
+                        className="dashboard-item-content"
+                        ref={ref => (this.contentRef = ref)}
+                    >
+                        {this.state.configLoaded && this.getPluginComponent()}
+                    </div>
+                </FatalErrorBoundary>
                 {!editMode && showFooter ? <ItemFooter item={item} /> : null}
             </>
         );
diff --git a/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/__tests__/__snapshots__/Item.spec.js.snap b/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/__tests__/__snapshots__/Item.spec.js.snap
index 61baa92b9..db647a5bb 100644
--- a/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/__tests__/__snapshots__/Item.spec.js.snap
+++ b/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/__tests__/__snapshots__/Item.spec.js.snap
@@ -84,9 +84,11 @@ ShallowWrapper {
           }
           title="rainbow"
         />,
-        <div
-          className="dashboard-item-content"
-        />,
+        <FatalErrorBoundary>
+          <div
+            className="dashboard-item-content"
+          />
+        </FatalErrorBoundary>,
         null,
       ],
     },
@@ -132,15 +134,27 @@ ShallowWrapper {
       },
       Object {
         "instance": null,
-        "key": "3",
-        "nodeType": "host",
+        "key": undefined,
+        "nodeType": "class",
         "props": Object {
-          "children": false,
-          "className": "dashboard-item-content",
+          "children": <div
+            className="dashboard-item-content"
+          />,
+        },
+        "ref": null,
+        "rendered": Object {
+          "instance": null,
+          "key": "3",
+          "nodeType": "host",
+          "props": Object {
+            "children": false,
+            "className": "dashboard-item-content",
+          },
+          "ref": [Function],
+          "rendered": false,
+          "type": "div",
         },
-        "ref": [Function],
-        "rendered": false,
-        "type": "div",
+        "type": [Function],
       },
       null,
     ],
@@ -184,9 +198,11 @@ ShallowWrapper {
             }
             title="rainbow"
           />,
-          <div
-            className="dashboard-item-content"
-          />,
+          <FatalErrorBoundary>
+            <div
+              className="dashboard-item-content"
+            />
+          </FatalErrorBoundary>,
           null,
         ],
       },
@@ -232,15 +248,27 @@ ShallowWrapper {
         },
         Object {
           "instance": null,
-          "key": "3",
-          "nodeType": "host",
+          "key": undefined,
+          "nodeType": "class",
           "props": Object {
-            "children": false,
-            "className": "dashboard-item-content",
+            "children": <div
+              className="dashboard-item-content"
+            />,
           },
-          "ref": [Function],
-          "rendered": false,
-          "type": "div",
+          "ref": null,
+          "rendered": Object {
+            "instance": null,
+            "key": "3",
+            "nodeType": "host",
+            "props": Object {
+              "children": false,
+              "className": "dashboard-item-content",
+            },
+            "ref": [Function],
+            "rendered": false,
+            "type": "div",
+          },
+          "type": [Function],
         },
         null,
       ],
diff --git a/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/assets/icons.js b/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/assets/icons.js
index 35730b9da..5205d46a7 100644
--- a/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/assets/icons.js
+++ b/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/assets/icons.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import React from 'react';
+import { colors } from '@dhis2/ui-core';
 
 export const ThreeDots = () => (
     <svg
@@ -30,3 +31,16 @@ export const SpeechBubble = () => (
         />
     </svg>
 );
+
+export const Warning = () => (
+    <svg
+        xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
+        height="24"
+        viewBox="0 0 24 24"
+        width="24"
+        fill={colors.grey600}
+    >
+        <path d="M0 0h24v24H0z" fill="none" />
+        <path d="M1 21h22L12 2 1 21zm12-3h-2v-2h2v2zm0-4h-2v-4h2v4z" />
+    </svg>
+);
diff --git a/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/styles/FatalErrorBoundary.module.css b/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/styles/FatalErrorBoundary.module.css
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a15c79409
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/Item/VisualizationItem/styles/FatalErrorBoundary.module.css
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+.container {
+    text-align: center;
+    margin: 5px;
+}
+
+.icon {
+    vertical-align: middle;
+    margin-right: 3px;
+}
+
+.message {
+    font-size: 13px;
+}