diff --git a/libs/auscan/au-scanner.cc b/libs/auscan/au-scanner.cc
index 2abec55c14..42f5427c1a 100644
--- a/libs/auscan/au-scanner.cc
+++ b/libs/auscan/au-scanner.cc
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <cstdio>
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <iostream>
+#include <signal.h>
 #include <string>
 #include <strings.h>
 
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "pbd/transmitter.h"
 #include "pbd/receiver.h"
 #include "pbd/pbd.h"
+#include "pbd/stacktrace.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 
@@ -94,6 +96,14 @@ scan_auv2 (CAComponentDescription& desc, bool force, bool verbose)
 	return true;
 }
 
+static void
+sig_handler (int sig)
+{
+	fprintf (stderr, "Error: signal %d\n", sig);
+	PBD::stacktrace (cerr, 15, 2);
+	::exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
+}
+
 static void
 usage ()
 {
@@ -186,6 +196,11 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 		verbose = false;
 	}
 
+	signal (SIGSEGV, sig_handler);
+	signal (SIGBUS, sig_handler);
+	signal (SIGILL, sig_handler);
+
+#endif
 	bool err = false;
 
 	CFStringRef s_type = CFStringCreateWithCString (kCFAllocatorDefault, argv[optind++], kCFStringEncodingUTF8);
diff --git a/libs/fst/vst2-scanner.cc b/libs/fst/vst2-scanner.cc
index ce0b59521e..bf0f387d4f 100644
--- a/libs/fst/vst2-scanner.cc
+++ b/libs/fst/vst2-scanner.cc
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@
 #include <iostream>
 #include <string>
 
+#ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+#include <windows.h>
+#else
+#include <signal.h>
+#endif
+
 #ifdef COMPILER_MSVC
 #include <sys/utime.h>
 #else
@@ -38,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "pbd/transmitter.h"
 #include "pbd/receiver.h"
 #include "pbd/pbd.h"
+#include "pbd/stacktrace.h"
 #include "pbd/win_console.h"
 #include "pbd/xml++.h"
 
@@ -123,6 +130,25 @@ scan_vst2 (std::string const& path, ARDOUR::PluginType type, bool force, bool ve
 	return true;
 }
 
+#ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+static LONG WINAPI
+crash_handler (EXCEPTION_POINTERS* exception_info)
+{
+	// TODO consider DrMingw if HAVE_DRMINGW
+	fprintf (stderr, "Error: %x\n", exception_info->ExceptionRecord->ExceptionCode);
+	PBD::stacktrace (cerr, 15, 2);
+	return EXCEPTION_CONTINUE_SEARCH;
+}
+#else
+static void
+sig_handler (int sig)
+{
+	fprintf (stderr, "Error: signal %d\n", sig);
+	PBD::stacktrace (cerr, 15, 2);
+	::exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
+}
+#endif
+
 static void
 usage ()
 {
@@ -224,6 +250,14 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 
 	bool err = false;
 
+#ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+	::SetUnhandledExceptionFilter (crash_handler);
+#else
+	signal (SIGSEGV, sig_handler);
+	signal (SIGBUS, sig_handler);
+	signal (SIGILL, sig_handler);
+#endif
+
 	while (optind < argc) {
 		const char*  dllpath = argv[optind++];
 		const size_t slen    = strlen (dllpath);
diff --git a/libs/fst/vst3-scanner.cc b/libs/fst/vst3-scanner.cc
index 8181b4a391..09f27fadea 100644
--- a/libs/fst/vst3-scanner.cc
+++ b/libs/fst/vst3-scanner.cc
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@
 #include <iostream>
 #include <string>
 
+#ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+#include <windows.h>
+#else
+#include <signal.h>
+#endif
+
 #ifdef COMPILER_MSVC
 #include <sys/utime.h>
 #else
@@ -32,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "pbd/transmitter.h"
 #include "pbd/receiver.h"
 #include "pbd/pbd.h"
+#include "pbd/stacktrace.h"
 #include "pbd/win_console.h"
 #include "pbd/xml++.h"
 
@@ -110,6 +117,25 @@ scan_vst3 (std::string const& bundle_path, bool force, bool verbose)
 	return true;
 }
 
+#ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+static LONG WINAPI
+crash_handler (EXCEPTION_POINTERS* exception_info)
+{
+	// TODO consider DrMingw if HAVE_DRMINGW
+	fprintf (stderr, "Error: %x\n", exception_info->ExceptionRecord->ExceptionCode);
+	PBD::stacktrace (cerr, 15, 2);
+	return EXCEPTION_CONTINUE_SEARCH;
+}
+#else
+static void
+sig_handler (int sig)
+{
+	fprintf (stderr, "Error: signal %d\n", sig);
+	PBD::stacktrace (cerr, 15, 2);
+	::exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
+}
+#endif
+
 static void
 usage ()
 {
@@ -209,6 +235,14 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 		verbose = false;
 	}
 
+#ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+	::SetUnhandledExceptionFilter (crash_handler);
+#else
+	signal (SIGSEGV, sig_handler);
+	signal (SIGBUS, sig_handler);
+	signal (SIGILL, sig_handler);
+#endif
+
 	bool err = false;
 
 	while (optind < argc) {