diff --git a/plugins/woocommerce-admin/packages/components/src/plugins/index.js b/plugins/woocommerce-admin/packages/components/src/plugins/index.js
index c9bbc61093b..bc8455e8fbd 100644
--- a/plugins/woocommerce-admin/packages/components/src/plugins/index.js
+++ b/plugins/woocommerce-admin/packages/components/src/plugins/index.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ export class Plugins extends Component {
 		const installs = await installPlugins( pluginSlugs );
 
 		if ( installs.errors && Object.keys( installs.errors.errors ).length ) {
-			this.handleErrors( installs.errors.errors );
+			this.handleErrors( installs.errors );
 			return;
 		}
 
@@ -66,24 +66,31 @@ export class Plugins extends Component {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		this.handleErrors( activations.errors.errors );
+		if ( activations.errors ) {
+			this.handleErrors( activations.errors );
+		}
 	}
 
 	handleErrors( errors ) {
 		const { onError, createNotice } = this.props;
+		const { errors: pluginErrors } = errors;
 
-		Object.keys( errors ).forEach( ( plugin ) => {
-			createNotice(
-				'error',
-				// Replace the slug with a plugin name if a constant exists.
-				pluginNames[ plugin ]
-					? errors[ plugin ][ 0 ].replace(
-							`\`${ plugin }\``,
-							pluginNames[ plugin ]
-					  )
-					: errors[ plugin ][ 0 ]
-			);
-		} );
+		if ( pluginErrors ) {
+			Object.keys( pluginErrors ).forEach( ( plugin ) => {
+				createNotice(
+					'error',
+					// Replace the slug with a plugin name if a constant exists.
+					pluginNames[ plugin ]
+						? pluginErrors[ plugin ][ 0 ].replace(
+								`\`${ plugin }\``,
+								pluginNames[ plugin ]
+						  )
+						: pluginErrors[ plugin ][ 0 ]
+				);
+			} );
+		} else if ( errors.message ) {
+			createNotice( 'error', errors.message );
+		}
 
 		this.setState( { hasErrors: true } );
 		onError( errors );
diff --git a/plugins/woocommerce-admin/packages/components/src/plugins/test/index.js b/plugins/woocommerce-admin/packages/components/src/plugins/test/index.js
index 546e1f526b0..823cf2828f5 100644
--- a/plugins/woocommerce-admin/packages/components/src/plugins/test/index.js
+++ b/plugins/woocommerce-admin/packages/components/src/plugins/test/index.js
@@ -103,10 +103,12 @@ describe( 'Installing and activating', () => {
 describe( 'Installing and activating errors', () => {
 	let pluginsWrapper;
 	const errors = {
-		'failed-plugin': [ 'error message' ],
+		errors: {
+			'failed-plugin': [ 'error message' ],
+		},
 	};
 	const installPlugins = jest.fn().mockReturnValue( {
-		errors: { errors },
+		errors,
 	} );
 	const activatePlugins = jest.fn().mockReturnValue( {
 		success: false,
@@ -140,7 +142,7 @@ describe( 'Installing and activating errors', () => {
 
 		expect( createNotice ).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
 			'error',
-			errors[ 'failed-plugin' ][ 0 ]
+			errors.errors[ 'failed-plugin' ][ 0 ]
 		);
 	} );
 
diff --git a/plugins/woocommerce-admin/packages/data/src/plugins/actions.js b/plugins/woocommerce-admin/packages/data/src/plugins/actions.js
index 7fa6be9dfc8..c48f7090180 100644
--- a/plugins/woocommerce-admin/packages/data/src/plugins/actions.js
+++ b/plugins/woocommerce-admin/packages/data/src/plugins/actions.js
@@ -3,14 +3,13 @@
  */
 
 import { apiFetch } from '@wordpress/data-controls';
-import { __, sprintf } from '@wordpress/i18n';
+import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 
 /**
  * Internal Dependencies
  */
 import TYPES from './action-types';
 import { WC_ADMIN_NAMESPACE } from '../constants';
-import { pluginNames } from './constants';
 
 export function updateActivePlugins( active, replace = false ) {
 	return {
@@ -85,16 +84,17 @@ export function* installPlugins( plugins ) {
 
 		return results;
 	} catch ( error ) {
-		const errorMsg = __(
-			'Something went wrong while trying to install your plugins.',
-			'woocommerce-admin'
-		);
-
-		yield setError( 'installPlugins', errorMsg );
-
+		yield setError( 'installPlugins', error );
 		yield setIsRequesting( 'installPlugins', false );
 
-		return errorMsg;
+		return {
+			errors: {
+				message: __(
+					'Something went wrong while trying to install your plugins.',
+					'woocommerce-admin'
+				),
+			},
+		};
 	}
 }
 
@@ -110,21 +110,22 @@ export function* activatePlugins( plugins ) {
 
 		if ( results.success && results.data.activated ) {
 			yield updateActivePlugins( results.data.activated );
+			yield setIsRequesting( 'activatePlugins', false );
 			return results;
 		}
 
 		throw new Error();
 	} catch ( error ) {
 		yield setError( 'activatePlugins', error );
-		return plugins.map( ( plugin ) => {
-			const pluginName = pluginNames[ plugin ] || plugin;
-			return sprintf(
-				__(
-					'There was an error activating %s. Please try again.',
+		yield setIsRequesting( 'activatePlugins', false );
+
+		return {
+			errors: {
+				message: __(
+					'Something went wrong while trying to activate your plugins.',
 					'woocommerce-admin'
 				),
-				pluginName
-			);
-		} );
+			}
+		};
 	}
 }