diff --git a/main/error_codes.py b/main/error_codes.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7d80e654c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main/error_codes.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+TOKEN_INVALID = 4001
+NOT_AUTHENTICATED = 4011
+AUTHENTICATION_FAILED = 4012
diff --git a/main/errors.py b/main/errors.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a6564fc35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main/errors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+from main import error_codes
+
+
+error_code_map = {
+    'not_authenticated': error_codes.NOT_AUTHENTICATED,
+    'authentication_failed': error_codes.AUTHENTICATION_FAILED,
+}
+
+
+def map_error_codes(codes, default=None):
+    """
+    Take in get_codes() value of drf exception
+    and return a corresponding internal error code.
+    """
+
+    if isinstance(codes, str):
+        return error_code_map.get(codes, default)
+
+    if codes == {'non_field_errors': ['invalid']}:
+        return error_codes.TOKEN_INVALID
+
+    return default
diff --git a/main/exception_handler.py b/main/exception_handler.py
index 5f093f524..fc8cfb9cf 100644
--- a/main/exception_handler.py
+++ b/main/exception_handler.py
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 import logging
 import sentry_sdk
-import logging
 
 from rest_framework.views import exception_handler
 from rest_framework.response import Response
-from rest_framework import status
+from rest_framework import status, exceptions
 from django_read_only import DjangoReadOnlyError
+from django.utils import timezone
+
+from main.errors import map_error_codes
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -56,4 +58,69 @@ def custom_exception_handler(exc, context):
             )
         response = Response(response_data, status=status.HTTP_500_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)
 
+    # Empty the response body but keep the headers
+    response.data = {}
+
+    # Timestamp of exception
+    response.data['timestamp'] = timezone.now()
+
+    if isinstance(exc, (exceptions.NotAuthenticated,)):
+        response.status_code = status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED
+    elif hasattr(exc, 'status_code'):
+        response.status_code = exc.status_code
+
+    if hasattr(exc, 'code'):
+        # If the raised exception defines a code, send it as
+        # internal error code
+        response.data['error_code'] = exc.code
+    elif hasattr(exc, 'get_codes'):
+        # Otherwise, try to map the exception.get_codes() value to an
+        # internal error code.
+        # If no internal code available, return http status code as
+        # internal error code by default.
+        response.data['error_code'] = map_error_codes(
+            exc.get_codes(), response.status_code)
+    else:
+        response.data['error_code'] = response.status_code
+
+    # Error message can be defined by the exception as message
+    # or detail attributres
+    # Otherwise, it is simply the stringified exception.
+
+    errors = None
+    user_error = None
+
+    if hasattr(exc, 'message'):
+        errors = exc.message
+    elif hasattr(exc, 'detail'):
+        if isinstance(exc.detail, list):
+            errors = [str(error) for error in exc.detail]
+        else:
+            errors = exc.detail
+    elif hasattr(exc, 'default_detail'):
+        errors = exc.default_detail
+    elif response.status_code == 404:
+        errors = 'Resource not found'
+    else:
+        errors = str(exc)
+        user_error = standard_error_string
+
+    if hasattr(exc, 'user_message'):
+        user_error = exc.user_message
+
+    # Wrap up string error inside non-field-errors
+    if isinstance(errors, str):
+        errors = {
+            'non_field_errors': [errors],
+        }
+    elif isinstance(errors, list) and all([isinstance(error, str) for error in errors]):
+        errors = {
+            'non_field_errors': errors,
+        }
+
+    if user_error:
+        errors['internal_non_field_errors'] = errors.get('non_field_errors')
+        errors['non_field_errors'] = [user_error]
+
+    response.data['errors'] = errors
     return response