diff --git a/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/commands/edit/AddColumnCommand.java b/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/commands/edit/AddColumnCommand.java
index c0d33ddba..2dc4863c2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/commands/edit/AddColumnCommand.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/commands/edit/AddColumnCommand.java
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import com.metaweb.gridworks.commands.EngineDependentCommand;
 import com.metaweb.gridworks.model.AbstractOperation;
 import com.metaweb.gridworks.model.Project;
 import com.metaweb.gridworks.operations.ColumnAdditionOperation;
+import com.metaweb.gridworks.operations.TextTransformOperation;
 
 public class AddColumnCommand extends EngineDependentCommand {
     @Override
@@ -18,11 +19,13 @@ public class AddColumnCommand extends EngineDependentCommand {
         String expression = request.getParameter("expression");
         String headerLabel = request.getParameter("headerLabel");
         int columnInsertIndex = Integer.parseInt(request.getParameter("columnInsertIndex"));
+        String onError = request.getParameter("onError");
         
         return new ColumnAdditionOperation(
             engineConfig, 
             baseColumnName, 
             expression,
+            TextTransformOperation.stringToOnError(onError),
             headerLabel,
             columnInsertIndex
         );
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/operations/ColumnAdditionOperation.java b/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/operations/ColumnAdditionOperation.java
index 4c572e53b..8010f51d9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/operations/ColumnAdditionOperation.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/operations/ColumnAdditionOperation.java
@@ -27,8 +27,9 @@ import com.metaweb.gridworks.model.changes.ColumnAdditionChange;
 public class ColumnAdditionOperation extends EngineDependentOperation {
     private static final long serialVersionUID = -5672677479629932356L;
 
-    final protected String    _baseColumnName;
+    final protected String     _baseColumnName;
     final protected String     _expression;
+    final protected OnError    _onError;
     
     final protected String     _headerLabel;
     final protected int        _columnInsertIndex;
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ public class ColumnAdditionOperation extends EngineDependentOperation {
             engineConfig,
             obj.getString("baseColumnName"),
             obj.getString("expression"),
+            TextTransformOperation.stringToOnError(obj.getString("onError")),
             obj.getString("headerLabel"),
             obj.getInt("columnInsertIndex")
         );
@@ -47,15 +49,17 @@ public class ColumnAdditionOperation extends EngineDependentOperation {
     
     public ColumnAdditionOperation(
         JSONObject     engineConfig,
-        String        baseColumnName,
+        String         baseColumnName,
         String         expression,
+        OnError        onError,
         String         headerLabel, 
-        int         columnInsertIndex 
+        int            columnInsertIndex 
     ) {
         super(engineConfig);
         
         _baseColumnName = baseColumnName;
         _expression = expression;
+        _onError = onError;
         
         _headerLabel = headerLabel;
         _columnInsertIndex = columnInsertIndex;
@@ -72,6 +76,7 @@ public class ColumnAdditionOperation extends EngineDependentOperation {
         writer.key("columnInsertIndex"); writer.value(_columnInsertIndex);
         writer.key("baseColumnName"); writer.value(_baseColumnName);
         writer.key("expression"); writer.value(_expression);
+        writer.key("onError"); writer.value(TextTransformOperation.onErrorToString(_onError));
         writer.endObject();
     }
 
@@ -136,7 +141,15 @@ public class ColumnAdditionOperation extends EngineDependentOperation {
                 ExpressionUtils.bind(bindings, row, rowIndex, cell);
                 
                 Object v = eval.evaluate(bindings);
-                if (ExpressionUtils.isNonBlankData(v)) {
+                if (ExpressionUtils.isError(v)) {
+                    if (_onError == OnError.SetToBlank) {
+                        return false;
+                    } else if (_onError == OnError.KeepOriginal) {
+                        v = cell != null ? cell.value : null;
+                    }
+                }
+                
+                if (v != null) {
                     Cell newCell = new Cell(v, null);
                 
                     cellsAtRows.add(new CellAtRow(rowIndex, newCell));
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/operations/OnError.java b/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/operations/OnError.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..072842ed5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/operations/OnError.java
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+/**
+ * 
+ */
+package com.metaweb.gridworks.operations;
+
+public enum OnError {
+	KeepOriginal,
+	SetToBlank,
+	StoreError
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/operations/TextTransformOperation.java b/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/operations/TextTransformOperation.java
index 28befc626..e27b59ab9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/operations/TextTransformOperation.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/metaweb/gridworks/operations/TextTransformOperation.java
@@ -21,12 +21,6 @@ import com.metaweb.gridworks.model.changes.CellChange;
 public class TextTransformOperation extends EngineDependentMassCellOperation {
     private static final long serialVersionUID = -7698202759999537298L;
     
-    static public enum OnError {
-    	KeepOriginal,
-    	SetToBlank,
-    	StoreError
-    }
-
     final protected String  _expression;
     final protected OnError _onError;
     final protected boolean _repeat;
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/scripts/views/data-table-column-header-ui.js b/src/main/webapp/scripts/views/data-table-column-header-ui.js
index 8d1d2765b..eb66dc05f 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/scripts/views/data-table-column-header-ui.js
+++ b/src/main/webapp/scripts/views/data-table-column-header-ui.js
@@ -622,6 +622,16 @@ DataTableColumnHeaderUI.prototype._doAddColumn = function(initialExpression) {
                     '<input bind="columnNameInput" size="40" />' +
                 '</td>' +
             '</tr>' +
+            '<tr>' +
+                '<td width="1%" style="white-space: pre;">' +
+                    'On error' +
+                '</td>' +
+                '<td>' +
+                    '<input type="radio" name="create-column-dialog-onerror-choice" value="set-to-blank" checked /> set to blank ' +
+                    '<input type="radio" name="create-column-dialog-onerror-choice" value="store-error" /> store error ' +
+                    '<input type="radio" name="create-column-dialog-onerror-choice" value="keep-original" /> keep original' +
+                '</td>' +
+            '</tr>' +
             '<tr>' +
                 '<td colspan="2">' + ExpressionPreviewDialog.generateWidgetHtml() + '</td>' +
             '</tr>' +
@@ -653,7 +663,8 @@ DataTableColumnHeaderUI.prototype._doAddColumn = function(initialExpression) {
                 baseColumnName: self._column.headerLabel, 
                 expression: previewWidget.getExpression(true), 
                 headerLabel: columnName, 
-                columnInsertIndex: self._columnIndex + 1 
+                columnInsertIndex: self._columnIndex + 1,
+                onError: $('input[name="create-column-dialog-onerror-choice"]:checked')[0].value
             },
             null,
             { modelsChanged: true }