diff --git a/gramps/gen/db/__init__.py b/gramps/gen/db/__init__.py
index 066571e38..10f751303 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/db/__init__.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/db/__init__.py
@@ -88,3 +88,24 @@ from .base import *
 from .dbconst import *
 from .txn import *
 from .exceptions import *
+
+def find_surname_name(key, data):
+    """
+    Creating a surname from raw name, to use for sort and index
+    returns a byte string
+    """
+    return __index_surname(data[5])
+
+def __index_surname(surn_list):
+    """
+    All non pa/matronymic surnames are used in indexing.
+    pa/matronymic not as they change for every generation!
+    returns a byte string
+    """
+    from gramps.gen.lib import NameOriginType
+    if surn_list:
+        surn = " ".join([x[0] for x in surn_list if not (x[3][0] in [
+                    NameOriginType.PATRONYMIC, NameOriginType.MATRONYMIC]) ])
+    else:
+        surn = ""
+    return surn
diff --git a/gramps/gui/viewmanager.py b/gramps/gui/viewmanager.py
index a296f0122..a595eb803 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/viewmanager.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/viewmanager.py
@@ -1591,6 +1591,11 @@ def run_plugin(pdata, dbstate, uistate):
     mod = pmgr.load_plugin(pdata)
     if not mod:
         #import of plugin failed
+        failed = pmgr.get_fail_list()
+        if failed:
+            error_msg = failed[-1][1][1]
+        else:
+            error_msg = "(no error message)"
         ErrorDialog(
             _('Failed Loading Plugin'),
             _('The plugin %(name)s did not load and reported an error.\n\n'
@@ -1605,7 +1610,7 @@ def run_plugin(pdata, dbstate, uistate):
                 'gramps_bugtracker_url' : URL_BUGHOME,
                 'firstauthoremail': pdata.authors_email[0] if
                         pdata.authors_email else '...',
-                'error_msg': pmgr.get_fail_list()[-1][1][1]})
+                  'error_msg': error_msg})
         return
 
     if pdata.ptype == REPORT: