diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/core_commands/try_.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/core_commands/try_.rs
index 49aade1c31..8503c6ea96 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/core_commands/try_.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/core_commands/try_.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use nu_engine::{eval_block, CallExt};
 use nu_protocol::ast::Call;
-use nu_protocol::engine::{Block, Command, EngineState, Stack};
+use nu_protocol::engine::{Block, Closure, Command, EngineState, Stack};
 use nu_protocol::{Category, Example, PipelineData, Signature, SyntaxShape, Type, Value};
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ impl Command for Try {
             .required("try_block", SyntaxShape::Block, "block to run")
             .optional(
                 "else_expression",
-                SyntaxShape::Keyword(b"catch".to_vec(), Box::new(SyntaxShape::Block)),
+                SyntaxShape::Keyword(
+                    b"catch".to_vec(),
+                    Box::new(SyntaxShape::Closure(Some(vec![SyntaxShape::Any]))),
+                ),
                 "block to run if try block fails",
             )
             .category(Category::Core)
@@ -44,16 +47,24 @@ impl Command for Try {
         input: PipelineData,
     ) -> Result<nu_protocol::PipelineData, nu_protocol::ShellError> {
         let try_block: Block = call.req(engine_state, stack, 0)?;
-        let catch_block: Option<Block> = call.opt(engine_state, stack, 1)?;
+        let catch_block: Option<Closure> = call.opt(engine_state, stack, 1)?;
 
         let try_block = engine_state.get_block(try_block.block_id);
 
         let result = eval_block(engine_state, stack, try_block, input, false, false);
 
         match result {
-            Err(_) | Ok(PipelineData::Value(Value::Error { .. }, ..)) => {
+            Err(error) | Ok(PipelineData::Value(Value::Error { error }, ..)) => {
                 if let Some(catch_block) = catch_block {
                     let catch_block = engine_state.get_block(catch_block.block_id);
+
+                    if let Some(var) = catch_block.signature.get_positional(0) {
+                        if let Some(var_id) = &var.var_id {
+                            let err_value = Value::Error { error };
+                            stack.add_var(*var_id, err_value);
+                        }
+                    }
+
                     eval_block(
                         engine_state,
                         stack,
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/try_.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/try_.rs
index 03da540082..514e2e7a9c 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/try_.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/try_.rs
@@ -24,3 +24,15 @@ fn try_catch() {
         assert!(output.out.contains("hello"));
     })
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn catch_can_access_error() {
+    Playground::setup("try_catch_test", |dirs, _sandbox| {
+        let output = nu!(
+            cwd: dirs.test(),
+            "try { foobarbaz } catch { |err| $err }"
+        );
+
+        assert!(output.err.contains("External command failed"));
+    })
+}