diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.cpp b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.cpp
index b381ab68c..33e5406b0 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.cpp
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.cpp
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ static PyMethodDef OutputRedirector_methods[] = {
 
 PyObject *PythonContext::main_dict = NULL;
 
-void FetchException(QString &typeStr, QString &valueStr, QList<QString> frames)
+void FetchException(QString &typeStr, QString &valueStr, QList<QString> &frames)
 {
   PyObject *exObj = NULL, *valueObj = NULL, *tracebackObj = NULL;
 
@@ -200,6 +200,9 @@ void PythonContext::GlobalInit()
     return;
   }
 
+  // for the exception signal
+  qRegisterMetaType<QList<QString>>("QList<QString>");
+
   PyImport_AppendInittab("_renderdoc", &PyInit__renderdoc);
   PyImport_AppendInittab("_qrenderdoc", &PyInit__qrenderdoc);
 
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.h b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.h
index 0cc52fc64..a73f56582 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.h
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.h
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ public:
   int currentLine() { return location.line; }
 signals:
   void traceLine(const QString &file, int line);
-  void exception(const QString &type, const QString &value, const QList<QString> &frames);
+  void exception(const QString &type, const QString &value, QList<QString> frames);
   void textOutput(bool isStdError, const QString &output);
 
 public slots: