diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/Database.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/Database.ts
index d9278783ef..bdbf6571c7 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/Database.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/Database.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ import {
   AddDatabaseLocation,
   DatabaseComponent,
   DatabaseLocation,
+  DatabaseLocationUpdateLogEvent,
+  DatabaseLocationUpdateLogStatus,
 } from './types';
 
 export class Database {
@@ -106,6 +108,23 @@ export class Database {
   }
 
   async locations(): Promise<DatabaseLocation[]> {
-    return await this.database<DatabaseLocation>('locations').select();
+    return this.database<DatabaseLocation>('locations').select();
+  }
+
+  async addLocationUpdateLogEvent(
+    locationId: string,
+    status: DatabaseLocationUpdateLogStatus,
+    componentName?: string,
+    message?: string,
+  ): Promise<void> {
+    return this.database<DatabaseLocationUpdateLogEvent>(
+      'location_update_log',
+    ).insert({
+      id: uuidv4(),
+      status: status,
+      location_id: locationId,
+      component_name: componentName,
+      message,
+    });
   }
 }
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/DatabaseManager.test.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/DatabaseManager.test.ts
index 20b241555a..5d66b9edc0 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/DatabaseManager.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/DatabaseManager.test.ts
@@ -20,10 +20,11 @@ import {
   ComponentDescriptor,
   DescriptorParser,
   LocationReader,
+  ParserError,
 } from '../ingestion';
 import { Database } from './Database';
 import { DatabaseManager } from './DatabaseManager';
-import { DatabaseLocation } from './types';
+import { DatabaseLocation, DatabaseLocationUpdateLogStatus } from './types';
 
 describe('DatabaseManager', () => {
   const logger = winston.createLogger({
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ describe('DatabaseManager', () => {
             } as DatabaseLocation,
           ]),
         ),
+        addLocationUpdateLogEvent: jest.fn(),
       } as unknown) as Database;
 
       const desc: ComponentDescriptor = {
@@ -90,5 +92,143 @@ describe('DatabaseManager', () => {
         expect.objectContaining({ locationId: '123', name: 'c1' }),
       );
     });
+
+    it('logs successful updates', async () => {
+      const db = ({
+        addOrUpdateComponent: jest.fn(),
+        locations: jest.fn(() =>
+          Promise.resolve([
+            {
+              id: '123',
+              type: 'some',
+              target: 'thing',
+            } as DatabaseLocation,
+          ]),
+        ),
+        addLocationUpdateLogEvent: jest.fn(),
+      } as unknown) as Database;
+
+      const desc: ComponentDescriptor = {
+        apiVersion: 'backstage.io/v1beta1',
+        kind: 'Component',
+        metadata: { name: 'c1' },
+        spec: { type: 'service' },
+      };
+      const reader: LocationReader = {
+        read: jest.fn(() => Promise.resolve([{ type: 'data', data: desc }])),
+      };
+      const parser: DescriptorParser = {
+        parse: jest.fn(() =>
+          Promise.resolve({ kind: 'Component', component: desc }),
+        ),
+      };
+
+      await expect(
+        DatabaseManager.refreshLocations(db, reader, parser, logger),
+      ).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+
+      expect(db.addLocationUpdateLogEvent).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+        1,
+        '123',
+        DatabaseLocationUpdateLogStatus.SUCCESS,
+        'c1',
+      );
+
+      expect(db.addLocationUpdateLogEvent).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+        2,
+        '123',
+        DatabaseLocationUpdateLogStatus.SUCCESS,
+        undefined,
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('logs unsuccessful updates when parser fails', async () => {
+      const db = ({
+        addOrUpdateComponent: jest.fn(),
+        locations: jest.fn(() =>
+          Promise.resolve([
+            {
+              id: '123',
+              type: 'some',
+              target: 'thing',
+            } as DatabaseLocation,
+          ]),
+        ),
+        addLocationUpdateLogEvent: jest.fn(),
+      } as unknown) as Database;
+
+      const desc: ComponentDescriptor = {
+        apiVersion: 'backstage.io/v1beta1',
+        kind: 'Component',
+        metadata: { name: 'c1' },
+        spec: { type: 'service' },
+      };
+      const reader: LocationReader = {
+        read: jest.fn(() => Promise.resolve([{ type: 'data', data: desc }])),
+      };
+      const parser: DescriptorParser = {
+        parse: jest.fn(() =>
+          Promise.reject(new ParserError('parser error message', 'c1')),
+        ),
+      };
+
+      await expect(
+        DatabaseManager.refreshLocations(db, reader, parser, logger),
+      ).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+
+      expect(db.addLocationUpdateLogEvent).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+        1,
+        '123',
+        DatabaseLocationUpdateLogStatus.FAIL,
+        'c1',
+        'parser error message',
+      );
+
+      expect(db.addLocationUpdateLogEvent).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+        2,
+        '123',
+        DatabaseLocationUpdateLogStatus.SUCCESS,
+        undefined,
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('logs unsuccessful updates when reader fails', async () => {
+      const db = ({
+        addOrUpdateComponent: jest.fn(),
+        locations: jest.fn(() =>
+          Promise.resolve([
+            {
+              id: '123',
+              type: 'some',
+              target: 'thing',
+            } as DatabaseLocation,
+          ]),
+        ),
+        addLocationUpdateLogEvent: jest.fn(),
+      } as unknown) as Database;
+
+      const reader: LocationReader = {
+        read: jest.fn(() =>
+          Promise.reject([{ type: 'error', error: new Error('test message') }]),
+        ),
+      };
+      const parser: DescriptorParser = {
+        parse: jest.fn(() =>
+          Promise.reject(new ParserError('parser error message', 'c1')),
+        ),
+      };
+
+      await expect(
+        DatabaseManager.refreshLocations(db, reader, parser, logger),
+      ).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+
+      expect(db.addLocationUpdateLogEvent).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+        1,
+        '123',
+        DatabaseLocationUpdateLogStatus.FAIL,
+        undefined,
+        undefined,
+      );
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/DatabaseManager.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/DatabaseManager.ts
index 03ed066d49..d536d7e215 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/DatabaseManager.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/DatabaseManager.ts
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@
 import Knex from 'knex';
 import path from 'path';
 import { Logger } from 'winston';
-import { DescriptorParser, LocationReader } from '../ingestion';
+import { DescriptorParser, LocationReader, ParserError } from '../ingestion';
 import { Database } from './Database';
-import { AddDatabaseComponent } from './types';
+import { AddDatabaseComponent, DatabaseLocationUpdateLogStatus } from './types';
 
 export class DatabaseManager {
   public static async createDatabase(database: Knex): Promise<Database> {
@@ -30,6 +30,32 @@ export class DatabaseManager {
     return new Database(database);
   }
 
+  private static async logUpdateSuccess(
+    database: Database,
+    locationId: string,
+    componentName?: string,
+  ) {
+    return database.addLocationUpdateLogEvent(
+      locationId,
+      DatabaseLocationUpdateLogStatus.SUCCESS,
+      componentName,
+    );
+  }
+
+  private static async logUpdateFailure(
+    database: Database,
+    locationId: string,
+    error?: Error,
+    componentName?: string,
+  ) {
+    return database.addLocationUpdateLogEvent(
+      locationId,
+      DatabaseLocationUpdateLogStatus.FAIL,
+      componentName,
+      error?.message,
+    );
+  }
+
   public static async refreshLocations(
     database: Database,
     reader: LocationReader,
@@ -44,26 +70,45 @@ export class DatabaseManager {
         );
 
         const readerOutput = await reader.read(location.type, location.target);
+
         for (const readerItem of readerOutput) {
           if (readerItem.type === 'error') {
             logger.debug(readerItem.error);
             continue;
           }
-
-          const parserOutput = await parser.parse(readerItem.data);
-          if (parserOutput.kind === 'Component') {
-            const component = parserOutput.component;
-            const dbc: AddDatabaseComponent = {
-              locationId: location.id,
-              name: component.metadata.name,
-            };
-            await database.addOrUpdateComponent(dbc);
+          let parserOutput;
+          try {
+            parserOutput = await parser.parse(readerItem.data);
+            if (parserOutput.kind === 'Component') {
+              const component = parserOutput.component;
+              const dbc: AddDatabaseComponent = {
+                locationId: location.id,
+                name: component.metadata.name,
+              };
+              await database.addOrUpdateComponent(dbc);
+              await DatabaseManager.logUpdateSuccess(
+                database,
+                location.id,
+                component.metadata.name,
+              );
+            }
+          } catch (error) {
+            let componentName;
+            if (error instanceof ParserError) {
+              componentName = error.componentName;
+            }
+            await DatabaseManager.logUpdateFailure(
+              database,
+              location.id,
+              error,
+              componentName,
+            );
           }
         }
-      } catch (e) {
-        // TODO(freben): Store trace log of these events, or at least the
-        // latest status, per location
-        logger.debug(`Failed to refresh location ${location.id}, ${e}`);
+        await DatabaseManager.logUpdateSuccess(database, location.id);
+      } catch (error) {
+        logger.debug(`Failed to refresh location ${location.id}, ${error}`);
+        await DatabaseManager.logUpdateFailure(database, location.id, error);
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/migrations/20200520140700_location_update_log_table.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/migrations/20200520140700_location_update_log_table.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c699ebb146
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/migrations/20200520140700_location_update_log_table.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2020 Spotify AB
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+import * as Knex from 'knex';
+
+export async function up(knex: Knex): Promise<any> {
+  return knex.schema.createTable('location_update_log', table => {
+    table.uuid('id').primary();
+    table.enum('status', ['success', 'fail']).notNullable();
+    table.dateTime('created_at').defaultTo(knex.fn.now()).notNullable();
+    table.string('message');
+    table
+      .uuid('location_id')
+      .references('id')
+      .inTable('locations')
+      .onUpdate('CASCADE')
+      .onDelete('CASCADE');
+    table.string('component_name').notNullable();
+  });
+}
+
+export async function down(knex: Knex): Promise<any> {
+  return knex.schema.dropTableIfExists('location_update_log');
+}
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/types.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/types.ts
index ef7807b524..29ca248393 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/types.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/database/types.ts
@@ -51,3 +51,17 @@ export const addDatabaseLocationSchema: yup.Schema<AddDatabaseLocation> = yup
     target: yup.string().required(),
   })
   .noUnknown();
+
+export enum DatabaseLocationUpdateLogStatus {
+  FAIL = 'fail',
+  SUCCESS = 'success',
+}
+
+export type DatabaseLocationUpdateLogEvent = {
+  id: string;
+  status: DatabaseLocationUpdateLogStatus;
+  location_id: string;
+  component_name: string;
+  created_at?: string;
+  message?: string;
+};
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/DescriptorParsers.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/DescriptorParsers.ts
index 151e2053e9..0b1860695a 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/DescriptorParsers.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/DescriptorParsers.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 import { DescriptorEnvelopeParser } from './descriptors/DescriptorEnvelopeParser';
 import { ComponentDescriptorV1beta1Parser } from './descriptors/ComponentDescriptorV1beta1Parser';
 import { KindParser } from './descriptors/types';
-import { DescriptorParser, ParserOutput } from './types';
+import { DescriptorParser, ParserError, ParserOutput } from './types';
 import { makeValidator } from '../validation';
 
 export class DescriptorParsers implements DescriptorParser {
@@ -41,9 +41,9 @@ export class DescriptorParsers implements DescriptorParser {
         return parsed;
       }
     }
-
-    throw new Error(
+    throw new ParserError(
       `Unsupported object ${envelope.apiVersion}, ${envelope.kind}`,
+      envelope.metadata?.name,
     );
   }
 }
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/descriptors/ComponentDescriptorV1beta1Parser.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/descriptors/ComponentDescriptorV1beta1Parser.ts
index f7331f9838..9b62b89397 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/descriptors/ComponentDescriptorV1beta1Parser.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/descriptors/ComponentDescriptorV1beta1Parser.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  */
 
 import * as yup from 'yup';
-import { ParserOutput } from '../types';
+import { ParserError, ParserOutput } from '../types';
 import { DescriptorEnvelope } from './DescriptorEnvelopeParser';
 import { KindParser } from './types';
 
@@ -62,7 +62,10 @@ export class ComponentDescriptorV1beta1Parser implements KindParser {
         component: await this.schema.validate(envelope, { strict: true }),
       };
     } catch (e) {
-      throw new Error(`Malformed component, ${e}`);
+      throw new ParserError(
+        `Malformed component, ${e}`,
+        envelope.metadata?.name,
+      );
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/types.ts b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/types.ts
index b6bd062383..7bef9d6912 100644
--- a/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/types.ts
+++ b/plugins/catalog-backend/src/ingestion/types.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,15 @@ export type DescriptorParser = {
   parse(descriptor: object): Promise<ParserOutput>;
 };
 
+export class ParserError extends Error {
+  constructor(message?: string, private _componentName?: string | undefined) {
+    super(message);
+  }
+  get componentName() {
+    return this._componentName;
+  }
+}
+
 export type ReaderOutput =
   | { type: 'error'; error: Error }
   | { type: 'data'; data: object };