An error signal generating circuit which generates an error signal based on a read signal from an optical recording medium, which circuit comprises an error detection means responsive to the read signal to output the error signal; a disorder detection means responsive to the read signal to detect disorder; a signal hold means holding an output from the error detection means just before the disorderly state has occurred, during a period when the output from the disorder detection means represents the disorderly state; and a switching means responsive to the output from the error detection means and the output from the signal hold means to selectively supply the output from the hold means when the output from the disorder detection means represents the disorderly state and selectively supply the output from the error detection means when the output from the disorder detection means does not represent the disorderly state.