diff --git a/src/mu-cmd-extract.c b/src/mu-cmd-extract.c
index 0ad373c5..4627cb11 100644
--- a/src/mu-cmd-extract.c
+++ b/src/mu-cmd-extract.c
@@ -134,11 +134,16 @@ save_parts (const char *path, MuConfigOptions *opts)
 {	
 	MuMsg* msg;
 	gboolean rv;
-	
-	msg = mu_msg_new (path, NULL);
-	if (!msg)
-		return FALSE;
+	GError *err;
 
+	err = NULL;
+	msg = mu_msg_new (path, NULL, &err);
+	if (!msg) {
+		g_warning ("Error: %s", err->message);
+		g_error_free (err);
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+		
 	/* note, mu_cmd_extract already checks whether what's in opts
 	 * is somewhat, so no need for extensive checking here */
 	
@@ -176,10 +181,15 @@ static gboolean
 show_parts (const char* path, MuConfigOptions *opts)
 {
 	MuMsg* msg;
-	
-	msg = mu_msg_new (path, NULL);
-	if (!msg)
+	GError *err;
+
+	err = NULL;
+	msg = mu_msg_new (path, NULL, &err);
+	if (!msg) {
+		g_warning ("Error: %s", err->message);
+		g_error_free (err);
 		return FALSE;
+	}
 
 	g_print ("MIME-parts in this message:\n");
 	mu_msg_msg_part_foreach (msg, each_part_show, NULL);
diff --git a/src/mu-cmd-view.c b/src/mu-cmd-view.c
index 7ee84309..8f0fa37f 100644
--- a/src/mu-cmd-view.c
+++ b/src/mu-cmd-view.c
@@ -39,11 +39,16 @@ view_file (const gchar *path, const gchar *fields, size_t summary_len)
 	MuMsg* msg;
 	const char *field;
 	time_t date;
-	
-	msg = mu_msg_new (path, NULL);
-	if (!msg)
+	GError *err;
+
+	err = NULL;
+	msg = mu_msg_new (path, NULL, &err);
+	if (!msg) {
+		g_warning ("Error: %s", err->message);
+		g_error_free (err);
 		return FALSE;
-	
+	}
+
 	if ((field = mu_msg_get_from (msg)))
 		g_print ("From: %s\n", field);
 	
diff --git a/src/mu-error.h b/src/mu-error.h
index 3d3f278a..2cb1954a 100644
--- a/src/mu-error.h
+++ b/src/mu-error.h
@@ -29,8 +29,14 @@ enum _MuError {
 	/* database version is not uptodate (ie. not compatible with
 	 * the version that mu expects) */
 	MU_ERROR_XAPIAN_NOT_UPTODATE,
+	/* missing data for a document */
+	MU_ERROR_XAPIAN_MISSING_DATA,
 	/* (parsnng) error in the query */ 
 	MU_ERROR_QUERY,
+	/* file loading related error */
+	MU_ERROR_FILE,
+	/* gmime parsing related error */
+	MU_ERROR_GMIME,
 	/* some other, internal error */
 	MU_ERROR_INTERNAL
 };
diff --git a/src/mu-index.c b/src/mu-index.c
index 4ac0f99f..d5ac298e 100644
--- a/src/mu-index.c
+++ b/src/mu-index.c
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ insert_or_update_maybe (const char* fullpath, const char* mdir,
 			MuIndexCallbackData *data, gboolean *updated)
 { 
 	MuMsg *msg;
+	GError *err;
 	
 	*updated = FALSE;
 
@@ -125,9 +126,9 @@ insert_or_update_maybe (const char* fullpath, const char* mdir,
 		return MU_OK; /* nope: no need to insert/update! */
 
 	} while (0);
-
-		
-	msg = mu_msg_new (fullpath, mdir);
+	
+	err = NULL;
+	msg = mu_msg_new (fullpath, mdir, &err);
 	if (!msg) {
 		g_warning ("%s: failed to create mu_msg for %s",
 			   __FUNCTION__, fullpath);
diff --git a/src/mu-msg-iter.cc b/src/mu-msg-iter.cc
index 69cb8bdb..36c52dd3 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-iter.cc
+++ b/src/mu-msg-iter.cc
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ mu_msg_iter_destroy (MuMsgIter *iter)
 
 
 MuMsg*
-mu_msg_iter_get_msg (MuMsgIter *iter)
-{	
+mu_msg_iter_get_msg (MuMsgIter *iter, GError **err)
+{
 	const char *path;
 	MuMsg *msg;
 	
@@ -92,15 +92,14 @@ mu_msg_iter_get_msg (MuMsgIter *iter)
 	
 	path = mu_msg_iter_get_path (iter);
 	if (!path) {
-		g_warning ("%s: no path for message", __FUNCTION__);
+		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_XAPIAN_MISSING_DATA,
+			     "no path for message");
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	msg = mu_msg_new (path, NULL);
-	if (!msg) {
-		g_warning ("%s: failed to create msg object", __FUNCTION__);
+	msg = mu_msg_new (path, NULL, err);
+	if (!msg) 
 		return NULL;
-	}
 
 	return msg;
 }
diff --git a/src/mu-msg-iter.h b/src/mu-msg-iter.h
index dee8fd94..d9979ce0 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-iter.h
+++ b/src/mu-msg-iter.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ struct _MuMsgIter;
 typedef struct _MuMsgIter MuMsgIter;
 
 /**
- * get the next next message (which you got from
+ * get the next message (which you got from
  * e.g. mu_query_run)
  * 
  * @param iter a valid MuMsgIter iterator
@@ -66,12 +66,14 @@ void		 mu_msg_iter_destroy           (MuMsgIter *iter);
  * MuMsg should use only when information is needed that is not
  * provided from the iter).
  * 
- * @param iter a valid MuMsgIter instance
+ * @param iter a valid MuMsgIter instance 
+ * @param err which receives error info or NULL. err is only filled
+ * when the function returns NULL
  * 
  * @return a MuMsgGMime instance, or NULL in case of error. Use
  * mu_msg_gmime_destroy when the instance is no longer needed
  */
-MuMsg* mu_msg_iter_get_msg (MuMsgIter *iter);
+MuMsg* mu_msg_iter_get_msg (MuMsgIter *iter, GError **err);
 
 /**
  * get the document id for the current message
diff --git a/src/mu-msg.c b/src/mu-msg.c
index fca65f2b..1f2a0f92 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg.c
+++ b/src/mu-msg.c
@@ -78,25 +78,28 @@ mu_msg_destroy (MuMsg *msg)
 
 
 static gboolean
-init_file_metadata (MuMsg* msg, const char* path, const gchar* mdir)
+init_file_metadata (MuMsg* msg, const char* path, const gchar* mdir,
+		    GError **err)
 {
 	struct stat statbuf;
 
 	if (access (path, R_OK) != 0) {
-		g_warning ("%s: cannot read file %s: %s", 
-			   __FUNCTION__, path, strerror(errno));
+		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_FILE,
+			     "cannot read file %s: %s",
+			     path, strerror(errno));
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
 	if (stat (path, &statbuf) < 0) {
-		g_warning ("%s: cannot stat %s: %s", 
-			   __FUNCTION__, path, strerror(errno));
+		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_FILE,
+			     "cannot stat %s: %s",
+			     path, strerror(errno));
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 	
 	if (!S_ISREG(statbuf.st_mode)) {
-		g_warning ("%s: not a regular file: %s",
-			   __FUNCTION__, path);
+		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_FILE,
+			     "not a regular file: %s", path);
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 	
@@ -114,7 +117,7 @@ init_file_metadata (MuMsg* msg, const char* path, const gchar* mdir)
 
 
 static gboolean
-init_mime_msg (MuMsg *msg)
+init_mime_msg (MuMsg *msg, GError **err)
 {
 	FILE *file;
 	GMimeStream *stream;
@@ -122,15 +125,17 @@ init_mime_msg (MuMsg *msg)
 	
 	file = fopen (mu_msg_get_path(msg), "r");
 	if (!file) {
-		g_warning ("%s:cannot open %s: %s", 
-			   __FUNCTION__, mu_msg_get_path(msg), 
-			   strerror (errno));
+		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_FILE,
+			     "cannot open %s: %s", mu_msg_get_path(msg), 
+			     strerror (errno));
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 	
 	stream = g_mime_stream_file_new (file);
 	if (!stream) {
-		g_warning ("%s: cannot create mime stream", __FUNCTION__);
+		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_GMIME,
+			     "cannot create mime stream for %s",
+			     mu_msg_get_path(msg));
 		fclose (file);
 		return FALSE;
 	}
@@ -138,14 +143,18 @@ init_mime_msg (MuMsg *msg)
 	parser = g_mime_parser_new_with_stream (stream);
 	g_object_unref (stream);
 	if (!parser) {
-		g_warning ("%s: cannot create mime parser", __FUNCTION__);
+		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_GMIME,
+			     "cannot create mime parser for %s",
+			     mu_msg_get_path(msg));
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 	
 	msg->_mime_msg = g_mime_parser_construct_message (parser);
 	g_object_unref (parser);
 	if (!msg->_mime_msg) {
-		g_warning ("%s: cannot create mime message", __FUNCTION__);
+		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_GMIME,
+			     "cannot construct mime message for %s",
+			     mu_msg_get_path(msg));
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
@@ -154,7 +163,7 @@ init_mime_msg (MuMsg *msg)
 
 
 MuMsg*   
-mu_msg_new (const char* filepath, const gchar* mdir)
+mu_msg_new (const char* filepath, const gchar* mdir, GError **err)
 {
 	MuMsg *msg;
 		
@@ -165,12 +174,12 @@ mu_msg_new (const char* filepath, const gchar* mdir)
 	msg = g_slice_new0 (MuMsg);	
 	msg->_prio      = MU_MSG_PRIO_NONE;
 	
-	if (!init_file_metadata(msg, filepath, mdir)) {
+	if (!init_file_metadata(msg, filepath, mdir, err)) {
 		mu_msg_destroy (msg);
 		return NULL;
 	}
 	
-	if (!init_mime_msg(msg)) {
+	if (!init_mime_msg(msg, err)) {
 		mu_msg_destroy (msg);
 		return NULL;
 	}
diff --git a/src/mu-msg.h b/src/mu-msg.h
index 478bc45e..849bcb28 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg.h
+++ b/src/mu-msg.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "mu-msg-fields.h"
 #include "mu-msg-status.h"
 #include "mu-msg-prio.h"
+#include "mu-error.h"
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
@@ -35,16 +36,18 @@ typedef struct _MuMsg MuMsg;
  * read access to its properties; call mu_msg_destroy when done with it.
  *
  * @param path full path to an email message file
- *
  * @param mdir the maildir for this message; ie, if the path is
  * ~/Maildir/foo/bar/cur/msg, the maildir would be foo/bar; you can
  * pass NULL for this parameter, in which case some maildir-specific
  * information is not available.
+ * @param err receive error information (MU_ERROR_FILE or MU_ERROR_GMIME), or NULL. There
+ * will only be err info if the function returns NULL
  * 
  * @return a new MuMsg instance or NULL in case of error
  */
 MuMsg*   mu_msg_new		   (const char* filepath,
-				    const char *maildir);
+				    const char *maildir,
+				    GError **err);
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/mu-output-plain.c b/src/mu-output-plain.c
index 246cb281..93f63c11 100644
--- a/src/mu-output-plain.c
+++ b/src/mu-output-plain.c
@@ -75,12 +75,15 @@ display_field (MuMsgIter *iter, MuMsgFieldId mfid)
 static void
 print_summary (MuMsgIter *iter, size_t summary_len)
 {
+	GError *err;
 	const char *summ;
 	MuMsg *msg;
 
-	msg = mu_msg_iter_get_msg (iter);
+	err = NULL;
+	msg = mu_msg_iter_get_msg (iter, &err);
 	if (!msg) {
-		g_warning ("%s: failed to create msg object", __FUNCTION__);
+		g_warning ("error get message: %s", err->message);
+		g_error_free (err);
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/mu-query.cc b/src/mu-query.cc
index 4e42b406..08a97af3 100644
--- a/src/mu-query.cc
+++ b/src/mu-query.cc
@@ -117,7 +117,8 @@ private:
 		date = cleanup;
 	}
 	
-	void complete_date (std::string& date, size_t len, bool is_begin) const {
+	void complete_date (std::string& date, size_t len,
+			    bool is_begin) const {
 
 		const std::string bsuffix ("00000101000000");
 		const std::string esuffix ("99991231235959");