diff --git a/src/blackmisc/statusexception.h b/src/blackmisc/statusexception.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a5b6ee988
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/blackmisc/statusexception.h
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/* Copyright (C) 2015
+ * Swift Project Community / Contributors
+ *
+ * This file is part of Swift Project. It is subject to the license terms in the LICENSE file found in the top-level
+ * directory of this distribution and at http://www.swift-project.org/license.html. No part of swift project,
+ * including this file, may be copied, modified, propagated, or distributed except according to the terms
+ * contained in the LICENSE file.
+ */
+
+//! \file
+
+#ifndef BLACKMISC_STATUSEXCEPTION_H
+#define BLACKMISC_STATUSEXCEPTION_H
+
+#include "statusmessage.h"
+#include <stdexcept>
+
+namespace BlackMisc
+{
+
+    /*!
+     * Throwable exception class containing a CStatusMessage.
+     *
+     * This is the exception type which may be thrown by CStatusMessage::maybeThrow().
+     */
+    class BLACKMISC_EXPORT CStatusException : public std::exception
+    {
+    public:
+        //! Constructor.
+        explicit CStatusException(const CStatusMessage &payload) :
+            m_payload(payload)
+        {}
+
+        //! Return null-terminated message string.
+        virtual const char *what() const Q_DECL_NOEXCEPT override
+        {
+            return m_temp = m_payload.getMessage().toLocal8Bit();
+        }
+
+        //! Return the contained status message.
+        const CStatusMessage &status() const
+        {
+            return m_payload;
+        }
+
+        //! Destructor.
+        ~CStatusException() Q_DECL_NOEXCEPT {}
+
+    private:
+        const CStatusMessage m_payload;
+        mutable QByteArray m_temp;
+    };
+
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/statusmessage.cpp b/src/blackmisc/statusmessage.cpp
index bba716fe4..ac9c7b9bd 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/statusmessage.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/statusmessage.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "statusmessage.h"
+#include "statusexception.h"
 #include "blackmiscfreefunctions.h"
 #include "propertyindex.h"
 #include "iconlist.h"
@@ -91,6 +92,19 @@ namespace BlackMisc
         }
     }
 
+    CStatusException CStatusMessage::asException() const
+    {
+        return CStatusException(*this);
+    }
+
+    void CStatusMessage::maybeThrow() const
+    {
+        if (! this->isEmpty())
+        {
+            throw this->asException();
+        }
+    }
+
     QString CStatusMessage::getHumanReadableCategory() const
     {
         if (this->m_humanReadableCategory.isEmpty())
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/statusmessage.h b/src/blackmisc/statusmessage.h
index c7a9d3237..5970668b4 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/statusmessage.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/statusmessage.h
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 namespace BlackMisc
 {
 
+    class CStatusException;
+
     /*!
      * Streamable status message, e.g. from Core -> GUI
      */
@@ -68,6 +70,12 @@ namespace BlackMisc
         //! \sa QtMessageHandler
         void toQtLogTriple(QtMsgType *o_type, QString *o_category, QString *o_message) const;
 
+        //! Return a throwable exception object containing this status message.
+        CStatusException asException() const;
+
+        //! If message is empty then do nothing, otherwise throw a CStatusException.
+        void maybeThrow() const;
+
         //! Message category
         const CLogCategoryList &getCategories() const { return this->m_categories; }