diff --git a/src/pcms/assert.h b/src/pcms/assert.h
index 8565aec9..70624e67 100644
--- a/src/pcms/assert.h
+++ b/src/pcms/assert.h
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #ifndef PCMS_COUPLING_ASSERT_H
 #define PCMS_COUPLING_ASSERT_H
 #include <cassert>
+#include <exception>
+#include <string>
+#include <sstream>
 #include <mpi.h>
 
 // https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16683146/can-macros-be-overloaded-by-number-of-arguments
@@ -44,6 +47,31 @@
 
 namespace pcms
 {
+
+class exception : public std::exception
+{
+public:
+  exception(std::string message, int error_code = 0, std::string specific = {})
+    : error_code_(error_code)
+  {
+    std::ostringstream oss;
+    oss << message;
+    if (!specific.empty())
+      oss << " | Details: " << specific;
+    if (error_code_ != 0)
+      oss << " | Error code: " << error_code_;
+    error_message_ = oss.str();
+  }
+
+  const char* what() const noexcept override { return error_message_.c_str(); }
+
+  int code() const noexcept { return error_code_; }
+
+private:
+  std::string error_message_;
+  int error_code_;
+};
+
 // from scorec/core/pcu_fail.h
 void Pcms_Assert_Fail(const char* msg) __attribute__((noreturn));
 } // namespace pcms
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 4325dab2..d320d70f 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -382,6 +382,7 @@ if(Catch2_FOUND)
     list(
       APPEND
       PCMS_UNIT_TEST_SOURCES
+      test_error_handling.cpp
       test_field_transfer.cpp
       test_uniform_grid.cpp
       test_omega_h_copy.cpp
diff --git a/test/test_error_handling.cpp b/test/test_error_handling.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2b9764b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_error_handling.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#include <catch2/catch_test_macros.hpp>
+#include "pcms/assert.h"
+#include "pcms/print.h"
+#include <iostream>
+
+int raise_error(int code)
+{
+  if (code) {
+    throw pcms::exception("Test exception", code, "Raising error for testing");
+    return 1;
+  }
+  return 0;
+}
+
+TEST_CASE("pcms error handling test")
+{
+  REQUIRE_THROWS_AS(raise_error(1), pcms::exception);
+}
\ No newline at end of file