diff --git a/libs/evoral/evoral/LibSMF.hpp b/libs/evoral/evoral/LibSMF.hpp
index f2c5e318ad..0c3386b40c 100644
--- a/libs/evoral/evoral/LibSMF.hpp
+++ b/libs/evoral/evoral/LibSMF.hpp
@@ -51,15 +51,15 @@ public:
 	
 	void begin_write(FrameTime start_time);
 	void append_event_unlocked(uint32_t delta_t, const Event<Time>& ev);
-	void end_write();
+	void end_write() THROW_FILE_ERROR;
 	
 	void flush() {};
 	int  flush_header() { return 0; }
 	int  flush_footer() { return 0; }
 
 protected:
-	int  open(const std::string& path);
-	void close();
+	int  open(const std::string& path) THROW_FILE_ERROR;
+	void close() THROW_FILE_ERROR;
 	
 	int read_event(uint32_t* delta_t, uint32_t* size, uint8_t** buf) const;
 
diff --git a/libs/evoral/evoral/SMF.hpp b/libs/evoral/evoral/SMF.hpp
index 313035f5e3..4a154cba0f 100644
--- a/libs/evoral/evoral/SMF.hpp
+++ b/libs/evoral/evoral/SMF.hpp
@@ -45,15 +45,15 @@ public:
 	
 	void begin_write(FrameTime start_time);
 	void append_event_unlocked(uint32_t delta_t, const Event<Time>& ev);
-	void end_write();
+	void end_write() THROW_FILE_ERROR;
 	
 	void flush();
 	int  flush_header();
 	int  flush_footer();
 
 protected:
-	int  open(const std::string& path);
-	void close();
+	int  open(const std::string& path) THROW_FILE_ERROR;
+	void close() THROW_FILE_ERROR;
 	
 	int read_event(uint32_t* delta_t, uint32_t* size, uint8_t** buf) const;
 
diff --git a/libs/evoral/evoral/StandardMIDIFile.hpp b/libs/evoral/evoral/StandardMIDIFile.hpp
index e907defe46..a3359368f6 100644
--- a/libs/evoral/evoral/StandardMIDIFile.hpp
+++ b/libs/evoral/evoral/StandardMIDIFile.hpp
@@ -28,12 +28,17 @@ namespace Evoral {
 template<typename Time> class Event;
 template<typename Time> class EventRingBuffer;
 
+#define THROW_FILE_ERROR throw(typename StandardMIDIFile<Time>::FileError)
 
 /** Standard MIDI File interface
  */
 template<typename Time>
 class StandardMIDIFile {
 public:
+	class FileError : public std::exception {
+		const char* what() const throw() { return "libsmf error"; }
+	};
+
 	virtual void seek_to_start() const = 0;
 	
 	virtual uint16_t ppqn()     const = 0;
@@ -44,15 +49,15 @@ public:
 	
 	virtual void begin_write(FrameTime start_time) = 0;
 	virtual void append_event_unlocked(uint32_t delta_t, const Event<Time>& ev) = 0;
-	virtual void end_write() = 0;
+	virtual void end_write() throw(FileError) = 0;
 	
 	virtual void flush() = 0;
 	virtual int  flush_header() = 0;
 	virtual int  flush_footer() = 0;
 
 protected:
-	virtual int  open(const std::string& path) = 0;
-	virtual void close() = 0;
+	virtual int  open(const std::string& path) throw(FileError) = 0;
+	virtual void close() throw(FileError) = 0;
 	
 	virtual int read_event(uint32_t* delta_t, uint32_t* size, uint8_t** buf) const = 0;
 
diff --git a/libs/evoral/src/LibSMF.cpp b/libs/evoral/src/LibSMF.cpp
index ca00757f47..9f6f260b9f 100644
--- a/libs/evoral/src/LibSMF.cpp
+++ b/libs/evoral/src/LibSMF.cpp
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ LibSMF<Time>::~LibSMF()
  */
 template<typename Time>
 int
-LibSMF<Time>::open(const std::string& path)
+LibSMF<Time>::open(const std::string& path) THROW_FILE_ERROR
 {
 	if (_smf) { 
 		smf_delete(_smf);
@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@ LibSMF<Time>::open(const std::string& path)
 	_smf = smf_load(path.c_str());
 	if (!_smf) {
 		_smf = smf_new();
-		smf_set_ppqn(_smf, _ppqn);
+		if (smf_set_ppqn(_smf, _ppqn) != 0) {
+			throw typename StandardMIDIFile<Time>::FileError();
+		}
 		
 		if(_smf == NULL) {
 			return -1;
@@ -74,11 +76,13 @@ LibSMF<Time>::open(const std::string& path)
 
 template<typename Time>
 void
-LibSMF<Time>::close()
+LibSMF<Time>::close() THROW_FILE_ERROR
 {
 	assert(false);
 	if (_smf) {
-		smf_save(_smf, _path.c_str());
+		if (smf_save(_smf, _path.c_str()) != 0) {
+			throw typename StandardMIDIFile<Time>::FileError();
+		}
 		smf_delete(_smf);
 		_smf = 0;
 		_smf_track = 0;
@@ -178,9 +182,10 @@ LibSMF<Time>::begin_write(FrameTime start_frame)
 
 template<typename Time>
 void
-LibSMF<Time>::end_write()
+LibSMF<Time>::end_write() THROW_FILE_ERROR
 {
-	smf_save(_smf, _path.c_str());
+	if (smf_save(_smf, _path.c_str()) != 0)
+		throw typename StandardMIDIFile<Time>::FileError();
 }
 
 template class LibSMF<double>;
diff --git a/libs/evoral/src/SMF.cpp b/libs/evoral/src/SMF.cpp
index 421bbf35da..0278bed490 100644
--- a/libs/evoral/src/SMF.cpp
+++ b/libs/evoral/src/SMF.cpp
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ SMF<Time>::~SMF()
  */
 template<typename Time>
 int
-SMF<Time>::open(const std::string& path)
+SMF<Time>::open(const std::string& path) THROW_FILE_ERROR
+
 {
 	//cerr << "Opening SMF file " << path() << " writeable: " << writable() << endl;
 	_fd = fopen(path.c_str(), "r+");
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ SMF<Time>::open(const std::string& path)
 
 template<typename Time>
 void
-SMF<Time>::close()
+SMF<Time>::close() THROW_FILE_ERROR
 {
 	if (_fd) {
 		flush_header();
@@ -311,7 +312,7 @@ SMF<Time>::begin_write(FrameTime start_frame)
 
 template<typename Time>
 void
-SMF<Time>::end_write()
+SMF<Time>::end_write() throw(typename StandardMIDIFile<Time>::FileError)
 {
 	flush_header();
 	flush_footer();
diff --git a/libs/evoral/test/SMFTest.hpp b/libs/evoral/test/SMFTest.hpp
index 99c3288f5a..9787af8fc1 100644
--- a/libs/evoral/test/SMFTest.hpp
+++ b/libs/evoral/test/SMFTest.hpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ using namespace Evoral;
 template<typename Time>
 class TestSMF : public LibSMF<Time> {
 public:
-	int  open(const std::string& path) {
+	int open(const std::string& path) THROW_FILE_ERROR {
 		return LibSMF<Time>::open(path);
 	}