diff --git a/src/exception.cpp b/src/exception.cpp
index 5090e4fe..a8479b82 100644
--- a/src/exception.cpp
+++ b/src/exception.cpp
@@ -328,13 +328,27 @@ exception* net_exception::clone() const { return new net_exception(*this); }
 const char* net_exception::name() const throw() { return "net_exception"; }
 
 
+//
+// socket_exception
+//
+
+socket_exception::~socket_exception() throw() {}
+socket_exception::socket_exception(const string& what, const exception& other)
+	: net_exception(what.empty()
+		? "Socket error."
+		: "Socket error: '" + what + "'.", other) {}
+
+exception* socket_exception::clone() const { return new socket_exception(*this); }
+const char* socket_exception::name() const throw() { return "socket_exception"; }
+
+
 //
 // connection_error
 //
 
 connection_error::~connection_error() throw() {}
 connection_error::connection_error(const string& what, const exception& other)
-	: net_exception(what.empty()
+	: socket_exception(what.empty()
 		? "Connection error."
 		: "Connection error: '" + what + "'.", other) {}
 
diff --git a/src/platforms/posix/posixSocket.cpp b/src/platforms/posix/posixSocket.cpp
index 8a042950..32b657fd 100644
--- a/src/platforms/posix/posixSocket.cpp
+++ b/src/platforms/posix/posixSocket.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 #include <netinet/in.h>
 #include <netdb.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
 #include "vmime/exception.hpp"
 
@@ -90,16 +92,34 @@ void posixSocket::connect(const vmime::string& address, const vmime::port_t port
 	m_desc = ::socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
 
 	if (m_desc == -1)
-		throw vmime::exceptions::connection_error("Error while creating socket.");
+	{
+		try
+		{
+			throwSocketError(errno);
+		}
+		catch (exceptions::socket_exception& e)
+		{
+			throw vmime::exceptions::connection_error
+				("Error while creating socket.", e);
+		}
+	}
 
 	// Start connection
 	if (::connect(m_desc, reinterpret_cast <sockaddr*>(&addr), sizeof(addr)) == -1)
 	{
-		::close(m_desc);
-		m_desc = -1;
+		try
+		{
+			throwSocketError(errno);
+		}
+		catch (exceptions::socket_exception& e)
+		{
+			::close(m_desc);
+			m_desc = -1;
 
-		// Error
-		throw vmime::exceptions::connection_error("Error while connecting socket.");
+			// Error
+			throw vmime::exceptions::connection_error
+				("Error while connecting socket.", e);
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -156,16 +176,53 @@ const int posixSocket::receiveRaw(char* buffer, const int count)
 
 void posixSocket::send(const vmime::string& buffer)
 {
-	::send(m_desc, buffer.data(), buffer.length(), 0);
+	if (::send(m_desc, buffer.data(), buffer.length(), 0) == -1)
+		throwSocketError(errno);
 }
 
 
 void posixSocket::sendRaw(const char* buffer, const int count)
 {
-	::send(m_desc, buffer, count, 0);
+	if (::send(m_desc, buffer, count, 0) == -1)
+		throwSocketError(errno);
 }
 
 
+void posixSocket::throwSocketError(const int err)
+{
+	string msg;
+
+	switch (err)
+	{
+	case EACCES:          msg = "EACCES: permission denied"; break;
+	case EAFNOSUPPORT:    msg = "EAFNOSUPPORT: address family not supported"; break;
+	case EMFILE:          msg = "EMFILE: process file table overflow"; break;
+	case ENFILE:          msg = "ENFILE: system limit reached"; break;
+	case EPROTONOSUPPORT: msg = "EPROTONOSUPPORT: protocol not supported"; break;
+	case EAGAIN:          msg = "EGAIN: blocking operation"; break;
+	case EBADF:           msg = "EBADF: invalid descriptor"; break;
+	case ECONNRESET:      msg = "ECONNRESET: connection reset by peer"; break;
+	case EFAULT:          msg = "EFAULT: bad user space address"; break;
+	case EINTR:           msg = "EINTR: signal occured before transmission"; break;
+	case EINVAL:          msg = "EINVAL: invalid argument"; break;
+	case EMSGSIZE:        msg = "EMSGSIZE: message cannot be sent atomically"; break;
+	case ENOBUFS:         msg = "ENOBUFS: output queue is full"; break;
+	case ENOMEM:          msg = "ENOMEM: out of memory"; break;
+	case EPIPE:
+	case ENOTCONN:        msg = "ENOTCONN: not connected"; break;
+	case ECONNREFUSED:    msg = "ECONNREFUSED: connection refused"; break;
+	default:
+
+		std::ostringstream oss;
+		oss << ::strerror(err);
+
+		msg = oss.str();
+		break;
+	}
+
+	throw exceptions::socket_exception(msg);
+}
+
 
 
 //
diff --git a/vmime/exception.hpp b/vmime/exception.hpp
index c09e8919..55d4c480 100644
--- a/vmime/exception.hpp
+++ b/vmime/exception.hpp
@@ -359,11 +359,27 @@ public:
 typedef net_exception messaging_exception;
 
 
+/** Socket error.
+  */
+
+class socket_exception : public net_exception
+{
+public:
+
+	socket_exception(const string& what = "", const exception& other = NO_EXCEPTION);
+	~socket_exception() throw();
+
+	exception* clone() const;
+	const char* name() const throw();
+
+};
+
+
 /** Error while connecting to the server: this may be a DNS resolution error
   * or a connection error (for example, time-out while connecting).
   */
 
-class connection_error : public net_exception
+class connection_error : public socket_exception
 {
 public:
 
diff --git a/vmime/platforms/posix/posixSocket.hpp b/vmime/platforms/posix/posixSocket.hpp
index 93315cf9..fea46abd 100644
--- a/vmime/platforms/posix/posixSocket.hpp
+++ b/vmime/platforms/posix/posixSocket.hpp
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ public:
 	void send(const vmime::string& buffer);
 	void sendRaw(const char* buffer, const int count);
 
+protected:
+
+	static void throwSocketError(const int err);
+
 private:
 
 	char m_buffer[65536];