diff --git a/inputsource.cpp b/inputsource.cpp
index a1538f9..9c5b3d8 100644
--- a/inputsource.cpp
+++ b/inputsource.cpp
@@ -13,16 +13,16 @@ InputSource::InputSource(const char *filename, int fft_size) {
 
     m_file = fopen(filename, "rb");
     if (m_file == nullptr)
-        throw "Error opening file";
+        throw std::runtime_error("Error opening file");
 
     struct stat sb;
     if (fstat(fileno(m_file), &sb) != 0)
-        throw "Error fstating file";
+        throw std::runtime_error("Error fstating file");
     m_file_size = sb.st_size;
 
     m_data = (fftwf_complex*)mmap(NULL, m_file_size, PROT_READ, MAP_SHARED, fileno(m_file), 0);
     if (m_data == 0)
-        throw "Error mmapping file";
+        throw std::runtime_error("Error mmapping file");
 
     m_fftw_in = (fftwf_complex*)fftwf_malloc(sizeof(fftwf_complex) * m_fft_size);
     m_fftw_out = (fftwf_complex*)fftwf_malloc(sizeof(fftwf_complex) * m_fft_size);
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index 12c50ea..3bc652f 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ bool MyApp::OnInit()
 
     try {
         m_input_source = new InputSource(argv[1], fft_size);
-    } catch (const char *msg) {
-        printf("%s\n", msg);
+    } catch (std::exception const& msg) {
+        printf("%s\n", msg.what());
         return false;
     }