diff --git a/src/lib/request.ts b/src/lib/request.ts
index 690f6c7..32efbf0 100644
--- a/src/lib/request.ts
+++ b/src/lib/request.ts
@@ -26,16 +26,6 @@ function authenticationHeader(auth?: Authentication): string {
   throw new Error("auth must contain apiKey, jwt, or username/password");
 }
 
-function handleError(error: string) {
-  if (this.debug) {
-    console.error(error);
-    console.groupEnd();
-  }
-
-  // TODO: make this error more informative
-  throw new Error("CiviCRM request failed");
-}
-
 export function bindRequest(
   requestFn: BaseRequestFn<any, any>,
   config: ClientConfig<any, any>,
@@ -102,3 +92,47 @@ export async function request(
 
   return json.values;
 }
+
+function handleError(errorResponse: string | object) {
+  const error = new CiviCRMRequestError(errorResponse);
+
+  if (this.debug) {
+    console.error(error);
+    console.groupEnd();
+  }
+
+  throw error;
+}
+
+class CiviCRMRequestError extends Error {
+  name = "CiviCRMRequestError";
+  message: string;
+  detail: any;
+
+  parseError(error: string | { error_message: string }) {
+    if (typeof error === "object") {
+      return error;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      const object = JSON.parse(error);
+
+      if (object && typeof object === "object") {
+        return object;
+      }
+    } catch (e) {}
+
+    return {
+      error_message: error || "CiviCRM request failed",
+    };
+  }
+
+  constructor(error: any) {
+    super();
+
+    const { error_message, ...detail } = this.parseError(error);
+
+    this.message = error_message;
+    this.detail = detail;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/api3.test.ts b/test/api3.test.ts
index b25417d..6de6e45 100644
--- a/test/api3.test.ts
+++ b/test/api3.test.ts
@@ -176,7 +176,12 @@ describe("debug", () => {
     } catch {}
 
     expect(consoleSpy.group).toHaveBeenCalled();
-    expect(consoleSpy.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith("Internal Server Error");
+    expect(consoleSpy.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        name: "CiviCRMRequestError",
+        message: "Internal Server Error",
+      }),
+    );
     expect(consoleSpy.groupEnd).toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 });
diff --git a/test/api4.test.ts b/test/api4.test.ts
index 0f3151f..4efcc48 100644
--- a/test/api4.test.ts
+++ b/test/api4.test.ts
@@ -239,7 +239,12 @@ describe("debug", () => {
     } catch {}
 
     expect(consoleSpy.group).toHaveBeenCalled();
-    expect(consoleSpy.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith("Internal Server Error");
+    expect(consoleSpy.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        name: "CiviCRMRequestError",
+        message: "Internal Server Error",
+      }),
+    );
     expect(consoleSpy.groupEnd).toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 });