diff --git a/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/system/CommandShell.java b/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/system/CommandShell.java
index e07439b..b9e14a8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/system/CommandShell.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/system/CommandShell.java
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ public class CommandShell {
         try {
             return executor.execute(commandLine);
         } catch (Exception e) {
-            return die("chmod: "+e, e);
+            throw new CommandShellException(commandLine.toString(), e);
         }
     }
 
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ public class CommandShell {
         try {
             return executor.execute(command);
         } catch (Exception e) {
-            return die(cmd+": "+e, e);
+            throw new CommandShellException(command.toString(), e);
         }
     }
 
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ public class CommandShell {
         try {
             return exec(command).getStdout().trim();
         } catch (IOException e) {
-            return die("Error executing: "+command+": "+e, e);
+            throw new CommandShellException(command, e);
         }
     }
 
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ public class CommandShell {
             return temp;
 
         } catch (Exception e) {
-            return die("tempScript("+contents+") failed: "+e, e);
+            throw new CommandShellException(contents, e);
         }
     }
 
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ public class CommandShell {
     public static String execScript (String contents, Map<String, String> env, List<Integer> exitValues) {
         final CommandResult result = scriptResult(contents, env, null, exitValues);
         if (!result.isZeroExitStatus() && (exitValues == null || !exitValues.contains(result.getExitStatus()))) {
-            die("execScript: non-zero exit: "+result);
+            throw new CommandShellException(contents, result);
         }
         return result.getStdout();
     }
@@ -310,12 +310,12 @@ public class CommandShell {
             if (!empty(exitValues)) command.setExitValues(exitValues);
             return exec(command);
         } catch (Exception e) {
-            return die("Error executing: "+e);
+            throw new CommandShellException(contents, e);
         }
     }
 
     public static CommandResult okResult(CommandResult result) {
-        if (result == null || !result.isZeroExitStatus()) die("error: "+result);
+        if (result == null || !result.isZeroExitStatus()) throw new CommandShellException(result);
         return result;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/system/CommandShellException.java b/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/system/CommandShellException.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..abf2662
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/system/CommandShellException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+package org.cobbzilla.util.system;
+
+import lombok.Getter;
+import lombok.Setter;
+import lombok.ToString;
+
+@ToString(of={"command", "result", "exception"})
+public class CommandShellException extends RuntimeException {
+
+    @Getter @Setter private String command;
+    @Getter @Setter private CommandResult result;
+    @Getter @Setter private Exception exception;
+
+    public CommandShellException (CommandResult result) { this.result = result; }
+
+    public CommandShellException (Exception e) { this.exception = e; }
+
+    public CommandShellException (String command, Exception e) {
+        this(e);
+        this.command = command;
+    }
+
+    public CommandShellException(String command, CommandResult result) {
+        this(result);
+        this.command = command;
+    }
+
+}