diff --git a/include/polarssl/cipher.h b/include/polarssl/cipher.h
index 16941c8..18bb744 100644
--- a/include/polarssl/cipher.h
+++ b/include/polarssl/cipher.h
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@
 #endif
 
 #define POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_FEATURE_UNAVAILABLE            -0x6080  /**< The selected feature is not available. */
+#define POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA                 -0x6100  /**< Bad input parameters to function. */
+#define POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_ALLOC_FAILED                   -0x6180  /**< Failed to allocate memory. */
+#define POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_INVALID_PADDING                -0x6200  /**< Input data contains invalid padding and is rejected. */
+#define POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_FULL_BLOCK_EXPECTED            -0x6280  /**< Decryption of block requires a full block. */
 
 typedef enum {
     POLARSSL_CIPHER_ID_NONE = 0,
@@ -225,8 +229,10 @@
  * \param ctx           context to initialise. May not be NULL.
  * \param cipher_info   cipher to use.
  *
- * \return              \c 0 on success, \c 1 on parameter failure, \c 2 if
- *                      allocation of the cipher-specific context failed.
+ * \return              \c 0 on success,
+ *                      \c POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA on parameter failure,
+ *                      \c POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_ALLOC_FAILED if allocation of the
+ *                      cipher-specific context failed.
  */
 int cipher_init_ctx( cipher_context_t *ctx, const cipher_info_t *cipher_info );
 
@@ -236,7 +242,8 @@
  *
  * \param ctx           Free the cipher-specific context
  *
- * \returns             0 on success, 1 if parameter verification fails.
+ * \returns             0 on success, POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA if
+ *                      parameter verification fails.
  */
 int cipher_free_ctx( cipher_context_t *ctx );
 
@@ -331,7 +338,9 @@
  * \param operation     Operation that the key will be used for, either
  *                      POLARSSL_ENCRYPT or POLARSSL_DECRYPT.
  *
- * \returns             0 on success, 1 if parameter verification fails.
+ * \returns             0 on success, POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA if
+ *                      parameter verification fails or a cipher specific
+ *                      error code.
  */
 int cipher_setkey( cipher_context_t *ctx, const unsigned char *key, int key_length,
         const operation_t operation );
@@ -342,7 +351,8 @@
  * \param ctx           generic cipher context
  * \param iv            IV to use or NONCE_COUNTER in the case of a CTR-mode cipher
  *
- * \returns             0 on success, 1 if parameter verification fails.
+ * \returns             0 on success, POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA
+ *                      if parameter verification fails.
  */
 int cipher_reset( cipher_context_t *ctx, const unsigned char *iv );
 
@@ -363,7 +373,11 @@
  * \param olen          length of the output data, will be filled with the
  *                      actual number of bytes written.
  *
- * \returns             0 on success, 1 if parameter verification fails.
+ * \returns             0 on success, POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA if
+ *                      parameter verification fails,
+ *                      POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_FEATURE_UNAVAILABLE on an
+ *                      unsupported mode for a cipher or a cipher specific
+ *                      error code.
  */
 int cipher_update( cipher_context_t *ctx, const unsigned char *input, size_t ilen,
         unsigned char *output, size_t *olen );
@@ -378,7 +392,12 @@
  * \param output        buffer to write data to. Needs block_size data available.
  * \param olen          length of the data written to the output buffer.
  *
- * \returns             0 on success, 1 if parameter verification fails.
+ * \returns             0 on success, POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA if
+ *                      parameter verification fails,
+ *                      POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_FULL_BLOCK_EXPECTED if decryption
+ *                      expected a full block but was not provided one,
+ *                      POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_INVALID_PADDING on invalid padding
+ *                      while decrypting or a cipher specific error code.
  */
 int cipher_finish( cipher_context_t *ctx, unsigned char *output, size_t *olen);
 
diff --git a/library/cipher.c b/library/cipher.c
index 7e24ebf..2a9da25 100644
--- a/library/cipher.c
+++ b/library/cipher.c
@@ -243,12 +243,12 @@
 int cipher_init_ctx( cipher_context_t *ctx, const cipher_info_t *cipher_info )
 {
     if( NULL == cipher_info || NULL == ctx )
-        return 1;
+        return POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA;
 
     memset( ctx, 0, sizeof( ctx ) );
 
     if( NULL == ( ctx->cipher_ctx = cipher_info->base->ctx_alloc_func() ) )
-        return 2;
+        return POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_ALLOC_FAILED;
 
     ctx->cipher_info = cipher_info;
 
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@
 int cipher_free_ctx( cipher_context_t *ctx )
 {
     if( ctx == NULL || ctx->cipher_info == NULL )
-        return 1;
+        return POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA;
 
     ctx->cipher_info->base->ctx_free_func( ctx->cipher_ctx );
 
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@
         int key_length, const operation_t operation )
 {
     if( NULL == ctx || NULL == ctx->cipher_info )
-        return 1;
+        return POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA;
 
     ctx->key_length = key_length;
     ctx->operation = operation;
@@ -289,13 +289,13 @@
         return ctx->cipher_info->base->setkey_dec_func( ctx->cipher_ctx, key,
                 ctx->key_length );
 
-    return 1;
+    return POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA;
 }
 
 int cipher_reset( cipher_context_t *ctx, const unsigned char *iv )
 {
     if( NULL == ctx || NULL == ctx->cipher_info || NULL == iv )
-        return 1;
+        return POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA;
 
     ctx->unprocessed_len = 0;
 
@@ -307,12 +307,13 @@
 int cipher_update( cipher_context_t *ctx, const unsigned char *input, size_t ilen,
         unsigned char *output, size_t *olen )
 {
+    int ret;
     size_t copy_len = 0;
 
     if( NULL == ctx || NULL == ctx->cipher_info || NULL == olen ||
         input == output )
     {
-        return 1;
+        return POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA;
     }
 
     *olen = 0;
@@ -344,11 +345,11 @@
             memcpy( &( ctx->unprocessed_data[ctx->unprocessed_len] ), input,
                     copy_len );
 
-            if( 0 != ctx->cipher_info->base->cbc_func( ctx->cipher_ctx,
+            if( 0 != ( ret = ctx->cipher_info->base->cbc_func( ctx->cipher_ctx,
                     ctx->operation, cipher_get_block_size( ctx ), ctx->iv,
-                    ctx->unprocessed_data, output) )
+                    ctx->unprocessed_data, output ) ) )
             {
-                return 1;
+                return ret;
             }
 
             *olen += cipher_get_block_size( ctx );
@@ -380,10 +381,10 @@
          */
         if( ilen )
         {
-            if( 0 != ctx->cipher_info->base->cbc_func( ctx->cipher_ctx,
-                    ctx->operation, ilen, ctx->iv, input, output ) )
+            if( 0 != ( ret = ctx->cipher_info->base->cbc_func( ctx->cipher_ctx,
+                    ctx->operation, ilen, ctx->iv, input, output ) ) )
             {
-                return 1;
+                return ret;
             }
             *olen += ilen;
         }
@@ -393,11 +394,11 @@
 
     if( ctx->cipher_info->mode == POLARSSL_MODE_CFB128 )
     {
-        if( 0 != ctx->cipher_info->base->cfb128_func( ctx->cipher_ctx,
+        if( 0 != ( ret = ctx->cipher_info->base->cfb128_func( ctx->cipher_ctx,
                 ctx->operation, ilen, &ctx->unprocessed_len, ctx->iv,
-                input, output ) )
+                input, output ) ) )
         {
-            return 1;
+            return ret;
         }
 
         *olen = ilen;
@@ -407,11 +408,11 @@
 
     if( ctx->cipher_info->mode == POLARSSL_MODE_CTR )
     {
-        if( 0 != ctx->cipher_info->base->ctr_func( ctx->cipher_ctx,
+        if( 0 != ( ret = ctx->cipher_info->base->ctr_func( ctx->cipher_ctx,
                 ilen, &ctx->unprocessed_len, ctx->iv,
-                ctx->unprocessed_data, input, output ) )
+                ctx->unprocessed_data, input, output ) ) )
         {
-            return 1;
+            return ret;
         }
 
         *olen = ilen;
@@ -419,7 +420,7 @@
         return 0;
     }
 
-    return 1;
+    return POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_FEATURE_UNAVAILABLE;
 }
 
 static void add_pkcs_padding( unsigned char *output, size_t output_len,
@@ -439,16 +440,16 @@
     unsigned char padding_len = 0;
 
     if( NULL == input || NULL == data_len )
-        return 1;
+        return POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA;
 
     padding_len = input[input_len - 1];
 
     if( padding_len > input_len )
-        return 2;
+        return POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_INVALID_PADDING;
 
     for( i = input_len - padding_len; i < input_len; i++ )
         if( input[i] != padding_len )
-            return 2;
+            return POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_INVALID_PADDING;
 
     *data_len = input_len - padding_len;
 
@@ -457,8 +458,10 @@
 
 int cipher_finish( cipher_context_t *ctx, unsigned char *output, size_t *olen)
 {
+    int ret = 0;
+
     if( NULL == ctx || NULL == ctx->cipher_info || NULL == olen )
-        return 1;
+        return POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA;
 
     *olen = 0;
 
@@ -478,15 +481,15 @@
         else if ( cipher_get_block_size( ctx ) != ctx->unprocessed_len )
         {
             /* For decrypt operations, expect a full block */
-            return 1;
+            return POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_FULL_BLOCK_EXPECTED;
         }
 
         /* cipher block */
-        if( 0 != ctx->cipher_info->base->cbc_func( ctx->cipher_ctx, ctx->operation,
-                cipher_get_block_size( ctx ), ctx->iv, ctx->unprocessed_data,
-                output ) )
+        if( 0 != ( ret = ctx->cipher_info->base->cbc_func( ctx->cipher_ctx,
+                ctx->operation, cipher_get_block_size( ctx ), ctx->iv,
+                ctx->unprocessed_data, output ) ) )
         {
-            return 1;
+            return ret;
         }
 
         /* Set output size for decryption */
@@ -498,7 +501,7 @@
         return 0;
     }
 
-    return 1;
+    return POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_FEATURE_UNAVAILABLE;
 }
 
 #if defined(POLARSSL_SELF_TEST)
diff --git a/library/error.c b/library/error.c
index 32925c1..eb03ce1 100644
--- a/library/error.c
+++ b/library/error.c
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@
 #include "polarssl/camellia.h"
 #endif
 
+#if defined(POLARSSL_CIPHER_C)
+#include "polarssl/cipher.h"
+#endif
+
 #if defined(POLARSSL_DES_C)
 #include "polarssl/des.h"
 #endif
@@ -102,6 +106,19 @@
 
         // High level error codes
         //
+#if defined(POLARSSL_CIPHER_C)
+        if( use_ret == -(POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_FEATURE_UNAVAILABLE) )
+            snprintf( buf, buflen, "CIPHER - The selected feature is not available" );
+        if( use_ret == -(POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA) )
+            snprintf( buf, buflen, "CIPHER - Bad input parameters to function" );
+        if( use_ret == -(POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_ALLOC_FAILED) )
+            snprintf( buf, buflen, "CIPHER - Failed to allocate memory" );
+        if( use_ret == -(POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_INVALID_PADDING) )
+            snprintf( buf, buflen, "CIPHER - Input data contains invalid padding and is rejected" );
+        if( use_ret == -(POLARSSL_ERR_CIPHER_FULL_BLOCK_EXPECTED) )
+            snprintf( buf, buflen, "CIPHER - Decryption of block requires a full block" );
+#endif /* POLARSSL_CIPHER_C */
+
 #if defined(POLARSSL_DHM_C)
         if( use_ret == -(POLARSSL_ERR_DHM_BAD_INPUT_DATA) )
             snprintf( buf, buflen, "DHM - Bad input parameters to function" );