diff --git a/src/edwards.rs b/src/edwards.rs
index d29ca2f..5c90195 100644
--- a/src/edwards.rs
+++ b/src/edwards.rs
@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ use subtle::ConstantTimeEq;
 
 use constants;
 
+use errors::{CurveError, InternalError};
+
 use field::FieldElement;
 use scalar::Scalar;
 
@@ -337,11 +339,12 @@ impl Default for CompressedEdwardsY {
 }
 
 impl TryFrom<&[u8]> for CompressedEdwardsY {
-    type Error = ();
+    type Error = CurveError;
 
-    fn try_from(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<CompressedEdwardsY, ()> {
+    fn try_from(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<CompressedEdwardsY, CurveError> {
         if bytes.len() != 32 {
-            return Err(());
+            return Err(CurveError(
+                InternalError::BytesLengthError{name: "CompressedEdwardsY", length: 32}));
         }
 
         Ok(CompressedEdwardsY::from_slice(bytes))
diff --git a/src/errors.rs b/src/errors.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d6f64c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/errors.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+// -*- mode: rust; -*-
+//
+// This file is part of curve25519-dalek.
+// Copyright (c) 2019 Isis Lovecruft
+// See LICENSE for licensing information.
+//
+// Authors:
+// - Isis Agora Lovecruft <isis@patternsinthevoid.net>
+
+//! Errors which may occur.
+//!
+//! Currently, these are only used in the implementations of `TryFrom`.
+//!
+//! This module optionally implements support for the types in the `failure`
+//! crate.  This can be enabled by building with `--features failure`.
+
+use core::fmt;
+use core::fmt::Display;
+
+/// Internal errors.  Most application-level developers will likely not
+/// need to pay any attention to these.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Eq, PartialEq, Hash)]
+pub(crate) enum InternalError {
+    /// An error in the length of bytes handed to a constructor.
+    ///
+    /// To use this, pass a string specifying the `name` of the type which is
+    /// returning the error, and the `length` in bytes which its constructor
+    /// expects.
+    BytesLengthError {
+        name: &'static str,
+        length: usize,
+    },
+}
+
+impl Display for InternalError {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        match *self {
+            InternalError::BytesLengthError{ name: n, length: l}
+                => write!(f, "{} must be {} bytes in length", n, l),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(feature = "failure")]
+impl ::failure::Fail for InternalError {}
+
+/// Errors which may occur.
+///
+/// This error may arise due to:
+///
+/// * Being given bytes with a length different to what was expected.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Eq, PartialEq, Hash, Debug)]
+pub struct CurveError(pub(crate) InternalError);
+
+impl Display for CurveError {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        write!(f, "{}", self.0)
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(feature = "failure")]
+impl ::failure::Fail for CurveError {
+    fn cause(&self) -> Option<&dyn (::failure::Fail)> {
+        Some(&self.0)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 0216628..5359b16 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ extern crate packed_simd;
 
 extern crate byteorder;
 pub extern crate digest;
+#[cfg(feature = "failure")]
+extern crate failure;
 extern crate rand_core;
 #[cfg(test)]
 extern crate rand_os;
@@ -82,6 +84,9 @@ pub mod constants;
 // External (and internal) traits.
 pub mod traits;
 
+// Errors which may occur.
+pub mod errors;
+
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // curve25519-dalek internal modules
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/montgomery.rs b/src/montgomery.rs
index c85397d..7a4f841 100644
--- a/src/montgomery.rs
+++ b/src/montgomery.rs
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ use core::ops::{Mul, MulAssign};
 
 use constants::APLUS2_OVER_FOUR;
 use edwards::{CompressedEdwardsY, EdwardsPoint};
+use errors::{CurveError, InternalError};
 use field::FieldElement;
 use scalar::Scalar;
 
@@ -112,11 +113,12 @@ impl ValidityCheck for MontgomeryPoint {
 }
 
 impl TryFrom<&[u8]> for MontgomeryPoint {
-    type Error = ();
+    type Error = CurveError;
 
-    fn try_from(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<MontgomeryPoint, ()> {
+    fn try_from(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<MontgomeryPoint, CurveError> {
         if bytes.len() != 32 {
-            return Err(());
+            return Err(CurveError(
+                InternalError::BytesLengthError{name: "MontgomeryPoint", length: 32}));
         }
 
         let mut array = [0u8; 32];
@@ -128,7 +130,8 @@ impl TryFrom<&[u8]> for MontgomeryPoint {
             return Ok(P);
         }
 
-        Err(())
+        Err(CurveError(
+            InternalError::BytesLengthError{name: "MontgomeryPoint", length: 32}))
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ristretto.rs b/src/ristretto.rs
index 59ca562..46c1c2d 100644
--- a/src/ristretto.rs
+++ b/src/ristretto.rs
@@ -181,6 +181,8 @@ use subtle::ConstantTimeEq;
 use edwards::EdwardsBasepointTable;
 use edwards::EdwardsPoint;
 
+use errors::{CurveError, InternalError};
+
 #[allow(unused_imports)]
 use prelude::*;
 
@@ -219,11 +221,12 @@ impl ConstantTimeEq for CompressedRistretto {
 }
 
 impl TryFrom<&[u8]> for CompressedRistretto {
-    type Error = ();
+    type Error = CurveError;
 
-    fn try_from(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<CompressedRistretto, ()> {
+    fn try_from(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<CompressedRistretto, CurveError> {
         if bytes.len() != 32 {
-            return Err(());
+            return Err(CurveError(
+                InternalError::BytesLengthError{name: "CompressedRistretto", length: 32}));
         }
 
         Ok(CompressedRistretto::from_slice(bytes))