diff --git a/python/core/qgsproject.sip b/python/core/qgsproject.sip
index 95d568b1a21..1898c22e25c 100644
--- a/python/core/qgsproject.sip
+++ b/python/core/qgsproject.sip
@@ -231,6 +231,20 @@ public:
       @note added in 1.3 */
     QString readPath( QString filename ) const;
 
+    /** Return error message from previous read/write
+      @note added in 1.4 */
+    QString error() const;
+
+  protected:
+
+    /** Set error message from read/write operation
+      @note added in 1.4 */
+    void setError( QString errorMessage );
+
+    /** Clear error message
+      @note added in 1.4 */
+    void clearError();
+
   signals:
     
     //! emitted when project is being read
diff --git a/src/app/qgisapp.cpp b/src/app/qgisapp.cpp
index 92a941a8f91..8687112e4b8 100644
--- a/src/app/qgisapp.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgisapp.cpp
@@ -3370,6 +3370,9 @@ void QgisApp::fileOpen()
     {
       if ( ! QgsProject::instance()->read() )
       {
+        QMessageBox::critical( this,
+                               tr( "QGIS Project Read Error" ),
+                               QgsProject::instance()->error() );
         mMapCanvas->freeze( false );
         mMapCanvas->refresh();
         return;
@@ -3389,16 +3392,6 @@ void QgisApp::fileOpen()
       // Tell the legend to update the ordering
       mMapLegend->readProject( e.document() );
     }
-    catch ( std::exception & e )
-    {
-      QMessageBox::critical( this,
-                             tr( "QGIS Project Read Error" ),
-                             QString::fromLocal8Bit( e.what() ) );
-      QgsDebugMsg( "BAD QgsMapLayer::LayerType FOUND" );
-      mMapCanvas->freeze( false );
-      mMapCanvas->refresh();
-      return;
-    }
 
     setTitleBarText_( *this );
     emit projectRead();     // let plug-ins know that we've read in a new
@@ -3436,6 +3429,12 @@ bool QgisApp::addProject( QString projectFile )
   {
     if ( ! QgsProject::instance()->read( projectFile ) )
     {
+      QMessageBox::critical( this,
+                             tr( "Unable to open project" ),
+                             QgsProject::instance()->error() );
+
+      QApplication::restoreOverrideCursor();
+
       mMapCanvas->freeze( false );
       mMapCanvas->refresh();
       return false;
@@ -3468,20 +3467,6 @@ bool QgisApp::addProject( QString projectFile )
     // Continue after last catch statement
 
   }
-  catch ( std::exception & e )
-  {
-    QgsDebugMsg( "BAD QgsMapLayer::LayerType FOUND" );
-
-    QMessageBox::critical( this,
-                           tr( "Unable to open project" ),
-                           QString::fromLocal8Bit( e.what() ) );
-
-    QApplication::restoreOverrideCursor();
-
-    mMapCanvas->freeze( false );
-    mMapCanvas->refresh();
-    return false;
-  }
 
   // Continue, now with layers found (hopefully)
 
@@ -3569,33 +3554,23 @@ bool QgisApp::fileSave()
     QgsProject::instance()->setFileName( fullPath.filePath() );
   }
 
-  try
+  if ( QgsProject::instance()->write() )
   {
-    if ( QgsProject::instance()->write() )
-    {
-      setTitleBarText_( *this ); // update title bar
-      statusBar()->showMessage( tr( "Saved project to: %1" ).arg( QgsProject::instance()->fileName() ) );
+    setTitleBarText_( *this ); // update title bar
+    statusBar()->showMessage( tr( "Saved project to: %1" ).arg( QgsProject::instance()->fileName() ) );
 
-      if ( isNewProject )
-      {
-        // add this to the list of recently used project files
-        QSettings settings;
-        saveRecentProjectPath( fullPath.filePath(), settings );
-      }
-    }
-    else
+    if ( isNewProject )
     {
-      QMessageBox::critical( this,
-                             tr( "Unable to save project" ),
-                             tr( "Unable to save project to %1" ).arg( QgsProject::instance()->fileName() ) );
-      return false;
+      // add this to the list of recently used project files
+      QSettings settings;
+      saveRecentProjectPath( fullPath.filePath(), settings );
     }
   }
-  catch ( std::exception & e )
+  else
   {
     QMessageBox::critical( this,
                            tr( "Unable to save project %1" ).arg( QgsProject::instance()->fileName() ),
-                           QString::fromLocal8Bit( e.what() ) );
+                           QgsProject::instance()->error() );
     return false;
   }
   return true;
@@ -3628,29 +3603,20 @@ void QgisApp::fileSaveAs()
     saveFilePath = myFI.filePath() + ".qgs";
   }
 
-  try
-  {
-    QgsProject::instance()->setFileName( saveFilePath );
+  QgsProject::instance()->setFileName( saveFilePath );
 
-    if ( QgsProject::instance()->write() )
-    {
-      setTitleBarText_( *this ); // update title bar
-      statusBar()->showMessage( tr( "Saved project to: %1" ).arg( QgsProject::instance()->fileName() ) );
-      // add this to the list of recently used project files
-      saveRecentProjectPath( saveFilePath, settings );
-    }
-    else
-    {
-      QMessageBox::critical( this,
-                             tr( "Unable to save project" ),
-                             tr( "Unable to save project to %1" ).arg( QgsProject::instance()->fileName() ) );
-    }
-  }
-  catch ( std::exception & e )
+  if ( QgsProject::instance()->write() )
   {
-    QMessageBox::critical( 0x0,
+    setTitleBarText_( *this ); // update title bar
+    statusBar()->showMessage( tr( "Saved project to: %1" ).arg( QgsProject::instance()->fileName() ) );
+    // add this to the list of recently used project files
+    saveRecentProjectPath( saveFilePath, settings );
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    QMessageBox::critical( this,
                            tr( "Unable to save project %1" ).arg( QgsProject::instance()->fileName() ),
-                           QString::fromLocal8Bit( e.what() ),
+                           QgsProject::instance()->error(),
                            QMessageBox::Ok,
                            Qt::NoButton );
   }
@@ -3693,20 +3659,8 @@ void QgisApp::openProject( const QString & fileName )
   // possibly save any pending work before opening a different project
   if ( saveDirty() )
   {
-    try
-    {
-      if ( ! addProject( fileName ) )
-      {
-        QgsDebugMsg( "unable to load project " + fileName );
-      }
-    }
-    catch ( QgsIOException & io_exception )
-    {
-      Q_UNUSED( io_exception );
-      QMessageBox::critical( this,
-                             tr( "QGIS: Unable to load project" ),
-                             tr( "Unable to load project %1" ).arg( fileName ) );
-    }
+    // error handling and reporting is in addProject() function
+    addProject( fileName );
   }
   return ;
 }
diff --git a/src/core/qgsexception.h b/src/core/qgsexception.h
index 45991c62a12..52b2cf92019 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsexception.h
+++ b/src/core/qgsexception.h
@@ -56,26 +56,6 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsException : public std::exception
 }; // class QgsException
 
 
-/** for Qgis I/O related exceptions
-
-  @note usually thrown for opening file's that don't exist, and the like.
-
-*/
-class QgsIOException : public QgsException
-{
-  public:
-
-    QgsIOException( std::string const & what )
-        : QgsException( what )
-    {}
-
-    QgsIOException( QString const & what )
-        : QgsException( what )
-    {}
-
-}; // class QgsIOException
-
-
 
 /** for files missing from layers while reading project files
 
diff --git a/src/core/qgsproject.cpp b/src/core/qgsproject.cpp
index c416a493183..0fc0e3f2501 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsproject.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsproject.cpp
@@ -747,6 +747,8 @@ bool QgsProject::read( QFileInfo const &file )
 */
 bool QgsProject::read()
 {
+  clearError();
+
   std::auto_ptr< QDomDocument > doc =
     std::auto_ptr < QDomDocument > ( new QDomDocument( "qgis" ) );
 
@@ -755,7 +757,8 @@ bool QgsProject::read()
     imp_->file.close();     // even though we got an error, let's make
     // sure it's closed anyway
 
-    throw QgsIOException( tr( "Unable to open %1" ).arg( imp_->file.fileName() ) );
+    setError( tr( "Unable to open %1" ).arg( imp_->file.fileName() ) );
+    return false;
   }
 
   // location of problem associated with errorMsg
@@ -776,7 +779,8 @@ bool QgsProject::read()
 
     imp_->file.close();
 
-    throw QgsException( tr( "%1 for file %2" ).arg( errorString ).arg( imp_->file.fileName() ) );
+    setError( tr( "%1 for file %2" ).arg( errorString ).arg( imp_->file.fileName() ) );
+    return false;
   }
 
   imp_->file.close();
@@ -922,6 +926,8 @@ bool QgsProject::write( QFileInfo const &file )
 
 bool QgsProject::write()
 {
+  clearError();
+
   // if we have problems creating or otherwise writing to the project file,
   // let's find out up front before we go through all the hand-waving
   // necessary to create all the Dom objects
@@ -930,7 +936,8 @@ bool QgsProject::write()
     imp_->file.close();         // even though we got an error, let's make
     // sure it's closed anyway
 
-    throw QgsIOException( tr( "Unable to save to file %1" ).arg( imp_->file.fileName() ) );
+    setError( tr( "Unable to save to file %1" ).arg( imp_->file.fileName() ) );
+    return false;
   }
   QFileInfo myFileInfo( imp_->file );
   if ( !myFileInfo.isWritable() )
@@ -938,8 +945,9 @@ bool QgsProject::write()
     // even though we got an error, let's make
     // sure it's closed anyway
     imp_->file.close();
-    throw QgsIOException( tr( "%1 is not writeable. Please adjust permissions (if possible) and try again." )
-                          .arg( imp_->file.fileName() ) );
+    setError( tr( "%1 is not writeable. Please adjust permissions (if possible) and try again." )
+              .arg( imp_->file.fileName() ) );
+    return false;
   }
 
   QDomImplementation DomImplementation;
@@ -1023,10 +1031,11 @@ bool QgsProject::write()
   //
   if ( projectFileStream.pos() == -1  || imp_->file.error() != QFile::NoError )
   {
-    throw QgsIOException( tr( "Unable to save to file %1. Your project "
-                              "may be corrupted on disk. Try clearing some space on the volume and "
-                              "check file permissions before pressing save again." )
-                          .arg( imp_->file.fileName() ) );
+    setError( tr( "Unable to save to file %1. Your project "
+                  "may be corrupted on disk. Try clearing some space on the volume and "
+                  "check file permissions before pressing save again." )
+              .arg( imp_->file.fileName() ) );
+    return false;
   }
 
   dirty( false );               // reset to pristine state
@@ -1456,3 +1465,18 @@ QString QgsProject::writePath( QString src ) const
 
   return srcElems.join( "/" );
 }
+
+void QgsProject::setError( QString errorMessage )
+{
+  mErrorMessage = errorMessage;
+}
+
+QString QgsProject::error() const
+{
+  return mErrorMessage;
+}
+
+void QgsProject::clearError()
+{
+  setError( QString() );
+}
diff --git a/src/core/qgsproject.h b/src/core/qgsproject.h
index 5b4aa18b748..c609a20c2f8 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsproject.h
+++ b/src/core/qgsproject.h
@@ -264,6 +264,20 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsProject : public QObject
       @note added in 1.3 */
     QString readPath( QString filename ) const;
 
+    /** Return error message from previous read/write
+      @note added in 1.4 */
+    QString error() const;
+
+  protected:
+
+    /** Set error message from read/write operation
+      @note added in 1.4 */
+    void setError( QString errorMessage );
+
+    /** Clear error message
+      @note added in 1.4 */
+    void clearError();
+
   signals:
 
     //! emitted when project is being read
@@ -295,6 +309,8 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsProject : public QObject
 
     std::pair< bool, std::list<QDomNode> > _getMapLayers( QDomDocument const &doc );
 
+    QString mErrorMessage;
+
 }; // QgsProject
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/plugins/north_arrow/plugin.cpp b/src/plugins/north_arrow/plugin.cpp
index 21ea5d8fa19..71a63ecc7b6 100644
--- a/src/plugins/north_arrow/plugin.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/north_arrow/plugin.cpp
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ bool QgsNorthArrowPlugin::calculateNorthDirection()
         p1 = transform.transform( p1 );
         p2 = transform.transform( p2 );
       }
-      catch ( QgsException &e )
+      catch ( QgsCsException &e )
       {
         Q_UNUSED( e );
         // just give up