diff --git a/src/error.ts b/src/error.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..282422f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/error.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+export class JSONRPCError extends Error {
+  public code: number;
+  public message: string;
+  public data?: any;
+  constructor(message: string, code: number, data?: any) {
+    super();
+    this.code = code;
+    this.message = message;
+    this.data = data;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index d1ea7e88..ce09bb9c 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import Server, { IServerOptions } from "./server";
 import { Router } from "./router";
+import { JSONRPCError } from "./error";
 
 export {
   Server,
   IServerOptions,
   Router,
+  JSONRPCError,
 };
diff --git a/src/router.test.ts b/src/router.test.ts
index 1fb4b54b..616df556 100644
--- a/src/router.test.ts
+++ b/src/router.test.ts
@@ -9,10 +9,11 @@ import {
   ExamplePairingObject,
   MethodObject,
 } from "@open-rpc/meta-schema";
+import { JSONRPCError } from "./error";
 const jsf = require("json-schema-faker"); // tslint:disable-line
 
 const makeMethodMapping = (methods: MethodObject[]): IMethodMapping => {
-  return _.chain(methods)
+  const methodMapping = _.chain(methods)
     .keyBy("name")
     .mapValues((methodObject: MethodObject) => async (...args: any): Promise<any> => {
       const foundExample = _.find(
@@ -28,6 +29,9 @@ const makeMethodMapping = (methods: MethodObject[]): IMethodMapping => {
       }
     })
     .value();
+  methodMapping["test-error"] = async () => { throw new JSONRPCError("test error", 9998, { meta: "data" }); };
+  methodMapping["unknown-error"] = async () => { throw new Error("unanticpated crash"); };
+  return methodMapping;
 };
 
 describe("router", () => {
@@ -37,6 +41,11 @@ describe("router", () => {
       let parsedExample: OpenRPC;
       beforeAll(async () => {
         parsedExample = await parseOpenRPCDocument(JSON.stringify(example));
+        // Mock error methods used to test routing calls
+        const testErrorMethod = { name: "test-error", params: [], result: { name: "test-error-result", schema: {} } };
+        const unknownErrorMethod = Object.assign({}, testErrorMethod, { name: "unknown-error" });
+        parsedExample.methods.push(testErrorMethod);
+        parsedExample.methods.push(unknownErrorMethod);
       });
 
       it("is constructed with an OpenRPC document and a method mapping", () => {
@@ -68,6 +77,20 @@ describe("router", () => {
           expect(result.error.code).toBe(-32602);
         });
 
+        it("returns JSONRPCError data when thrown", async () => {
+          const router = new Router(parsedExample, makeMethodMapping(parsedExample.methods));
+          const result = await router.call("test-error", []);
+          expect(result.error.code).toBe(9998);
+          expect(result.error.message).toBe("test error");
+        });
+
+        it("returns Unknown Error data when thrown", async () => {
+          const router = new Router(parsedExample, makeMethodMapping(parsedExample.methods));
+          const result = await router.call("unknown-error", []);
+          expect(result.error.code).toBe(6969);
+          expect(result.error.message).toBe("unknown error");
+        });
+
         it("implements service discovery", async () => {
           const router = new Router(parsedExample, makeMethodMapping(parsedExample.methods));
           const result = await router.call("rpc.discover", []);
diff --git a/src/router.ts b/src/router.ts
index 6f3f1dc7..be40e501 100644
--- a/src/router.ts
+++ b/src/router.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import {
   OpenRPC,
 } from "@open-rpc/meta-schema";
 import { MethodCallValidator, MethodNotFoundError, ParameterValidationError } from "@open-rpc/schema-utils-js";
+import { JSONRPCError } from "./error";
+
 const jsf = require("json-schema-faker"); // tslint:disable-line
 
 export interface IMethodMapping {
@@ -61,7 +63,10 @@ export class Router {
     try {
       return await this.methods[methodName](...params);
     } catch (e) {
-      return { code: 6969, message: "unknown error" };
+      if (e instanceof JSONRPCError) {
+        return {error: { code: e.code, message: e.message, data: e.data }};
+      }
+      return { error: { code: 6969, message: "unknown error" } };
     }
   }