diff --git a/include/ndhist/Exceptions.hh b/include/ndhist/Exceptions.hh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec953ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/ndhist/Exceptions.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#ifndef NDHIST_EXCEPTIONS
+#define NDHIST_EXCEPTIONS
+
+#include <stdexcept>
+#include <string>
+
+// exceptions
+class HistogramSaveError: public std::runtime_error {
+public:
+  HistogramSaveError(const std::string&);
+};
+
+class HistogramBinningError: public std::logic_error {
+public:
+  HistogramBinningError(const std::string&);
+};
+
+class HistogramNanError: public HistogramBinningError {
+public:
+  HistogramNanError(const std::string&);
+};
+
+#endif
diff --git a/include/ndhist/Histogram.hh b/include/ndhist/Histogram.hh
index c2b3926..18f2543 100644
--- a/include/ndhist/Histogram.hh
+++ b/include/ndhist/Histogram.hh
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <map>
 #include <initializer_list>
-#include <stdexcept>
 
 namespace H5 {
   class CommonFG;
@@ -103,11 +102,6 @@ private:
   std::string m_wt2_ext;
 };
 
-// exceptions
-class HistogramSaveError: public std::runtime_error {
-public:
-  HistogramSaveError(const std::string&);
-};
 
 // global swap
 void swap(Histogram&, Histogram&);
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 0cb3306..63a5d4d 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ LIBS += -lhdf5_cpp -lhdf5
 
 # ---- define objects
 # - not-python
-GEN_OBJ     := Histogram.o Binners.o h5tools.o Distribution.o
+GEN_OBJ     := Histogram.o Binners.o h5tools.o Distribution.o Exceptions.o
 
 # - command line interface
 EXE_OBJ      := test.o
diff --git a/src/Binners.cxx b/src/Binners.cxx
index 93243ea..2e43a37 100644
--- a/src/Binners.cxx
+++ b/src/Binners.cxx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #include "Binners.hh"
-#include <stdexcept>
+#include "Exceptions.hh"
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <cmath>
 
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ int LinBinner::get_bin(const std::map<std::string, double>& locator) const
   typedef std::map<std::string, double> DMap;
   DMap::const_iterator bin_itr = locator.find(m_name);
   if (bin_itr == locator.end()) {
-    throw std::runtime_error("could not find " + m_name + " in values given");
+    throw HistogramBinningError(
+      "could not find " + m_name + " in values given");
   }
   double value = bin_itr->second;
   int bin = get_bin(value);
@@ -73,7 +74,8 @@ int LinBinner::get_bin(const std::vector<double>& locator, size_t offset)
 {
   int index = locator.size() - offset - 1;
   if (index < 0) {
-    throw std::runtime_error("could not find " + m_name + " in values given");
+    throw HistogramBinningError(
+      "could not find " + m_name + " in values given");
   }
   double value = locator.at(index);
   int bin = get_bin(value);
@@ -88,7 +90,7 @@ int LinBinner::get_bin(const std::vector<double>& locator, size_t offset)
 int LinBinner::get_bin(double value) const
 {
   if (std::isnan(value)) {
-    throw std::range_error(m_name + " binner was passed NaN");
+    throw HistogramNanError(m_name + " binner was passed NaN");
   }
   int bin = 0;
   if (value < m_low) {
diff --git a/src/Exceptions.cxx b/src/Exceptions.cxx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3a4ed15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Exceptions.cxx
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#include "Exceptions.hh"
+
+//______________________________________________________________________
+// exception definitions
+
+HistogramSaveError::HistogramSaveError(const std::string& what):
+  std::runtime_error(what)
+{}
+
+HistogramBinningError::HistogramBinningError(const std::string& what):
+  std::logic_error(what)
+{}
+
+HistogramNanError::HistogramNanError(const std::string& what):
+  HistogramBinningError(what)
+{}
diff --git a/src/Histogram.cxx b/src/Histogram.cxx
index 8cafa2b..03a3e94 100644
--- a/src/Histogram.cxx
+++ b/src/Histogram.cxx
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 
 #include "h5tools.hh"
 #include "Binners.hh"
+#include "Exceptions.hh"
 
-#include <stdexcept>
 #include <set>
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <cassert>
@@ -318,12 +318,6 @@ namespace {
 
 }
 
-//______________________________________________________________________
-// exception definitions
-
-HistogramSaveError::HistogramSaveError(const std::string& what):
-  std::runtime_error(what)
-{}
 
 // ____________________________________________________________________
 // swap
diff --git a/src/test.cxx b/src/test.cxx
index 0353422..b166368 100644
--- a/src/test.cxx
+++ b/src/test.cxx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "Histogram.hh"
 #include "Binners.hh"
 #include "Distribution.hh"
+#include "Exceptions.hh"
 #include "H5Cpp.h"
 #include <vector>