diff --git a/ext/phashion_ext/phashion_ext.c b/ext/phashion_ext/phashion_ext.c
index e2b79cb..6232c25 100644
--- a/ext/phashion_ext/phashion_ext.c
+++ b/ext/phashion_ext/phashion_ext.c
@@ -83,11 +83,16 @@ static VALUE mh_hash_for(VALUE self, VALUE filename, VALUE alpha, VALUE lvl) {
 	uint8_t* result;
 	int n;
 	VALUE array;
-	result = ph_mh_imagehash(StringValuePtr(filename),
-			n,
-			NUM2DBL(alpha),
-			NUM2DBL(lvl));
-	array = rb_ary_new2(n);
+
+  try {
+  	result = ph_mh_imagehash(StringValuePtr(filename),
+  			n,
+  			NUM2DBL(alpha),
+  			NUM2DBL(lvl));
+  	array = rb_ary_new2(n);
+  } catch (exception e) {
+    rb_raise(rb_eRuntimeError, "Unknown pHash error");
+  }
 
 	for(int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
 		rb_ary_push(array, INT2FIX(result[i]));