diff --git a/servant-client-core/src/Servant/Client/Core/Internal/HasClient.hs b/servant-client-core/src/Servant/Client/Core/Internal/HasClient.hs
index bd407ed6..42d61d58 100644
--- a/servant-client-core/src/Servant/Client/Core/Internal/HasClient.hs
+++ b/servant-client-core/src/Servant/Client/Core/Internal/HasClient.hs
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ module Servant.Client.Core.Internal.HasClient where
 import           Prelude                                ()
 import           Prelude.Compat
 
-import           Control.Monad.Error.Class              (throwError)
 import           Data.Foldable                          (toList)
 import           Data.List                              (foldl')
 import           Data.Proxy                             (Proxy (Proxy))
@@ -225,7 +224,7 @@ instance OVERLAPPING_
        , requestAccept = fromList $ toList accept
        }
     case mimeUnrender (Proxy :: Proxy ct) $ responseBody response of
-      Left err -> throwError $ DecodeFailure (pack err) response
+      Left err -> throwServantError $ DecodeFailure (pack err) response
       Right val -> return $ Headers
         { getResponse = val
         , getHeadersHList = buildHeadersTo . toList $ responseHeaders response
diff --git a/servant-client-core/src/Servant/Client/Core/Internal/Request.hs b/servant-client-core/src/Servant/Client/Core/Internal/Request.hs
index af204f01..458219b9 100644
--- a/servant-client-core/src/Servant/Client/Core/Internal/Request.hs
+++ b/servant-client-core/src/Servant/Client/Core/Internal/Request.hs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE CPP                        #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE DeriveDataTypeable         #-}
-{-# LANGUAGE DeriveGeneric              #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE DeriveFunctor              #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE DeriveGeneric              #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE GeneralizedNewtypeDeriving #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE MultiParamTypeClasses      #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings          #-}
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ module Servant.Client.Core.Internal.Request where
 import           Prelude                 ()
 import           Prelude.Compat
 
+import           Control.Monad.Catch     (Exception)
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Builder as Builder
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy    as LBS
 import           Data.Semigroup          ((<>))
@@ -44,6 +45,8 @@ data ServantError =
   | ConnectionError Text
   deriving (Eq, Show, Generic, Typeable)
 
+instance Exception ServantError
+
 data RequestF a = Request
   { requestPath        :: a
   , requestQueryString :: Seq.Seq QueryItem
diff --git a/servant-client-core/src/Servant/Client/Core/Internal/RunClient.hs b/servant-client-core/src/Servant/Client/Core/Internal/RunClient.hs
index a441a8b8..564cbb39 100644
--- a/servant-client-core/src/Servant/Client/Core/Internal/RunClient.hs
+++ b/servant-client-core/src/Servant/Client/Core/Internal/RunClient.hs
@@ -6,11 +6,10 @@
 -- | Types for possible backends to run client-side `Request` queries
 module Servant.Client.Core.Internal.RunClient where
 
-import           Prelude.Compat
 import           Prelude                              ()
+import           Prelude.Compat
 
 import           Control.Monad                        (unless)
-import           Control.Monad.Error.Class            (MonadError, throwError)
 import           Data.Foldable                        (toList)
 import           Data.Proxy                           (Proxy)
 import qualified Data.Text                            as T
@@ -22,16 +21,18 @@ import           Servant.API                          (MimeUnrender,
 import           Servant.Client.Core.Internal.Request (Request, Response (..),
                                                        ServantError (..))
 
-class (MonadError ServantError m) => RunClient m where
+class (Monad m) => RunClient m where
   -- | How to make a request.
   runRequest :: Request -> m Response
+  throwServantError :: ServantError -> m a
+  catchServantError :: m a -> (ServantError -> m a) -> m a
 
 checkContentTypeHeader :: RunClient m => Response -> m MediaType
 checkContentTypeHeader response =
   case lookup "Content-Type" $ toList $ responseHeaders response of
     Nothing -> return $ "application"//"octet-stream"
     Just t -> case parseAccept t of
-      Nothing -> throwError $ InvalidContentTypeHeader response
+      Nothing -> throwServantError $ InvalidContentTypeHeader response
       Just t' -> return t'
 
 decodedAs :: forall ct a m. (MimeUnrender ct a, RunClient m)
@@ -39,9 +40,9 @@ decodedAs :: forall ct a m. (MimeUnrender ct a, RunClient m)
 decodedAs response contentType = do
   responseContentType <- checkContentTypeHeader response
   unless (any (matches responseContentType) accept) $
-    throwError $ UnsupportedContentType responseContentType response
+    throwServantError $ UnsupportedContentType responseContentType response
   case mimeUnrender contentType $ responseBody response of
-    Left err -> throwError $ DecodeFailure (T.pack err) response
+    Left err -> throwServantError $ DecodeFailure (T.pack err) response
     Right val -> return val
   where
     accept = toList $ contentTypes contentType
diff --git a/servant-client/src/Servant/Client/Internal/HttpClient.hs b/servant-client/src/Servant/Client/Internal/HttpClient.hs
index 5595c039..e61b29e3 100644
--- a/servant-client/src/Servant/Client/Internal/HttpClient.hs
+++ b/servant-client/src/Servant/Client/Internal/HttpClient.hs
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ instance Alt ClientM where
 
 instance RunClient ClientM where
   runRequest = performRequest
+  throwServantError = throwError
+  catchServantError = catchError
 
 instance ClientLike (ClientM a) (ClientM a) where
   mkClient = id