diff --git a/src/android/meson.build b/src/android/meson.build
index 39ebe198a..e79bf839f 100644
--- a/src/android/meson.build
+++ b/src/android/meson.build
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ kiwix_jni = custom_target('jni',
           'org/kiwix/kiwixlib/JNIKiwixInt.java',
           'org/kiwix/kiwixlib/JNIKiwixString.java',
           'org/kiwix/kiwixlib/JNIKiwixBool.java',
+          'org/kiwix/kiwixlib/JNIKiwixException.java',
           'org/kiwix/kiwixlib/Pair.java'],
   output: ['org_kiwix_kiwixlib_JNIKiwix.h',
            'org_kiwix_kiwixlib_JNIKiwixReader.h',
diff --git a/src/android/org/kiwix/kiwixlib/JNIKiwixException.java b/src/android/org/kiwix/kiwixlib/JNIKiwixException.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dd0e2143c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/android/org/kiwix/kiwixlib/JNIKiwixException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2017 Matthieu Gautier <mgautier@kymeria.org>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU  General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+ * any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston,
+ * MA 02110-1301, USA.
+ */
+
+package org.kiwix.kiwixlib;
+
+public class JNIKiwixException extends Exception
+{
+  public JNIKiwixException(String message) {
+    super(message);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/android/org/kiwix/kiwixlib/JNIKiwixReader.java b/src/android/org/kiwix/kiwixlib/JNIKiwixReader.java
index e204f9aba..e405ef0f4 100644
--- a/src/android/org/kiwix/kiwixlib/JNIKiwixReader.java
+++ b/src/android/org/kiwix/kiwixlib/JNIKiwixReader.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 package org.kiwix.kiwixlib;
 
+import org.kiwix.kiwixlib.JNIKiwixException;
 import org.kiwix.kiwixlib.JNIKiwixString;
 import org.kiwix.kiwixlib.JNIKiwixInt;
 import org.kiwix.kiwixlib.JNIKiwixSearcher;
@@ -109,9 +110,12 @@ public class JNIKiwixReader
     return searcher;
   }
 
-  public JNIKiwixReader(String filename)
+  public JNIKiwixReader(String filename) throws JNIKiwixException
   {
     nativeHandle = getNativeReader(filename);
+    if (nativeHandle == 0) {
+        throw new JNIKiwixException("Cannot open zimfile "+filename);
+    }
   }
   public JNIKiwixReader() {