diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index 602139db..1d1740f8 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 //! Postgres errors
 
 use std::collections::HashMap;
-use std::from_str::FromStr;
 use std::io;
 use std::fmt;
 
 use openssl::ssl::error;
 use phf::PhfMap;
 
+use PostgresResult;
 use types::PostgresType;
 
 macro_rules! make_errors(
@@ -480,33 +480,49 @@ pub struct PostgresDbError {
 
 impl PostgresDbError {
     #[doc(hidden)]
-    pub fn new(fields: Vec<(u8, String)>) -> PostgresDbError {
+    pub fn new_raw(fields: Vec<(u8, String)>) -> Result<PostgresDbError, ()> {
         let mut map: HashMap<_, _> = fields.into_iter().collect();
-        PostgresDbError {
-            severity: map.pop(&('S' as u8)).unwrap(),
-            code: PostgresSqlState::from_code(map.pop(&('C' as u8)).unwrap().as_slice()),
-            message: map.pop(&('M' as u8)).unwrap(),
-            detail: map.pop(&('D' as u8)),
-            hint: map.pop(&('H' as u8)),
-            position: match map.pop(&('P' as u8)) {
-                Some(pos) => Some(Position(FromStr::from_str(pos.as_slice()).unwrap())),
-                None => match map.pop(&('p' as u8)) {
+        Ok(PostgresDbError {
+            severity: try!(map.pop(&b'S').ok_or(())),
+            code: PostgresSqlState::from_code(try!(map.pop(&b'C').ok_or(())).as_slice()),
+            message: try!(map.pop(&b'M').ok_or(())),
+            detail: map.pop(&b'D'),
+            hint: map.pop(&b'H'),
+            position: match map.pop(&b'P') {
+                Some(pos) => Some(Position(try!(from_str(pos.as_slice()).ok_or(())))),
+                None => match map.pop(&b'p') {
                     Some(pos) => Some(InternalPosition {
-                        position: FromStr::from_str(pos.as_slice()).unwrap(),
-                        query: map.pop(&('q' as u8)).unwrap()
+                        position: try!(from_str(pos.as_slice()).ok_or(())),
+                        query: try!(map.pop(&b'q').ok_or(()))
                     }),
                     None => None
                 }
             },
-            where_: map.pop(&('W' as u8)),
-            schema: map.pop(&('s' as u8)),
-            table: map.pop(&('t' as u8)),
-            column: map.pop(&('c' as u8)),
-            datatype: map.pop(&('d' as u8)),
-            constraint: map.pop(&('n' as u8)),
-            file: map.pop(&('F' as u8)).unwrap(),
-            line: FromStr::from_str(map.pop(&('L' as u8)).unwrap().as_slice()).unwrap(),
-            routine: map.pop(&('R' as u8)).unwrap()
+            where_: map.pop(&b'W'),
+            schema: map.pop(&b's'),
+            table: map.pop(&b't'),
+            column: map.pop(&b'c'),
+            datatype: map.pop(&b'd'),
+            constraint: map.pop(&b'n'),
+            file: try!(map.pop(&b'F').ok_or(())),
+            line: try!(map.pop(&b'L').and_then(|l| from_str(l.as_slice())).ok_or(())),
+            routine: map.pop(&b'R').unwrap()
+        })
+    }
+
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    pub fn new_connect<T>(fields: Vec<(u8, String)>) -> Result<T, PostgresConnectError> {
+        match PostgresDbError::new_raw(fields) {
+            Ok(err) => Err(PgConnectDbError(err)),
+            Err(()) => Err(PgConnectBadResponse),
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    pub fn new<T>(fields: Vec<(u8, String)>) -> PostgresResult<T> {
+        match PostgresDbError::new_raw(fields) {
+            Ok(err) => Err(PgDbError(err)),
+            Err(()) => Err(PgBadData),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 5a271185..0596122b 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -80,10 +80,8 @@ use std::fmt;
 use error::{InvalidUrl,
             MissingPassword,
             MissingUser,
-            PgConnectDbError,
             PgConnectStreamError,
             PgConnectBadResponse,
-            PgDbError,
             PgInvalidColumn,
             PgStreamDesynchronized,
             PgStreamError,
@@ -428,7 +426,7 @@ impl InnerPostgresConnection {
                 }
                 ReadyForQuery { .. } => break,
                 ErrorResponse { fields } =>
-                    return Err(PgConnectDbError(PostgresDbError::new(fields))),
+                    return PostgresDbError::new_connect(fields),
                 _ => return Err(PgConnectBadResponse),
             }
         }
@@ -449,7 +447,10 @@ impl InnerPostgresConnection {
         loop {
             match try_desync!(self, self.stream.read_message()) {
                 NoticeResponse { fields } => {
-                    self.notice_handler.handle(PostgresDbError::new(fields))
+                    match PostgresDbError::new_raw(fields) {
+                        Ok(err) => self.notice_handler.handle(err),
+                        Err(()) => {}
+                    }
                 }
                 NotificationResponse { pid, channel, payload } => {
                     self.notifications.push(PostgresNotification {
@@ -500,7 +501,7 @@ impl InnerPostgresConnection {
             | AuthenticationSCMCredential
             | AuthenticationGSS
             | AuthenticationSSPI => return Err(UnsupportedAuthentication),
-            ErrorResponse { fields } => return Err(PgConnectDbError(PostgresDbError::new(fields))),
+            ErrorResponse { fields } => return PostgresDbError::new_connect(fields),
             _ => {
                 self.desynchronized = true;
                 return Err(PgConnectBadResponse);
@@ -509,7 +510,7 @@ impl InnerPostgresConnection {
 
         match try_pg_conn!(self.read_message_()) {
             AuthenticationOk => Ok(()),
-            ErrorResponse { fields } => Err(PgConnectDbError(PostgresDbError::new(fields))),
+            ErrorResponse { fields } => return PostgresDbError::new_connect(fields),
             _ => {
                 self.desynchronized = true;
                 return Err(PgConnectBadResponse);
@@ -543,7 +544,7 @@ impl InnerPostgresConnection {
             ParseComplete => {}
             ErrorResponse { fields } => {
                 try!(self.wait_for_ready());
-                return Err(PgDbError(PostgresDbError::new(fields)));
+                return PostgresDbError::new(fields);
             }
             _ => bad_response!(self),
         }
@@ -629,7 +630,7 @@ impl InnerPostgresConnection {
                 ReadyForQuery { .. } => break,
                 ErrorResponse { fields } => {
                     try!(self.wait_for_ready());
-                    return Err(PgDbError(PostgresDbError::new(fields)));
+                    return PostgresDbError::new(fields);
                 }
                 _ => {}
             }
@@ -691,7 +692,7 @@ impl InnerPostgresConnection {
                 }
                 ErrorResponse { fields } => {
                     try!(self.wait_for_ready());
-                    return Err(PgDbError(PostgresDbError::new(fields)));
+                    return PostgresDbError::new(fields);
                 }
                 _ => {}
             }
@@ -1184,7 +1185,7 @@ impl<'conn> PostgresStatement<'conn> {
             BindComplete => Ok(()),
             ErrorResponse { fields } => {
                 try!(conn.wait_for_ready());
-                Err(PgDbError(PostgresDbError::new(fields)))
+                PostgresDbError::new(fields)
             }
             _ => {
                 conn.desynchronized = true;
@@ -1251,7 +1252,7 @@ impl<'conn> PostgresStatement<'conn> {
                 DataRow { .. } => {}
                 ErrorResponse { fields } => {
                     try!(conn.wait_for_ready());
-                    return Err(PgDbError(PostgresDbError::new(fields)));
+                    return PostgresDbError::new(fields);
                 }
                 CommandComplete { tag } => {
                     num = util::parse_update_count(tag);
@@ -1357,7 +1358,7 @@ impl<'stmt> PostgresRows<'stmt> {
                 ReadyForQuery { .. } => break,
                 ErrorResponse { fields } => {
                     try!(conn.wait_for_ready());
-                    return Err(PgDbError(PostgresDbError::new(fields)));
+                    return PostgresDbError::new(fields);
                 }
                 _ => {}
             }
@@ -1381,7 +1382,7 @@ impl<'stmt> PostgresRows<'stmt> {
                 DataRow { row } => self.data.push(row),
                 ErrorResponse { fields } => {
                     try!(conn.wait_for_ready());
-                    return Err(PgDbError(PostgresDbError::new(fields)));
+                    return PostgresDbError::new(fields);
                 }
                 CopyInResponse { .. } => {
                     try_pg!(conn.write_messages([
@@ -1622,7 +1623,7 @@ impl<'a> PostgresCopyInStatement<'a> {
             BindComplete => {},
             ErrorResponse { fields } => {
                 try!(conn.wait_for_ready());
-                return Err(PgDbError(PostgresDbError::new(fields)));
+                return PostgresDbError::new(fields);
             }
             _ => {
                 conn.desynchronized = true;
@@ -1692,7 +1693,7 @@ impl<'a> PostgresCopyInStatement<'a> {
             CommandComplete { tag } => util::parse_update_count(tag),
             ErrorResponse { fields } => {
                 try!(conn.wait_for_ready());
-                return Err(PgDbError(PostgresDbError::new(fields)));
+                return PostgresDbError::new(fields);
             }
             _ => {
                 conn.desynchronized = true;