diff --git a/src/iperf.h b/src/iperf.h
index 6f43cb4..8e62e6d 100644
--- a/src/iperf.h
+++ b/src/iperf.h
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ enum
     IPERF_START = 15,
     IPERF_DONE = 16,
     ACCESS_DENIED = -1,
+    SERVER_ERROR = -2,
 };
 
 #define SEC_TO_NS 1000000000	/* too big for enum on some platforms */
diff --git a/src/iperf_api.c b/src/iperf_api.c
index 7d14a8f..f2d6f1e 100644
--- a/src/iperf_api.c
+++ b/src/iperf_api.c
@@ -673,7 +673,8 @@ parse_parameters(struct iperf_test *test)
 int
 iperf_exchange_parameters(struct iperf_test * test)
 {
-    int s;
+    int s, msg;
+    char state;
 
     if (test->role == 'c') {
 
@@ -685,8 +686,24 @@ iperf_exchange_parameters(struct iperf_test * test)
         if (parse_parameters(test) < 0)
             return (-1);
 
-        if ((s = test->protocol->listen(test)) < 0)
+        if ((s = test->protocol->listen(test)) < 0) {
+            state = SERVER_ERROR;
+            if (Nwrite(test->ctrl_sck, &state, sizeof(state), Ptcp) < 0) {
+                i_errno = IESENDMESSAGE;
+                return (-1);
+            }
+            msg = htonl(i_errno);
+            if (Nwrite(test->ctrl_sck, &msg, sizeof(msg), Ptcp) < 0) {
+                i_errno = IECTRLWRITE;
+                return (-1);
+            }
+            msg = htonl(errno);
+            if (Nwrite(test->ctrl_sck, &msg, sizeof(msg), Ptcp) < 0) {
+                i_errno = IECTRLWRITE;
+                return (-1);
+            }
             return (-1);
+        }
         FD_SET(s, &test->read_set);
         test->max_fd = (s > test->max_fd) ? s : test->max_fd;
         test->prot_listener = s;
diff --git a/src/iperf_client_api.c b/src/iperf_client_api.c
index 333477e..4685698 100644
--- a/src/iperf_client_api.c
+++ b/src/iperf_client_api.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ iperf_create_streams(struct iperf_test *test)
 int
 iperf_handle_message_client(struct iperf_test *test)
 {
-    int rval;
+    int rval, perr;
 
     if ((rval = read(test->ctrl_sck, &test->state, sizeof(char))) <= 0) {
         if (rval == 0) {
@@ -93,6 +93,18 @@ iperf_handle_message_client(struct iperf_test *test)
         case ACCESS_DENIED:
             i_errno = IEACCESSDENIED;
             return (-1);
+        case SERVER_ERROR:
+            if (Nread(test->ctrl_sck, &i_errno, sizeof(i_errno), Ptcp) < 0) {
+                i_errno = IECTRLREAD;
+                return (-1);
+            }
+            i_errno = ntohl(i_errno);
+            if (Nread(test->ctrl_sck, &perr, sizeof(perr), Ptcp) < 0) {
+                i_errno = IECTRLREAD;
+                return (-1);
+            }
+            errno = ntohl(perr);
+            return (-1);
         default:
             i_errno = IEMESSAGE;
             return (-1);