diff --git a/oandapy/__init__.py b/oandapy/__init__.py
index d24db84..9921375 100644
--- a/oandapy/__init__.py
+++ b/oandapy/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 from .oandapy import API
-from .exceptions import OandaError, BadEnvironment
+from .exceptions import OandaError, BadEnvironment, ClientError
 from .stream.stream import Streamer
diff --git a/oandapy/exceptions.py b/oandapy/exceptions.py
index b19a76f..c2d0358 100644
--- a/oandapy/exceptions.py
+++ b/oandapy/exceptions.py
@@ -13,6 +13,28 @@ def __init__(self, error_response):
         super(OandaError, self).__init__(msg)
 
 
+class ClientError(Exception):
+    """Client error class.
+
+    Lookup the error in a list of known errors. If it is not there
+    make it "Unknown". Additional message information can be appended
+    by passing additionMsg="..."
+    """
+    __eid = {
+       "204": "No data",
+       "Unknown": "Unknown error"
+    }
+
+    def __init__(self, error, additionalMsg=""):
+        errmsg = self.__eid['Unknown']
+        if str(error) in self.__eid:
+            errmsg = self.__eid[str(error)]
+        msg = "client error: {}".format(errmsg)
+        if additionalMsg:
+            msg += additionalMsg
+        super(ClientError, self).__init__(msg)
+
+
 class BadEnvironment(Exception):
     """environment should be: sandbox, practice or live."""
     def __init__(self, environment):
diff --git a/oandapy/oandapy.py b/oandapy/oandapy.py
index e75a6af..7af9511 100644
--- a/oandapy/oandapy.py
+++ b/oandapy/oandapy.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import json
 import requests
-from .exceptions import BadEnvironment, OandaError
+from .exceptions import BadEnvironment, OandaError, ClientError
 
 """ OANDA API wrapper for OANDA's REST API """
 
@@ -268,7 +268,14 @@ def request(self, endpoint, method='GET', params=None):
             print (str(e))
         content = response.content.decode('utf-8')
 
-        content = json.loads(content)
+        # we should have content: either data or an error description
+        if not response.content:
+            raise ClientError(response.status_code)
+
+        try:
+            content = json.loads(content)
+        except Exception as e:
+            raise ClientError(response.status_code, "{}".format(e))
 
         # error message
         if response.status_code >= 400:
diff --git a/tests/test_exception.py b/tests/test_exception.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2357485
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_exception.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import unittest
+import oandapy
+import sys
+from datetime import datetime
+from . import unittestsetup
+from .unittestsetup import environment as environment
+
+try:
+    from nose_parameterized import parameterized, param
+except:
+    print("*** Please install 'nose_parameterized' to run these tests ***")
+    exit(0)
+
+access_token = None
+account = None
+api = None
+
+
+class TestClientError(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        global access_token
+        global account
+        global api
+
+        try:
+            account, access_token = unittestsetup.auth()
+        except Exception as e:
+            print("%s" % e)
+            exit(0)
+
+        api = oandapy.API(environment=environment, access_token=access_token)
+
+    def test_client_exception(self):
+        """test ClientError."""
+        instrument = 'EUR_USD'
+        start = datetime(1990, 1, 1, 16, 0, 1)
+        end = datetime(1990, 1, 3, 16, 0, 1)
+
+        clErr = None
+        with self.assertRaises(oandapy.ClientError) as clErr:
+            candles = api.get_history(
+               instrument=instrument,
+               granularity='M1',
+               candleFormat='midpoint',
+               alignmentTimezone='GMT',
+               start=start.isoformat(),
+               end=end.isoformat()
+            )
+        self.assertEqual("{}".format(clErr.exception), "client error: No data")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+
+    unittest.main()