diff --git a/stepmania/src/MsdFile.cpp b/stepmania/src/MsdFile.cpp
index 2d253873bd..3012fc45ff 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/MsdFile.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/MsdFile.cpp
@@ -39,11 +39,14 @@
  */
 #include "MsdFile.h"
 #include "RageLog.h"
+#include "RageUtil.h"
+
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #if defined(WIN32)
 #include <io.h>
 #endif
-#include "RageUtil.h"
+#include <string.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 
 void MsdFile::AddParam( char *buf, int len )
 {
@@ -139,11 +142,15 @@ void MsdFile::ReadBuf( char *buf, int len )
 // returns true if successful, false otherwise
 bool MsdFile::ReadFile( CString sNewPath )
 {
-   int fd;
+	error = "";
+	int fd;
 
-   /* Open a file */
-   if( (fd = open(sNewPath, O_RDONLY, 0)) == -1 )
-	   return false;
+	/* Open a file. */
+	if( (fd = open(sNewPath, O_RDONLY, 0)) == -1 )
+	{
+		error = strerror(errno);
+		return false;
+	}
 
 	int iBufferSize = GetFileSizeInBytes(sNewPath) + 1000; // +1000 because sometimes the bytes read is > filelength.  Why?
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/MsdFile.h b/stepmania/src/MsdFile.h
index 313867b815..e498c7fc73 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/MsdFile.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/MsdFile.h
@@ -26,20 +26,23 @@ public:
 
 	virtual ~MsdFile() { }
 
-	//returns true if successful, false otherwise
+	// Returns true if successful, false otherwise.
 	bool ReadFile( CString sFilePath );
+	CString GetError() const { return error; }
 
 	unsigned GetNumValues() const { return values.size(); }
 	unsigned GetNumParams(unsigned val) const { if(val >= GetNumValues()) return 0; return values[val].params.size(); }
 	const value_t &GetValue(unsigned val) const { ASSERT(val < GetNumValues()); return values[val]; }
 	CString GetParam(unsigned val, unsigned par) const;
 
+
 private:
 	void ReadBuf( char *buf, int len );
 	void AddParam( char *buf, int len );
 	void AddValue();
 
 	vector<value_t> values;
+	CString error;
 };
 
 #endif