diff --git a/bitcask.go b/bitcask.go
index 2723a48..7994328 100644
--- a/bitcask.go
+++ b/bitcask.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package bitcask
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"hash/crc32"
 	"io"
@@ -33,41 +32,6 @@ const (
 	ttlIndexFile = "ttl_index"
 )
 
-var (
-	// ErrKeyNotFound is the error returned when a key is not found
-	ErrKeyNotFound = errors.New("error: key not found")
-
-	// ErrKeyTooLarge is the error returned for a key that exceeds the
-	// maximum allowed key size (configured with WithMaxKeySize).
-	ErrKeyTooLarge = errors.New("error: key too large")
-
-	// ErrKeyExpired is the error returned when a key is queried which has
-	// already expired (due to ttl)
-	ErrKeyExpired = errors.New("error: key expired")
-
-	// ErrEmptyKey is the error returned for a value with an empty key.
-	ErrEmptyKey = errors.New("error: empty key")
-
-	// ErrValueTooLarge is the error returned for a value that exceeds the
-	// maximum allowed value size (configured with WithMaxValueSize).
-	ErrValueTooLarge = errors.New("error: value too large")
-
-	// ErrChecksumFailed is the error returned if a key/value retrieved does
-	// not match its CRC checksum
-	ErrChecksumFailed = errors.New("error: checksum failed")
-
-	// ErrDatabaseLocked is the error returned if the database is locked
-	// (typically opened by another process)
-	ErrDatabaseLocked = errors.New("error: database locked")
-
-	ErrInvalidRange   = errors.New("error: invalid range")
-	ErrInvalidVersion = errors.New("error: invalid db version")
-
-	// ErrMergeInProgress is the error returned if merge is called when already a merge
-	// is in progress
-	ErrMergeInProgress = errors.New("error: merge already in progress")
-)
-
 // Bitcask is a struct that represents a on-disk LSM and WAL data structure
 // and in-memory hash of key/value pairs as per the Bitcask paper and seen
 // in the Riak database.
@@ -864,7 +828,7 @@ func Open(path string, options ...Option) (*Bitcask, error) {
 	if internal.Exists(configPath) {
 		cfg, err = config.Load(configPath)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return nil, &ErrBadConfig{err}
 		}
 	} else {
 		cfg = newDefaultConfig()
@@ -886,7 +850,7 @@ func Open(path string, options ...Option) (*Bitcask, error) {
 
 	meta, err = loadMetadata(path)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, &ErrBadMetadata{err}
 	}
 
 	bitcask := &Bitcask{
diff --git a/errors.go b/errors.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e465ebc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/errors.go
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+package bitcask
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+)
+
+var (
+	// ErrKeyNotFound is the error returned when a key is not found
+	ErrKeyNotFound = errors.New("error: key not found")
+
+	// ErrKeyTooLarge is the error returned for a key that exceeds the
+	// maximum allowed key size (configured with WithMaxKeySize).
+	ErrKeyTooLarge = errors.New("error: key too large")
+
+	// ErrKeyExpired is the error returned when a key is queried which has
+	// already expired (due to ttl)
+	ErrKeyExpired = errors.New("error: key expired")
+
+	// ErrEmptyKey is the error returned for a value with an empty key.
+	ErrEmptyKey = errors.New("error: empty key")
+
+	// ErrValueTooLarge is the error returned for a value that exceeds the
+	// maximum allowed value size (configured with WithMaxValueSize).
+	ErrValueTooLarge = errors.New("error: value too large")
+
+	// ErrChecksumFailed is the error returned if a key/value retrieved does
+	// not match its CRC checksum
+	ErrChecksumFailed = errors.New("error: checksum failed")
+
+	// ErrDatabaseLocked is the error returned if the database is locked
+	// (typically opened by another process)
+	ErrDatabaseLocked = errors.New("error: database locked")
+
+	// ErrInvalidRange is the error returned when the range scan is invalid
+	ErrInvalidRange = errors.New("error: invalid range")
+
+	// ErrInvalidVersion is the error returned when the database version is invalid
+	ErrInvalidVersion = errors.New("error: invalid db version")
+
+	// ErrMergeInProgress is the error returned if merge is called when already a merge
+	// is in progress
+	ErrMergeInProgress = errors.New("error: merge already in progress")
+)
+
+// ErrBadConfig is the error returned on failure to load the database config
+type ErrBadConfig struct {
+	Err error
+}
+
+func (e *ErrBadConfig) Is(target error) bool {
+	if _, ok := target.(*ErrBadConfig); ok {
+		return true
+	}
+	return errors.Is(e.Err, target)
+}
+func (e *ErrBadConfig) Unwrap() error { return e.Err }
+func (e *ErrBadConfig) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("error reading config.json: %s", e.Err)
+}
+
+// ErrBadMetadata is the error returned on failure to load the database metadata
+type ErrBadMetadata struct {
+	Err error
+}
+
+func (e *ErrBadMetadata) Is(target error) bool {
+	if _, ok := target.(*ErrBadMetadata); ok {
+		return true
+	}
+	return errors.Is(e.Err, target)
+}
+
+func (e *ErrBadMetadata) Unwrap() error { return e.Err }
+func (e *ErrBadMetadata) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("error reading meta.json: %s", e.Err)
+}