diff --git a/LibusbJava/LibusbJava.cpp b/LibusbJava/LibusbJava.cpp
index d3ed13d..cc7f129 100644
--- a/LibusbJava/LibusbJava.cpp
+++ b/LibusbJava/LibusbJava.cpp
@@ -10,9 +10,15 @@
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <locale.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <usb.h>
 #include "LibusbJava.h"
 
+// Windows specific stuff
+#ifdef WIN32
+#include <error.h>
+#endif
+
 //#define DEBUGON
 
 // global bus (updated when usb_get_busses() is called)
@@ -805,4 +811,32 @@ JNIEXPORT jstring JNICALL Java_ch_ntb_usb_LibusbJava_usb_1strerror
   	return env->NewStringUTF(str);
   }
   
-
+/*
+ * Class:     ch_ntb_usb_LibusbJava
+ * Method:    usb_error_no
+ * Signature: (I)I
+ */
+JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL Java_ch_ntb_usb_LibusbJava_usb_1error_1no
+  (JNIEnv *env, jclass obj, jint java_error_no){
+	
+	switch (java_error_no) {
+	case 0:
+		return 0;
+	case 1:
+		return EBADF;
+	case 2:
+		return ENXIO;
+	case 3:
+		return EBUSY;
+	case 4:
+		return EINVAL;
+	case 5:
+		return ETIMEDOUT;
+	case 6:
+		return EIO;
+	case 7:
+		return ENOMEM;
+	default:
+		return 100000;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/LibusbJava/LibusbJava.h b/LibusbJava/LibusbJava.h
index d142c5a..560b80e 100644
--- a/LibusbJava/LibusbJava.h
+++ b/LibusbJava/LibusbJava.h
@@ -191,6 +191,14 @@ JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL Java_ch_ntb_usb_LibusbJava_usb_1interrupt_1read
 JNIEXPORT jstring JNICALL Java_ch_ntb_usb_LibusbJava_usb_1strerror
   (JNIEnv *, jclass);
 
+/*
+ * Class:     ch_ntb_usb_LibusbJava
+ * Method:    usb_error_no
+ * Signature: (I)I
+ */
+JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL Java_ch_ntb_usb_LibusbJava_usb_1error_1no
+  (JNIEnv *, jclass, jint);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/LibusbJava/error.h b/LibusbJava/error.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a9b600c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LibusbJava/error.h
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+// copied from libusb-win32.sourceforge.net
+#ifndef __ERROR_H__
+#define __ERROR_H__
+
+/* Connection timed out */
+#define ETIMEDOUT 116	
+
+typedef enum {
+  USB_ERROR_TYPE_NONE = 0,
+  USB_ERROR_TYPE_STRING,
+  USB_ERROR_TYPE_ERRNO,
+} usb_error_type_t;
+
+
+void usb_error(char *format, ...);
+void usb_message(char *format, ...);
+const char *usb_win_error_to_string(void);
+int usb_win_error_to_errno(void);
+
+
+
+#endif /* _ERROR_H_ */
+
diff --git a/java/src/ch/ntb/usb/Device.java b/java/src/ch/ntb/usb/Device.java
index 6d56536..5b2a403 100644
--- a/java/src/ch/ntb/usb/Device.java
+++ b/java/src/ch/ntb/usb/Device.java
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ public class Device {
 
 	private static final Logger logger = LogUtil.getLogger("ch.ntb.usb");
 
-	private static final int TIMEOUT_ERROR_CODE = -116;
-
 	private int maxPacketSize;
 
 	private int idVendor, idProduct, dev_configuration, dev_interface,
@@ -284,7 +282,7 @@ public class Device {
 		int lenWritten = LibusbJava.usb_bulk_write(usbDevHandle,
 				out_ep_address, data, size, timeout);
 		if (lenWritten < 0) {
-			if (lenWritten == TIMEOUT_ERROR_CODE) {
+			if (lenWritten == LibusbJava.ERROR_TIMEDOUT) {
 				// try to reopen the device and send the data again
 				if (reopenOnTimeout) {
 					logger.info("try to reopen");
@@ -344,7 +342,7 @@ public class Device {
 		int lenRead = LibusbJava.usb_bulk_read(usbDevHandle, in_ep_address,
 				data, size, timeout);
 		if (lenRead < 0) {
-			if (lenRead == TIMEOUT_ERROR_CODE) {
+			if (lenRead == LibusbJava.ERROR_TIMEDOUT) {
 				// try to reopen the device and send the data again
 				if (reopenOnTimeout) {
 					logger.info("try to reopen");
@@ -404,7 +402,7 @@ public class Device {
 		int lenWritten = LibusbJava.usb_interrupt_write(usbDevHandle,
 				out_ep_address, data, size, timeout);
 		if (lenWritten < 0) {
-			if (lenWritten == TIMEOUT_ERROR_CODE) {
+			if (lenWritten == LibusbJava.ERROR_TIMEDOUT) {
 				// try to reopen the device and send the data again
 				if (reopenOnTimeout) {
 					logger.info("try to reopen");
@@ -465,7 +463,7 @@ public class Device {
 		int lenRead = LibusbJava.usb_interrupt_read(usbDevHandle,
 				in_ep_address, data, size, timeout);
 		if (lenRead < 0) {
-			if (lenRead == TIMEOUT_ERROR_CODE) {
+			if (lenRead == LibusbJava.ERROR_TIMEDOUT) {
 				// try to reopen the device and send the data again
 				if (reopenOnTimeout) {
 					logger.info("try to reopen");
@@ -541,7 +539,7 @@ public class Device {
 		int len = LibusbJava.usb_control_msg(usbDevHandle, requestType,
 				request, value, index, data, size, timeout);
 		if (len < 0) {
-			if (len == TIMEOUT_ERROR_CODE) {
+			if (len == LibusbJava.ERROR_TIMEDOUT) {
 				// try to reopen the device and send the data again
 				if (reopenOnTimeout) {
 					logger.info("try to reopen");
diff --git a/java/src/ch/ntb/usb/LibusbJava.java b/java/src/ch/ntb/usb/LibusbJava.java
index 58df67d..27d5f98 100644
--- a/java/src/ch/ntb/usb/LibusbJava.java
+++ b/java/src/ch/ntb/usb/LibusbJava.java
@@ -32,6 +32,16 @@ package ch.ntb.usb;
  */
 public class LibusbJava {
 
+	/**
+	 * System error codes.<br>
+	 * This list is not complete! For more error codes see the file 'errorno.h'
+	 * on your system.
+	 */
+	public static int ERROR_SUCCESS, ERROR_BAD_FILE_DESCRIPTOR,
+			ERROR_NO_SUCH_DEVICE_OR_ADDRESS, ERROR_BUSY,
+			ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER, ERROR_TIMEDOUT, ERROR_IO_ERROR,
+			ERROR_NOT_ENOUGH_MEMORY;;
+
 	/**
 	 * Sets the debugging level of libusb.<br>
 	 * 
@@ -330,6 +340,25 @@ public class LibusbJava {
 
 	/** **************************************************************** */
 
+	/**
+	 * Maps the Java error code to the system error code.<br>
+	 * <br>
+	 * Note that not all error codes are be mapped by this method. For more
+	 * error codes see the file 'errno.h' on your system.<br>
+	 * <br>
+	 * 1: EBADF: Bad file descriptor.<br>
+	 * 2: ENXIO: No such device or address.<br>
+	 * 3: EBUSY: Device or resource busy.<br>
+	 * 4: EINVAL: Invalid argument.<br>
+	 * 5: ETIMEDOUT: Connection timed out.<br>
+	 * 6: EIO: I/O error.<br>
+	 * 7: ENOMEM: Not enough memory.<br>
+	 * 
+	 * 
+	 * @return the system error code or 100000 if no mapping has been found.
+	 */
+	private static native int usb_error_no(int value);
+
 	static {
 		String os = System.getProperty("os.name");
 		if (os.contains("Windows")) {
@@ -337,5 +366,14 @@ public class LibusbJava {
 		} else {
 			System.loadLibrary("usbJava");
 		}
+		// define the error codes
+		ERROR_SUCCESS = 0;
+		ERROR_BAD_FILE_DESCRIPTOR = -usb_error_no(1);
+		ERROR_NO_SUCH_DEVICE_OR_ADDRESS = -usb_error_no(2);
+		ERROR_BUSY = -usb_error_no(3);
+		ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER = -usb_error_no(4);
+		ERROR_TIMEDOUT = -usb_error_no(5);
+		ERROR_IO_ERROR = -usb_error_no(6);
+		ERROR_NOT_ENOUGH_MEMORY = -usb_error_no(7);
 	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file