diff --git a/src/aeso_compiler.erl b/src/aeso_compiler.erl
index 3ee0d48..1925f12 100644
--- a/src/aeso_compiler.erl
+++ b/src/aeso_compiler.erl
@@ -75,8 +75,9 @@ file(File, Options0) ->
     case read_contract(File) of
         {ok, Bin} -> from_string(Bin, [{src_file, File} | Options]);
         {error, Error} ->
-	    ErrorString = [File,": ",file:format_error(Error)],
-	    {error, join_errors("File errors", [ErrorString], fun(E) -> E end)}
+            Msg = lists:flatten([File,": ",file:format_error(Error)]),
+            Pos = aeso_errors:pos(File, 0, 0),
+            {error, [aeso_errors:new(file_error, Pos, Msg)]}
     end.
 
 add_include_path(File, Options) ->
diff --git a/src/aeso_errors.erl b/src/aeso_errors.erl
index d22c56e..f28ba5c 100644
--- a/src/aeso_errors.erl
+++ b/src/aeso_errors.erl
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
              }).
 
 -type pos()        :: #pos{}.
--type error_type() :: type_error | parse_error | code_error | internal_error.
+-type error_type() :: type_error | parse_error | code_error | file_error | internal_error.
 
 -record(err, { pos = #pos{}   :: pos()
              , type           :: error_type()
diff --git a/test/aeso_compiler_tests.erl b/test/aeso_compiler_tests.erl
index cb878a4..4b051ae 100644
--- a/test/aeso_compiler_tests.erl
+++ b/test/aeso_compiler_tests.erl
@@ -32,6 +32,13 @@ simple_compile_test_() ->
            end
        end} || ContractName <- compilable_contracts(), Backend <- [aevm, fate],
                not lists:member(ContractName, not_yet_compilable(Backend))] ++
+    [ {"Test file not found error",
+       fun() ->
+           {error, Errors} = aeso_compiler:file("does_not_exist.aes"),
+           ExpErr = <<"In 'does_not_exist.aes' at line 0, col 0:\n"
+                      "does_not_exist.aes: no such file or directory">>,
+           check_errors([ExpErr], Errors)
+       end} ] ++
     [ {"Testing error messages of " ++ ContractName,
        fun() ->
            Errors = compile(aevm, ContractName),