diff --git a/libusb/hid.c b/libusb/hid.c
index a48ea9bfa..987e37bd3 100644
--- a/libusb/hid.c
+++ b/libusb/hid.c
@@ -123,6 +123,9 @@ struct hid_device_ {
 #ifdef DETACH_KERNEL_DRIVER
 	int is_driver_detached;
 #endif
+
+	int error;
+	const char *error_context;
 };
 
 static struct hid_api_version api_version = {
@@ -140,6 +143,8 @@ static hid_device *new_hid_device(void)
 {
 	hid_device *dev = (hid_device*) calloc(1, sizeof(hid_device));
 	dev->blocking = 1;
+	dev->error = LIBUSB_SUCCESS;
+	dev->error_context = NULL;
 
 	hidapi_thread_state_init(&dev->thread_state);
 
@@ -340,6 +345,88 @@ static int is_language_supported(libusb_device_handle *dev, uint16_t lang)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static wchar_t *utf8_to_wchar(char *s)
+{
+	wchar_t *w = NULL;
+
+/* we don't use iconv on Android, or when it is explicitly disabled */
+#if defined(__ANDROID__) || defined(NO_ICONV)
+
+	w = wcsdup(L"not implemented");
+
+#else
+	size_t slen = strlen(s);
+	wchar_t *wbuf = malloc((slen + 1) * sizeof(wchar_t));
+	if (!wbuf) { goto err; }
+	/* iconv variables */
+	iconv_t ic;
+	size_t inbytes;
+	size_t outbytes;
+	size_t res;
+	char ** restrict inptr;
+	char *outptr;
+	/* buf does not need to be explicitly NULL-terminated because
+	   it is only passed into iconv() which does not need it. */
+
+	/* Initialize iconv. */
+	ic = iconv_open("WCHAR_T", "UTF-8");
+	if (ic == (iconv_t)-1) {
+		LOG("iconv_open() failed\n");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	/* Convert to native wchar_t (UTF-32 on glibc/BSD systems). */
+	inptr = &s;
+	inbytes = slen;
+	outptr = (char*) wbuf;
+	outbytes = slen * sizeof(wchar_t);
+	res = iconv(ic, inptr, &inbytes, &outptr, &outbytes);
+	if (res == (size_t)-1) {
+		LOG("iconv() failed\n");
+		goto err;
+	}
+
+	/* Write the terminating NULL. */
+	wbuf[slen] = 0;
+
+	w = wbuf;
+
+err:
+	iconv_close(ic);
+
+#endif
+
+	return w;
+}
+
+static wchar_t *libusb_error_wchar(int e, const char * (*f)(int))
+{
+	const char *cs;
+	char *s;
+	wchar_t *w;
+
+	cs = f(e);
+	s = strdup(cs);
+	w = utf8_to_wchar(s);
+
+	free(s);
+
+	return w;
+}
+
+static wchar_t *libusb_error_name_wchar(int error) {
+	return libusb_error_wchar(error, libusb_error_name);
+}
+
+static wchar_t *libusb_strerror_wchar(int error) {
+	return libusb_error_wchar(error, libusb_strerror);
+}
+
+static void set_error(hid_device *dev, int error, const char *error_context)
+{
+	dev->error = error;
+	dev->error_context = error_context;
+}
 
 /* This function returns a newly allocated wide string containing the USB
    device string numbered by the index. The returned string must be freed
@@ -1582,8 +1669,31 @@ int HID_API_EXPORT hid_send_feature_report(hid_device *dev, const unsigned char
 		(unsigned char *)data, length,
 		1000/*timeout millis*/);
 
-	if (res < 0)
+	if (res < 0) {
+		const char *context = NULL;
+
+		switch (res) {
+		case LIBUSB_ERROR_TIMEOUT:
+			context = "Transfer timed out";
+			break;
+		case LIBUSB_ERROR_PIPE:
+			context = "Control request not supported by device";
+			break;
+		case LIBUSB_ERROR_NO_DEVICE:
+			context = "Device has disconnected";
+			break;
+		case LIBUSB_ERROR_BUSY:
+			context = "Called from event handling context";
+			break;
+		case LIBUSB_ERROR_INVALID_PARAM:
+			context = "Transfer size larger than supported";
+			break;
+		}
+
+		set_error(dev, res, context);
+
 		return -1;
+	}
 
 	/* Account for the report ID */
 	if (skipped_report_id)
@@ -1778,11 +1888,38 @@ int HID_API_EXPORT_CALL hid_get_report_descriptor(hid_device *dev, unsigned char
 	return hid_get_report_descriptor_libusb(dev->device_handle, dev->interface, dev->report_descriptor_size, buf, buf_size);
 }
 
-
 HID_API_EXPORT const wchar_t * HID_API_CALL  hid_error(hid_device *dev)
 {
-	(void)dev;
-	return L"hid_error is not implemented yet";
+	static const char format_simple[] = "%s: %s";
+	static const char format_context[] = "%s: %s (%s)";
+	const char *name, *message, *context, *format;
+	char *buffer;
+	wchar_t *w;
+	size_t len;
+
+	if (dev->error == LIBUSB_SUCCESS) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	name = libusb_error_name(dev->error);
+	message = libusb_strerror(dev->error);
+	context = dev->error_context;
+	format = context? format_context : format_simple;
+
+	len = 1 + snprintf(NULL, 0, format, name, message, context);
+
+	buffer = malloc(len);
+	if (!buffer) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	snprintf(buffer, len, format, name, message, context);
+
+	w = utf8_to_wchar(buffer);
+
+	free(buffer);
+
+	return w;
 }