diff --git a/src/exceptions.cpp b/src/exceptions.cpp
index c9fa8a13..5d251225 100644
--- a/src/exceptions.cpp
+++ b/src/exceptions.cpp
@@ -14,16 +14,169 @@
 #include <boost/thread/exceptions.hpp>
 #include <string>
 
+# ifdef BOOST_NO_STDC_NAMESPACE
+namespace std { using ::strerror; }
+# endif
+
+// BOOST_POSIX or BOOST_WINDOWS specify which API to use.
+# if !defined( BOOST_WINDOWS ) && !defined( BOOST_POSIX )
+#   if defined(_WIN32) || defined(__WIN32__) || defined(WIN32) \
+ || defined(__CYGWIN__)
+#     define BOOST_WINDOWS
+#   else
+#     define BOOST_POSIX
+#   endif
+# endif
+
+# if defined( BOOST_WINDOWS )
+#   include "windows.h"
+# else
+#   include <errno.h> // for POSIX error codes
+# endif
+
+namespace
+{
+
+std::string system_message(int sys_err_code)
+{
+    std::string str;
+# ifdef BOOST_WINDOWS
+    LPVOID lpMsgBuf;
+    ::FormatMessageA(FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER |
+        FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM |
+        FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS,
+        NULL,
+        sys_err_code,
+        MAKELANGID(LANG_NEUTRAL, SUBLANG_DEFAULT), // Default language
+        (LPSTR)&lpMsgBuf,
+        0,
+        NULL);
+    str += static_cast<LPCSTR>(lpMsgBuf);
+    ::LocalFree(lpMsgBuf); // free the buffer
+    while (str.size() && (str[str.size()-1] == '\n' ||
+               str[str.size()-1] == '\r'))
+    {
+        str.erase(str.size()-1);
+    }
+# else
+    str += std::strerror(errno);
+# endif
+    return str;
+}
+
+} // unnamed namespace
+
 namespace boost {
 
-lock_error::lock_error()
-    : std::logic_error("thread lock error")
+thread_exception::thread_exception()
+    : m_sys_err(0)
 {
 }
 
+thread_exception::thread_exception(int sys_err_code)
+    : m_sys_err(sys_err_code)
+{
+}
+
+thread_exception::~thread_exception() throw()
+{
+}
+
+const char* thread_exception::message() const
+{
+    if (m_sys_err != 0)
+        return system_message(m_sys_err).c_str();
+    return what();
+}
+
+lock_error::lock_error()
+{
+}
+
+lock_error::lock_error(int sys_err_code)
+    : thread_exception(sys_err_code)
+{
+}
+
+lock_error::~lock_error() throw()
+{
+}
+
+const char* lock_error::what() const throw()
+{
+    return "boost::lock_error";
+}
+
 thread_resource_error::thread_resource_error()
-    : std::runtime_error("thread resource error")
 {
 }
 
+thread_resource_error::thread_resource_error(int sys_err_code)
+    : thread_exception(sys_err_code)
+{
+}
+
+thread_resource_error::~thread_resource_error() throw()
+{
+}
+
+const char* thread_resource_error::what() const throw()
+{
+    return "boost::thread_resource_error";
+}
+
+unsupported_thread_option::unsupported_thread_option()
+{
+}
+
+unsupported_thread_option::unsupported_thread_option(int sys_err_code)
+    : thread_exception(sys_err_code)
+{
+}
+
+unsupported_thread_option::~unsupported_thread_option() throw()
+{
+}
+
+const char* unsupported_thread_option::what() const throw()
+{
+    return "boost::unsupported_thread_option";
+}
+
+invalid_thread_argument::invalid_thread_argument()
+{
+}
+
+invalid_thread_argument::invalid_thread_argument(int sys_err_code)
+    : thread_exception(sys_err_code)
+{
+}
+
+invalid_thread_argument::~invalid_thread_argument() throw()
+{
+}
+
+const char* invalid_thread_argument::what() const throw()
+{
+    return "boost::invalid_thread_argument";
+}
+
+thread_permission_error::thread_permission_error()
+{
+}
+
+thread_permission_error::thread_permission_error(int sys_err_code)
+    : thread_exception(sys_err_code)
+{
+}
+
+thread_permission_error::~thread_permission_error() throw()
+{
+}
+
+const char* thread_permission_error::what() const throw()
+{
+    return "boost::thread_permission_error";
+}
+
 } // namespace boost