diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 97c5f05..2ed61a5 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func (cli *client) Register(ctx context.Context, ns string, ttl int) error {
 
 	status := res.GetRegisterResponse().GetStatus()
 	if status != pb.Message_OK {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Registration failure: %s", status.String())
+		return RegistrationError(status)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/proto.go b/proto.go
index 2ca1d3e..cb29a69 100644
--- a/proto.go
+++ b/proto.go
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ const (
 	RendezvousProto = protocol.ID("/rendezvous/1.0.0")
 )
 
+type RegistrationError pb.Message_RegisterStatus
+
+func (e RegistrationError) Error() string {
+	return pb.Message_RegisterStatus(e).String()
+}
+
 func newRegisterMessage(ns string, pi pstore.PeerInfo, ttl int) *pb.Message {
 	msg := new(pb.Message)
 	msg.Type = pb.Message_REGISTER.Enum()