diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/qutescheme.py b/qutebrowser/browser/qutescheme.py
index 24ebcc47c..af5618cf5 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/qutescheme.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/qutescheme.py
@@ -56,6 +56,24 @@ def add_handler(name):
     """Add a handler to the qute: scheme."""
     def namedecorator(function):
         _HANDLERS[name] = function
+class QuteSchemeError(Exception):
+
+    """Exception to signal that a handler should return an ErrorReply.
+
+    Attributes correspond to the arguments in
+    networkreply.ErrorNetworkReply.
+
+    Attributes:
+        errorstring: Error string to print.
+        error: Numerical error value.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, errorstring, error):
+        self.errorstring = errorstring
+        self.error = error
+        super().__init__(errorstring)
+
+
         return function
     return namedecorator
 
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/network/webkitqutescheme.py b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/network/webkitqutescheme.py
index 4ffe7e988..8e9d635cf 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/network/webkitqutescheme.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/network/webkitqutescheme.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class QuteSchemeHandler(schemehandler.SchemeHandler):
             return networkreply.ErrorNetworkReply(
                 request, str(e), QNetworkReply.ContentNotFoundError,
                 self.parent())
-        except QuteSchemeError as e:
+        except qutescheme.QuteSchemeError as e:
             return networkreply.ErrorNetworkReply(request, e.errorstring,
                                                   e.error, self.parent())
 
@@ -123,5 +123,6 @@ def qute_pdfjs(url):
         # information, as the failed pdfjs requests are still in the log.
         log.misc.warning(
             "pdfjs resource requested but not found: {}".format(e.path))
-        raise QuteSchemeError("Can't find pdfjs resource '{}'".format(e.path),
-                              QNetworkReply.ContentNotFoundError)
+        raise qutescheme.QuteSchemeError("Can't find pdfjs resource "
+                                         "'{}'".format(e.path),
+                                         QNetworkReply.ContentNotFoundError)