diff --git a/godotenv.go b/godotenv.go
index 466f2eb..7712f94 100644
--- a/godotenv.go
+++ b/godotenv.go
@@ -26,6 +26,23 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 )
 
+type ParseError struct {
+	Line uint
+	Err  error
+}
+
+func (e *ParseError) Error() string {
+	if e.Line == 0 {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("parse error before reading: %s", e.Err.Error())
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("parse error on line %d: %s", e.Line, e.Err.Error())
+}
+
+func IsParseError(err error) bool {
+	_, ok := err.(*ParseError)
+	return ok
+}
+
 const doubleQuoteSpecialChars = "\\\n\r\"!$`"
 
 // Load will read your env file(s) and load them into ENV for this process.
@@ -99,6 +116,7 @@ func Read(filenames ...string) (envMap map[string]string, err error) {
 // Parse reads an env file from io.Reader, returning a map of keys and values.
 func Parse(r io.Reader) (envMap map[string]string, err error) {
 	envMap = make(map[string]string)
+	err = nil
 
 	var lines []string
 	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(r)
@@ -106,16 +124,24 @@ func Parse(r io.Reader) (envMap map[string]string, err error) {
 		lines = append(lines, scanner.Text())
 	}
 
-	if err = scanner.Err(); err != nil {
+	if e := scanner.Err(); e != nil {
+		err = &ParseError{
+			Err: e,
+		}
 		return
 	}
 
-	for _, fullLine := range lines {
+	for line, fullLine := range lines {
 		if !isIgnoredLine(fullLine) {
 			var key, value string
-			key, value, err = parseLine(fullLine, envMap)
+			var e error
+			key, value, e = parseLine(fullLine, envMap)
 
-			if err != nil {
+			if e != nil {
+				err = &ParseError{
+					Line: uint(line) + 1,
+					Err:  e,
+				}
 				return
 			}
 			envMap[key] = value
diff --git a/godotenv_test.go b/godotenv_test.go
index 7274c14..1b030e9 100644
--- a/godotenv_test.go
+++ b/godotenv_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package godotenv
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"reflect"
@@ -115,6 +116,68 @@ func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestIsParseError(t *testing.T) {
+	err := errors.New("test error")
+	if IsParseError(err) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected IsParseError(\"%s\") to be false, got true", err)
+	}
+
+	err = &ParseError{
+		Line: 1,
+		Err:  errors.New("test error inside"),
+	}
+	if !IsParseError(err) {
+		t.Errorf("Expected IsParseError(\"%s\") to be true, got false", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestErrorParse(t *testing.T) {
+	envMap, err := Parse(bytes.NewReader([]byte("ONE=1\nTWO\nTHREE = \"3\"")))
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error, got %v", envMap)
+	}
+
+	pErr, ok := err.(*ParseError)
+
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("expected to be ParseError, got %d", err)
+	}
+
+	if pErr.Line != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected parse error line to be %d, got \"%s\"", 2, pErr)
+	}
+
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), pErr.Err.Error()) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected parse error contain underlying error \"%s\", got \"%s\"", pErr.Err, err)
+	}
+}
+
+type testBrokenReader struct{}
+
+func (testBrokenReader) Read([]byte) (int, error) {
+	return 0, errors.New("reader error")
+}
+func TestErrorParseNoLine(t *testing.T) {
+	envMap, err := Parse(testBrokenReader{})
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error, got %v", envMap)
+	}
+
+	pErr, ok := err.(*ParseError)
+
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("expected to be ParseError, got %d", err)
+	}
+
+	if pErr.Line != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected parse error line to be %d, got \"%s\"", 0, pErr)
+	}
+
+	if strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(err.Error()), "line") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected parse error not contain \"line\", got \"%s\"", pErr)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestLoadDoesNotOverride(t *testing.T) {
 	envFileName := "fixtures/plain.env"