diff --git a/src/commst.rs b/src/commst.rs
index 2449300..3195b1c 100644
--- a/src/commst.rs
+++ b/src/commst.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 //! Comms task structure. A comms task communicates with a remote node through a
 //! socket. Local communication with coordinating threads is made via
 //! `crossbeam_channel::unbounded()`.
+use std::io;
 use std::fmt::Debug;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::net::TcpStream;
@@ -12,6 +13,15 @@ use proto_io;
 use proto_io::CodecIo;
 use messaging::SourcedMessage;
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum Error {
+    IoError(io::Error),
+}
+
+impl From<io::Error> for Error {
+    fn from(err: io::Error) -> Error { Error::IoError(err) }
+}
+
 /// A communication task connects a remote node to the thread that manages the
 /// consensus algorithm.
 pub struct CommsTask<'a, T: 'a + Clone + Debug + Send + Sync +
@@ -51,11 +61,11 @@ where Vec<u8>: From<T>
 
     /// The main socket IO loop and an asynchronous thread responding to manager
     /// thread requests.
-    pub fn run(&mut self) {
+    pub fn run(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
         // Borrow parts of `self` before entering the thread binding scope.
         let tx = Arc::new(self.tx);
         let rx = Arc::new(self.rx);
-        let mut io1 = self.io.try_clone().unwrap(); // FIXME: handle errors
+        let mut io1 = self.io.try_clone()?;
         let node_index = self.node_index;
 
         crossbeam::scope(|scope| {
@@ -80,8 +90,7 @@ where Vec<u8>: From<T>
                             SourcedMessage {
                                 source: node_index,
                                 message
-                            })
-                            .unwrap()
+                            }).unwrap();
                     },
                     Err(proto_io::Error::ProtobufError(e)) =>
                         warn!("Node {} - Protobuf error {}", node_index, e),
@@ -92,5 +101,6 @@ where Vec<u8>: From<T>
                 }
             }
         });
+        Ok(())
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/node.rs b/src/node.rs
index 175028b..6cf6c75 100644
--- a/src/node.rs
+++ b/src/node.rs
@@ -1,18 +1,32 @@
 //! Networking controls of the consensus node.
+use std::io;
 use std::collections::HashSet;
 use std::fmt::Debug;
 use std::hash::Hash;
 use std::marker::{Send, Sync};
 use std::net::SocketAddr;
 use crossbeam;
-use crossbeam_channel::{unbounded, Sender, Receiver};
 
 use connection;
 use broadcast;
-use proto::Message;
 use commst;
 use messaging::Messaging;
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum Error {
+    IoError(io::Error),
+    CommsError(commst::Error),
+    NotImplemented
+}
+
+impl From<io::Error> for Error {
+    fn from(err: io::Error) -> Error { Error::IoError(err) }
+}
+
+impl From<commst::Error> for Error {
+    fn from(err: commst::Error) -> Error { Error::CommsError(err) }
+}
+
 /// This is a structure to start a consensus node.
 pub struct Node<T> {
     /// Incoming connection socket.
@@ -36,7 +50,7 @@ where Vec<u8>: From<T>
     }
 
     /// Consensus node procedure implementing HoneyBadgerBFT.
-    pub fn run(&self) -> Result<T, ()>
+    pub fn run(&self) -> Result<T, Error>
     {
         let value = &self.value;
         let connections = connection::make(&self.addr, &self.remotes);
@@ -71,7 +85,7 @@ where Vec<u8>: From<T>
                         debug!("Broadcast instance 0 succeeded: {}",
                                String::from_utf8(Vec::from(t)).unwrap());
                     },
-                    Err(_) => error!("Sender broadcast instance failed")
+                    Err(e) => error!("Broadcast instance 0: {:?}", e)
                 }
             });
 
@@ -85,12 +99,16 @@ where Vec<u8>: From<T>
                 let node_index = i + 1;
 
                 scope.spawn(move || {
-                    commst::CommsTask::new(from_comms_tx,
-                                           to_comms_rx,
-                                           // FIXME: handle error
-                                           c.stream.try_clone().unwrap(),
-                                           node_index)
-                        .run();
+                    match commst::CommsTask::new(from_comms_tx,
+                                                 to_comms_rx,
+                                                 // FIXME: handle error
+                                                 c.stream.try_clone().unwrap(),
+                                                 node_index)
+                        .run()
+                    {
+                        Ok(_) => debug!("Comms task {} succeeded", node_index),
+                        Err(e) => error!("Comms task {}: {:?}", node_index, e)
+                    }
                 });
 
 
@@ -107,20 +125,17 @@ where Vec<u8>: From<T>
                         Ok(t) => {
                             debug!("Broadcast instance {} succeeded: {}",
                                    node_index,
-                                   String::from_utf8(
-                                       Vec::from(t)
-                                   ).unwrap());
+                                   String::from_utf8(Vec::from(t)).unwrap());
                         },
-                        Err(_) => error!("Broadcast instance {} failed", i)
+                        Err(e) => error!("Broadcast instance {}: {:?}",
+                                         node_index, e)
                     }
                 });
             }
 
             // TODO: continue the implementation of the asynchronous common
             // subset algorithm.
-
-        }); // end of thread scope
-
-        Err(())
+            Err(Error::NotImplemented)
+        }) // end of thread scope
     }
 }