diff --git a/src/main/java/com/fazecast/jSerialComm/SerialPort.java b/src/main/java/com/fazecast/jSerialComm/SerialPort.java
index 4ab3af2..7c0f359 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/fazecast/jSerialComm/SerialPort.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/fazecast/jSerialComm/SerialPort.java
@@ -295,8 +295,9 @@ public final class SerialPort
 	 *
 	 * @param portDescriptor The desired serial port to use with this library.
 	 * @return A SerialPort object.
+	 * @exception SerialPortInvalidPortException If a {@link SerialPort} object cannot be created due to a logical or formatting error in the portDescriptor parameter.
 	 */
-	static public SerialPort getCommPort(String portDescriptor)
+	static public SerialPort getCommPort(String portDescriptor) throws SerialPortInvalidPortException
 	{
 		// Correct port descriptor, if needed
 		try
@@ -315,21 +316,13 @@ public final class SerialPort
 			else if (!((new File(portDescriptor)).exists()))
 				portDescriptor = "/dev/" + portDescriptor.substring(portDescriptor.lastIndexOf('/')+1);
 		}
-		catch (Exception e)
-		{
-			SerialPort serialPort = new SerialPort();
-			serialPort.comPort = "/dev/null";
-			serialPort.friendlyName = "Bad Port";
-			serialPort.portDescription = "Bad Port";
-			return serialPort;
-		}
+		catch (Exception e) { throw new SerialPortInvalidPortException("Unable to create a serial port object from the invalid port descriptor: " + portDescriptor, e); }
 
-		// Create SerialPort object
+		// Create the SerialPort object
 		SerialPort serialPort = new SerialPort();
 		serialPort.comPort = portDescriptor;
 		serialPort.friendlyName = "User-Specified Port";
 		serialPort.portDescription = "User-Specified Port";
-
 		return serialPort;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/fazecast/jSerialComm/SerialPortInvalidPortException.java b/src/main/java/com/fazecast/jSerialComm/SerialPortInvalidPortException.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e22256
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/com/fazecast/jSerialComm/SerialPortInvalidPortException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+/*
+ * SerialPortInvalidPortException.java
+ *
+ *       Created on:  Apr 15, 2019
+ *  Last Updated on:  Apr 15, 2019
+ *           Author:  Will Hedgecock
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2019-2019 Fazecast, Inc.
+ *
+ * This file is part of jSerialComm.
+ *
+ * jSerialComm is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of either the Apache Software License, version 2, or
+ * the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software
+ * Foundation, version 3 or above.
+ *
+ * jSerialComm is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of both the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License and the Apache Software License along with jSerialComm. If not,
+ * see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/> and <http://www.apache.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+package com.fazecast.jSerialComm;
+
+/**
+ * This class describes a serial port invalid port exception.
+ *
+ * @author Will Hedgecock &lt;will.hedgecock@fazecast.com&gt;
+ * @version 2.5.1
+ * @see java.lang.RuntimeException
+ */
+public final class SerialPortInvalidPortException extends RuntimeException
+{
+	private static final long serialVersionUID = 3420177672598538224L;
+
+	/**
+	 * Constructs a {@link SerialPortInvalidPortException} with {@code null} as its error detail message.
+	 */
+	public SerialPortInvalidPortException()
+	{
+		super();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Constructs a {@link SerialPortInvalidPortException} with the specified detail message.
+	 *
+	 * @param message The detail message (which is saved for later retrieval by the {@link getMessage()} method).
+	 */
+	public SerialPortInvalidPortException(String message)
+	{
+		super(message);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Constructs a {@link SerialPortInvalidPortException} with the specified detail message and cause.
+	 * <p>
+	 * Note that the detail message associated with {@link cause} is <i>not</i> automatically incorporated into this exception's detail message.
+	 *
+	 * @param message message The detail message (which is saved for later retrieval by the {@link getMessage()} method).
+	 * @param cause The cause (which is saved for later retrieval by the {@link getCause()} method). (A null value is permitted, and indicates that the cause is nonexistent or unknown.)
+	 */
+	public SerialPortInvalidPortException(String message, Throwable cause)
+	{
+		super(message, cause);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Constructs a {@link SerialPortInvalidPortException} with the specified cause and a detail message of {@code (cause==null ? null : cause.toString()) }
+	 * (which typically contains the class and detail message of {@code cause}). This constructor is useful for exceptions that are little more
+	 * than wrappers for other throwables.
+	 *
+	 * @param cause The cause (which is saved for later retrieval by the {@link getCause()} method). (A null value is permitted, and indicates that the cause is nonexistent or unknown.)
+	 */
+	public SerialPortInvalidPortException(Throwable cause)
+	{
+		super(cause);
+	}
+}