diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index d946171..ec5bd9f 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ var base64encoder = function (url, options, callback) {
 
       if (body && res.statusCode === 200) {
         return encoder(body, options);
+      } else {
+        if (!body) { return callback('Image loading error - empty body'); }
+        else { return callback('Image loading error - ' + res.statusCode); }
       }
     });
   }
@@ -58,4 +61,4 @@ var base64decoder = function (imageBuffer, options, callback) {
 module.exports = {
   base64encoder: base64encoder,
   base64decoder: base64decoder
-};
\ No newline at end of file
+};
diff --git a/test/tests.js b/test/tests.js
index fcef8ae..d341890 100644
--- a/test/tests.js
+++ b/test/tests.js
@@ -34,6 +34,18 @@ describe('Image download and encode/decode to Base64', function () {
       done();
     });
 
+    it('should report if image could not be loaded', function (done) {
+      var url = 'http://www.pctools.com/security-news/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/nonExisting404.jpg', options;
+
+      base64Image.base64encoder(url, options, function (err, image) {
+        err.should.exist;
+        should.not.exist(image);
+
+        done();
+      });
+
+    });
+
     it('should download an image and return base64 encoded Buffer', function (done) {
       this.timeout(15000);
 
@@ -49,6 +61,7 @@ describe('Image download and encode/decode to Base64', function () {
       });
     });
 
+
     it('should download an image and return base64 encoded string', function (done) {
       this.timeout(15000);