diff --git a/include/autolab/autolab.h b/include/autolab/autolab.h
index 05bdb05..65217f0 100644
--- a/include/autolab/autolab.h
+++ b/include/autolab/autolab.h
@@ -128,8 +128,8 @@ class HttpException: public std::exception {
 private:
   std::string msg;
 public:
-  explicit HttpException(std::string m) : msg(m) {}
-  virtual const char* what() const throw() {
+  explicit HttpException(std::string m) : msg(std::move(m)) {}
+  const char* what() const noexcept override {
       return msg.c_str();
   }
 };
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ class HttpException: public std::exception {
 // A new set of tokens should be acquired by re-preforming user authorization.
 class InvalidTokenException: public std::exception {
 public:
-  virtual const char* what() const throw() {
+  const char* what() const noexcept override {
       return "The provided access token is invalid and the refresh operation failed.";
   }
 };
@@ -149,8 +149,8 @@ class InvalidResponseException: public std::exception {
 private:
   std::string msg;
 public:
-  explicit InvalidResponseException(std::string m) : msg(m) {}
-  virtual const char* what() const throw() {
+  explicit InvalidResponseException(std::string m) : msg(std::move(m)) {}
+  const char* what() const noexcept override {
       return msg.c_str();
   }
 };
@@ -163,12 +163,24 @@ class ErrorResponseException: public std::exception {
 private:
   std::string msg;
 public:
-  explicit ErrorResponseException(std::string m) : msg(m) {}
-  virtual const char* what() const throw() {
+  explicit ErrorResponseException(std::string m) : msg(std::move(m)) {}
+  const char* what() const noexcept override {
       return msg.c_str();
   }
 };
 
+// Indicates that an error occurred while encrypting or decrypting data.
+// This exception's msg will contain the error message returned by openssl.
+class CryptoException: public std::exception {
+private:
+  std::string msg;
+public:
+    explicit CryptoException(std::string m) : msg(std::move(m)) {}
+    const char* what() const noexcept override {
+        return msg.c_str();
+    }
+};
+
 namespace Utility {
 // string conversions
 std::time_t string_to_time(std::string str);
diff --git a/src/context_manager/context_manager.cpp b/src/context_manager/context_manager.cpp
index 4f5eb45..493680b 100644
--- a/src/context_manager/context_manager.cpp
+++ b/src/context_manager/context_manager.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include "../app_credentials.h"
 #include "../file/file_utils.h"
+#include "autolab/autolab.h"
 #include "logger.h"
 #include "../crypto/pseudocrypto.h"
 
@@ -70,10 +71,15 @@ bool token_cache_file_exists() {
 /* interface */
 void store_tokens(std::string at, std::string rt) {
   check_and_create_token_directory();
-  std::string token_pair = token_pair_to_string(at, rt);
-
-  write_file(get_token_cache_file_full_path().c_str(),
-             token_pair.c_str(), token_pair.length());
+  try {
+      std::string token_pair = token_pair_to_string(at, rt);
+
+      write_file(get_token_cache_file_full_path().c_str(),
+                 token_pair.c_str(), token_pair.length());
+  } catch (Autolab::CryptoException &e) {
+    Logger::fatal << "OpenSSL error in store_tokens " << e.what() << Logger::endl;
+    exit(-1);
+  }
   LogDebug("[ContextManager] tokens stored" << Logger::endl);
 }
 
@@ -88,7 +94,12 @@ bool load_tokens(std::string &at, std::string &rt) {
             raw_result, TOKEN_CACHE_FILE_MAXSIZE);
   LogDebug("read size " << num_read << "\n");
 
-  if (!token_pair_from_string(raw_result, num_read, at, rt)) return false;
+  try {
+    if (!token_pair_from_string(raw_result, num_read, at, rt)) return false;
+  } catch (Autolab::CryptoException &e) {
+    Logger::fatal << "OpenSSL error in load_tokens " << e.what() << Logger::endl;
+    return false;
+  }
   LogDebug("[ContextManager] tokens loaded" << Logger::endl);
   return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/crypto/pseudocrypto.cpp b/src/crypto/pseudocrypto.cpp
index d973805..051d3d0 100644
--- a/src/crypto/pseudocrypto.cpp
+++ b/src/crypto/pseudocrypto.cpp
@@ -7,14 +7,13 @@
 #include <openssl/err.h>
 #include <openssl/evp.h>
 
+#include "autolab/autolab.h"
 #include "logger.h"
 
 #define MAX_CIPHERTEXT_LEN 256
 
-void exit_with_crypto_error() {
-  Logger::fatal << "OpenSSL error" << Logger::endl;
-  ERR_print_errors_fp(stderr);
-  exit(-1);
+void raise_crypto_error() {
+  throw Autolab::CryptoException(ERR_error_string(ERR_get_error(), nullptr));
 }
 
 void check_key_and_iv_lengths(unsigned char *key, unsigned char *iv) {
@@ -42,17 +41,17 @@ std::string encrypt_string(std::string srctext, unsigned char *key,
 
   // create context
   if (!(ctx = EVP_CIPHER_CTX_new()))
-    exit_with_crypto_error();
+    raise_crypto_error();
 
-  if (1 != EVP_EncryptInit_ex(ctx, EVP_aes_256_cbc(), NULL, key, iv))
-    exit_with_crypto_error();
+  if (1 != EVP_EncryptInit_ex(ctx, EVP_aes_256_cbc(), nullptr, key, iv))
+    raise_crypto_error();
 
   if (1 != EVP_EncryptUpdate(ctx, ciphertext, &temp_len, plaintext, input_len))
-    exit_with_crypto_error();
+    raise_crypto_error();
   total_len = temp_len;
 
   if (1 != EVP_EncryptFinal_ex(ctx, ciphertext + temp_len, &temp_len))
-    exit_with_crypto_error();
+    raise_crypto_error();
   total_len += temp_len;
 
   EVP_CIPHER_CTX_free(ctx);
@@ -74,17 +73,17 @@ std::string decrypt_string(char *srctext, size_t srclength, unsigned char *key,
   int input_len = (int)srclength;
 
   if (!(ctx = EVP_CIPHER_CTX_new()))
-    exit_with_crypto_error();
+    raise_crypto_error();
 
-  if (1 != EVP_DecryptInit_ex(ctx, EVP_aes_256_cbc(), NULL, key, iv))
-    exit_with_crypto_error();
+  if (1 != EVP_DecryptInit_ex(ctx, EVP_aes_256_cbc(), nullptr, key, iv))
+    raise_crypto_error();
 
   if (1 != EVP_DecryptUpdate(ctx, plaintext, &temp_len, ciphertext, input_len))
-    exit_with_crypto_error();
+    raise_crypto_error();
   total_len = temp_len;
 
   if (1 != EVP_DecryptFinal_ex(ctx, plaintext + temp_len, &temp_len))
-    exit_with_crypto_error();
+    raise_crypto_error();
   total_len += temp_len;
 
   EVP_CIPHER_CTX_free(ctx);