diff --git a/lib/Receiver.hixie.js b/lib/Receiver.hixie.js
index e90422efc..8123c6e96 100644
--- a/lib/Receiver.hixie.js
+++ b/lib/Receiver.hixie.js
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ class Receiver {
    */
 
   add(data) {
-    if (this.dead) return;
     var self = this;
     function doAdd() {
       if (self.state === EMPTY) {
@@ -56,7 +55,7 @@ class Receiver {
         } else {
 
           if (data[0] !== 0x00) {
-            self.error('payload must start with 0x00 byte', true);
+            self.error(new Error('payload must start with 0x00 byte'), true);
             return;
           }
           data = data.slice(1);
@@ -146,18 +145,9 @@ class Receiver {
    * @api private
    */
 
-  error(reason, terminate) {
-    if (this.dead) return;
+  error(err, terminate) {
     this.reset();
-    if (typeof reason == 'string'){
-      this.onerror(new Error(reason), terminate);
-    }
-    else if (reason.constructor == Error){
-      this.onerror(reason, terminate);
-    }
-    else {
-      this.onerror(new Error('An error occured'), terminate);
-    }
+    this.onerror(err, terminate)
     return this;
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/Receiver.js b/lib/Receiver.js
index b840115ed..2c0181f6b 100644
--- a/lib/Receiver.js
+++ b/lib/Receiver.js
@@ -191,12 +191,12 @@ class Receiver {
   processPacket (data) {
     if (this.extensions[PerMessageDeflate.extensionName]) {
       if ((data[0] & 0x30) != 0) {
-        this.error('reserved fields (2, 3) must be empty', 1002);
+        this.error(new Error('reserved fields (2, 3) must be empty'), 1002);
         return;
       }
     } else {
       if ((data[0] & 0x70) != 0) {
-        this.error('reserved fields must be empty', 1002);
+        this.error(new Error('reserved fields must be empty'), 1002);
         return;
       }
     }
@@ -206,24 +206,24 @@ class Receiver {
     var opcode = data[0] & 0xf;
     if (opcode === 0) {
       if (compressed) {
-        this.error('continuation frame cannot have the Per-message Compressed bits', 1002);
+        this.error(new Error('continuation frame cannot have the Per-message Compressed bits'), 1002);
         return;
       }
       // continuation frame
       this.state.fragmentedOperation = true;
       this.state.opcode = this.state.activeFragmentedOperation;
       if (!(this.state.opcode == 1 || this.state.opcode == 2)) {
-        this.error('continuation frame cannot follow current opcode', 1002);
+        this.error(new Error('continuation frame cannot follow current opcode'), 1002);
         return;
       }
     }
     else {
       if (opcode < 3 && this.state.activeFragmentedOperation != null) {
-        this.error('data frames after the initial data frame must have opcode 0', 1002);
+        this.error(new Error('data frames after the initial data frame must have opcode 0'), 1002);
         return;
       }
       if (opcode >= 8 && compressed) {
-        this.error('control frames cannot have the Per-message Compressed bits', 1002);
+        this.error(new Error('control frames cannot have the Per-message Compressed bits'), 1002);
         return;
       }
       this.state.compressed = compressed;
@@ -235,7 +235,9 @@ class Receiver {
       else this.state.fragmentedOperation = false;
     }
     var handler = opcodes[this.state.opcode];
-    if (typeof handler == 'undefined') this.error('no handler for opcode ' + this.state.opcode, 1002);
+    if (typeof handler == 'undefined') {
+      this.error(new Error(`no handler for opcode ${this.state.opcode}`), 1002);
+    }
     else {
       handler.start.call(this, data);
     }
@@ -298,7 +300,7 @@ class Receiver {
    * @api private
    */
 
-  unmask (mask, buf, binary) {
+  unmask(mask, buf, binary) {
     if (mask != null && buf != null) bufferUtil.unmask(buf, mask);
     if (binary) return buf;
     return buf != null ? buf.toString('utf8') : '';
@@ -310,18 +312,9 @@ class Receiver {
    * @api private
    */
 
-  error (reason, protocolErrorCode) {
-    if (this.dead) return;
+  error(err, protocolErrorCode) {
     this.reset();
-    if (typeof reason == 'string'){
-      this.onerror(new Error(reason), protocolErrorCode);
-    }
-    else if (reason.constructor == Error){
-      this.onerror(reason, protocolErrorCode);
-    }
-    else {
-      this.onerror(new Error('An error occured'), protocolErrorCode);
-    }
+    this.onerror(err, protocolErrorCode);
     return this;
   }
 
@@ -382,7 +375,7 @@ class Receiver {
       this.currentPayloadLength = fullLength;
       return false;
     }
-    this.error('payload cannot exceed ' + this.maxPayload + ' bytes', 1009);
+    this.error(new Error(`payload cannot exceed ${this.maxPayload} bytes`), 1009);
     this.cleanup();
 
     return true;
@@ -461,7 +454,7 @@ var opcodes = {
       else if (firstLength == 127) {
         this.expectHeader(8, (data) => {
           if (readUInt32BE.call(data, 0) != 0) {
-            this.error('packets with length spanning more than 32 bit is currently not supported', 1008);
+            this.error(new Error('packets with length spanning more than 32 bit is currently not supported'), 1008);
             return;
           }
           var length = readUInt32BE.call(data, 4);
@@ -491,7 +484,7 @@ var opcodes = {
       this.messageHandlers.push((callback) => {
         this.applyExtensions(packet, state.lastFragment, state.compressed, (err, buffer) => {
           if (err) {
-            this.error(err.message, err.closeCode === 1009 ? 1009 : 1007);
+            this.error(err, err.closeCode === 1009 ? 1009 : 1007);
             return;
           }
 
@@ -503,7 +496,7 @@ var opcodes = {
             else {
               this.currentMessage = [];
               this.currentMessageLength = 0;
-              this.error('payload cannot exceed ' + this.maxPayload + ' bytes', 1009);
+              this.error(new Error(`payload cannot exceed ${this.maxPayload} bytes`), 1009);
               return;
             }
             this.currentMessageLength += buffer.length;
@@ -513,7 +506,7 @@ var opcodes = {
             this.currentMessage = [];
             this.currentMessageLength = 0;
             if (!Validation.isValidUTF8(messageBuffer)) {
-              this.error('invalid utf8 sequence', 1007);
+              this.error(new Error('invalid utf8 sequence'), 1007);
               return;
             }
             this.ontext(messageBuffer.toString('utf8'), {masked: state.masked, buffer: messageBuffer});
@@ -544,7 +537,7 @@ var opcodes = {
       else if (firstLength == 127) {
         this.expectHeader(8, (data) => {
           if (readUInt32BE.call(data, 0) != 0) {
-            this.error('packets with length spanning more than 32 bit is currently not supported', 1008);
+            this.error(new Error('packets with length spanning more than 32 bit is currently not supported'), 1008);
             return;
           }
           var length = readUInt32BE.call(data, 4, true);
@@ -574,7 +567,7 @@ var opcodes = {
       this.messageHandlers.push((callback) => {
         this.applyExtensions(packet, state.lastFragment, state.compressed, (err, buffer) => {
           if (err) {
-            this.error(err.message, err.closeCode === 1009 ? 1009 : 1007);
+            this.error(err, err.closeCode === 1009 ? 1009 : 1007);
             return;
           }
 
@@ -586,7 +579,7 @@ var opcodes = {
             else {
               this.currentMessage = [];
               this.currentMessageLength = 0;
-              this.error('payload cannot exceed ' + this.maxPayload + ' bytes', 1009);
+              this.error(new Error(`payload cannot exceed ${this.maxPayload} bytes`), 1009);
               return;
             }
             this.currentMessageLength += buffer.length;
diff --git a/lib/Sender.hixie.js b/lib/Sender.hixie.js
index 69f4ae053..18235d3a6 100644
--- a/lib/Sender.hixie.js
+++ b/lib/Sender.hixie.js
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class Sender extends EventEmitter {
     try {
       this.socket.write(buffer, 'binary', cb);
     } catch (e) {
-      this.error(e.toString());
+      this.emit('error', e)
     }
   }
 
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class Sender extends EventEmitter {
       if (this.continuationFrame) this.socket.write(new Buffer([0xff], 'binary'));
       this.socket.write(new Buffer([0xff, 0x00]), 'binary', cb);
     } catch (e) {
-      this.error(e.toString());
+      this.emit('error', e);
     }
   }
 
@@ -103,16 +103,6 @@ class Sender extends EventEmitter {
    * @api public
    */
   pong(data, options) {}
-
-  /**
-   * Handles an error
-   *
-   * @api private
-   */
-  error(reason) {
-    this.emit('error', reason);
-    return this;
-  }
 }
 
 module.exports = Sender;
diff --git a/lib/WebSocket.js b/lib/WebSocket.js
index 06cec66b9..8daec5a25 100644
--- a/lib/WebSocket.js
+++ b/lib/WebSocket.js
@@ -716,7 +716,7 @@ function initAsClient(address, protocols, options) {
     var error;
 
     if (!self.emit('unexpected-response', req, res)) {
-      error = new Error('unexpected server response (' + res.statusCode + ')');
+      error = new Error(`unexpected server response (${res.statusCode})`);
       req.abort();
       self.emit('error', error);
     }
@@ -735,7 +735,7 @@ function initAsClient(address, protocols, options) {
 
     var serverKey = res.headers['sec-websocket-accept'];
     if (typeof serverKey === 'undefined' || serverKey !== expectedServerKey) {
-      self.emit('error', 'invalid server key');
+      self.emit('error', new Error('invalid server key'));
       self.removeAllListeners();
       socket.end();
       return;
@@ -754,7 +754,7 @@ function initAsClient(address, protocols, options) {
     }
 
     if (protError) {
-      self.emit('error', protError);
+      self.emit('error', new Error(protError));
       self.removeAllListeners();
       socket.end();
       return;
@@ -767,7 +767,7 @@ function initAsClient(address, protocols, options) {
       try {
         perMessageDeflate.accept(serverExtensions[PerMessageDeflate.extensionName]);
       } catch (err) {
-        self.emit('error', 'invalid extension parameter');
+        self.emit('error', new Error('invalid extension parameter'));
         self.removeAllListeners();
         socket.end();
         return;
@@ -870,10 +870,10 @@ function establishConnection(ReceiverClass, SenderClass, socket, upgradeHead) {
     self.close(code, data);
   };
 
-  self._receiver.onerror = function onerror(reason, errorCode) {
+  self._receiver.onerror = function onerror(error, errorCode) {
     // close the connection when the receiver reports a HyBi error code
-    self.close(typeof errorCode !== 'undefined' ? errorCode : 1002, '');
-    self.emit('error', (reason instanceof Error) ? reason : (new Error(reason)));
+    self.close(errorCode, '');
+    self.emit('error', error);
   };
 
   // finalize the client
diff --git a/test/WebSocket.test.js b/test/WebSocket.test.js
index 6c6231732..610cf1bb7 100644
--- a/test/WebSocket.test.js
+++ b/test/WebSocket.test.js
@@ -46,40 +46,6 @@ describe('WebSocket', function() {
       ws.should.be.an.instanceOf(WebSocket);
       done();
     });
-
-    it('should emit an error object when the receiver throws an error string', function(done) {
-    
-      var wss = new WebSocketServer({port: ++port}, function() {
-
-          var ws = new WebSocket('ws://localhost:' + port);
-          
-          ws.on('open', function () {
-            ws._receiver.error('This is an error string', 1002);
-          });
-
-          ws.on('error', function (error) {
-            error.should.be.an.instanceof(Error);
-            done();
-          });
-      });
-    });
-
-    it('should emit an error object when the receiver throws an error object', function(done) {
-    
-      var wss = new WebSocketServer({port: ++port}, function() {
-
-          var ws = new WebSocket('ws://localhost:' + port);
-          
-          ws.on('open', function () {
-            ws._receiver.error(new Error('This is an error object'), 1002);
-          });
-
-          ws.on('error', function (error) {
-            error.should.be.an.instanceof(Error);
-            done();
-          });
-      });
-    });
   });
 
   describe('options', function() {