diff --git a/src/espeak-ng.c b/src/espeak-ng.c
index c507e95b..f48a6b07 100644
--- a/src/espeak-ng.c
+++ b/src/espeak-ng.c
@@ -588,9 +588,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	espeak_ng_InitializePath(data_path);
-	espeak_ng_STATUS result = espeak_ng_Initialize();
+	espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT context = NULL;
+	espeak_ng_STATUS result = espeak_ng_Initialize(&context);
 	if (result != ENS_OK) {
 		espeak_ng_PrintStatusCodeMessage(result, stderr);
+		espeak_ng_ClearErrorContext(&context);
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h b/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
index 2966cf36..48289057 100644
--- a/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
+++ b/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ ESPEAK_NG_API void
 espeak_ng_InitializePath(const char *path);
 
 ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS
-espeak_ng_Initialize(void);
+espeak_ng_Initialize(espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context);
 
 ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS
 espeak_ng_InitializeOutput(espeak_ng_OUTPUT_MODE output_mode,
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/compiledata.c b/src/libespeak-ng/compiledata.c
index acb1ccf6..828df277 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/compiledata.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/compiledata.c
@@ -2725,7 +2725,7 @@ static espeak_ng_STATUS CompilePhonemeData2(const char *source, FILE *log)
 	fclose(f_phtab);
 	fclose(f_phcontents);
 
-	LoadPhData(NULL);
+	LoadPhData(NULL, NULL);
 
 	CompileReport();
 
@@ -3029,7 +3029,7 @@ espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_CompileIntonation(FILE *log)
 
 	fprintf(log, "Compiled %d intonation tunes: %d errors.\n", n_tune_names, error_count);
 
-	LoadPhData(NULL);
+	LoadPhData(NULL, NULL);
 
 	return error_count > 0 ? ENS_COMPILE_ERROR : ENS_OK;
 }
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/error.c b/src/libespeak-ng/error.c
index 1bfc4e15..124dcf8b 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/error.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/error.c
@@ -37,21 +37,38 @@ espeak_ng_STATUS create_file_error_context(espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context, esp
 {
 	if (context) {
 		if (*context) {
-			free((*context)->filename);
+			free((*context)->path);
 		} else {
 			*context = malloc(sizeof(espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT_));
 		}
-		(*context)->filename = strdup(filename);
+		(*context)->path = strdup(filename);
+		(*context)->version = 0;
+		(*context)->expected_version = 0;
 	}
 	return status;
 }
 
+espeak_ng_STATUS create_version_mismatch_error_context(espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context, const char *path_home, int version, int expected_version)
+{
+	if (context) {
+		if (*context) {
+			free((*context)->path);
+		} else {
+			*context = malloc(sizeof(espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT_));
+		}
+		(*context)->path = strdup(path_home);
+		(*context)->version = version;
+		(*context)->expected_version = expected_version;
+	}
+	return ENS_VERSION_MISMATCH;
+}
+
 #pragma GCC visibility push(default)
 
 ESPEAK_NG_API void espeak_ng_ClearErrorContext(espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context)
 {
 	if (context && *context) {
-		free((*context)->filename);
+		free((*context)->path);
 		free(*context);
 		*context = NULL;
 	}
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/error.h b/src/libespeak-ng/error.h
index f5683d04..08e4ad1f 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/error.h
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/error.h
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ extern "C"
 
 typedef struct espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT_
 {
-	char *filename;
+	char *path;
+	int version;
+	int expected_version;
 } espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT_;
 
 espeak_ng_STATUS
@@ -33,6 +35,12 @@ create_file_error_context(espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context,
                           espeak_ng_STATUS status,
                           const char *filename);
 
+espeak_ng_STATUS
+create_version_mismatch_error_context(espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context,
+                                      const char *path,
+                                      int version,
+                                      int expected_version);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c b/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c
index b913be5c..d6fe7fd2 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c
@@ -53,9 +53,11 @@ static espeak_ERROR status_to_espeak_error(espeak_ng_STATUS status)
 ESPEAK_API int espeak_Initialize(espeak_AUDIO_OUTPUT output_type, int buf_length, const char *path, int options)
 {
 	espeak_ng_InitializePath(path);
-	espeak_ng_STATUS result = espeak_ng_Initialize();
+	espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT context = NULL;
+	espeak_ng_STATUS result = espeak_ng_Initialize(&context);
 	if (result != ENS_OK) {
 		espeak_ng_PrintStatusCodeMessage(result, stderr);
+		espeak_ng_ClearErrorContext(&context);
 		if ((options & espeakINITIALIZE_DONT_EXIT) == 0)
 			exit(1);
 	}
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c b/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c
index 1d5ddaf9..e23544c0 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ ESPEAK_NG_API void espeak_ng_InitializePath(const char *path)
 #endif
 }
 
-ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_Initialize(void)
+ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_Initialize(espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context)
 {
 	int param;
 	int srate = 22050; // default sample rate 22050 Hz
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_Initialize(void)
 		}
 	}
 
-	espeak_ng_STATUS result = LoadPhData(&srate);
+	espeak_ng_STATUS result = LoadPhData(&srate, context);
 	if (result != ENS_OK)
 		return result;
 
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/synthdata.c b/src/libespeak-ng/synthdata.c
index e7bb9502..1ab8943f 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/synthdata.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/synthdata.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "espeak_ng.h"
 #include "speak_lib.h"
 
+#include "error.h"
 #include "speech.h"
 #include "phoneme.h"
 #include "synthesize.h"
@@ -72,7 +73,7 @@ int vowel_transition1;
 
 int FormantTransition2(frameref_t *seq, int *n_frames, unsigned int data1, unsigned int data2, PHONEME_TAB *other_ph, int which);
 
-static espeak_ng_STATUS ReadPhFile(void **ptr, const char *fname, int *size)
+static espeak_ng_STATUS ReadPhFile(void **ptr, const char *fname, int *size, espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context)
 {
 	if (!ptr) return EINVAL;
 
@@ -83,10 +84,8 @@ static espeak_ng_STATUS ReadPhFile(void **ptr, const char *fname, int *size)
 	sprintf(buf, "%s%c%s", path_home, PATHSEP, fname);
 	length = GetFileLength(buf);
 
-	if ((f_in = fopen(buf, "rb")) == NULL) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Can't read data file: '%s'\n", buf);
-		return errno;
-	}
+	if ((f_in = fopen(buf, "rb")) == NULL)
+		return create_file_error_context(context, errno, buf);
 
 	if (*ptr != NULL)
 		Free(*ptr);
@@ -99,7 +98,7 @@ static espeak_ng_STATUS ReadPhFile(void **ptr, const char *fname, int *size)
 		int error = errno;
 		fclose(f_in);
 		Free(*ptr);
-		return error;
+		return create_file_error_context(context, error, buf);
 	}
 
 	fclose(f_in);
@@ -108,7 +107,7 @@ static espeak_ng_STATUS ReadPhFile(void **ptr, const char *fname, int *size)
 	return ENS_OK;
 }
 
-espeak_ng_STATUS LoadPhData(int *srate)
+espeak_ng_STATUS LoadPhData(int *srate, espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context)
 {
 	int ix;
 	int n_phonemes;
@@ -119,13 +118,13 @@ espeak_ng_STATUS LoadPhData(int *srate)
 	int *pw;
 
 	espeak_ng_STATUS status;
-	if ((status = ReadPhFile((void **)&phoneme_tab_data, "phontab", NULL)) != ENS_OK)
+	if ((status = ReadPhFile((void **)&phoneme_tab_data, "phontab", NULL, context)) != ENS_OK)
 		return status;
-	if ((status = ReadPhFile((void **)&phoneme_index, "phonindex", NULL)) != ENS_OK)
+	if ((status = ReadPhFile((void **)&phoneme_index, "phonindex", NULL, context)) != ENS_OK)
 		return status;
-	if ((status = ReadPhFile((void **)&phondata_ptr, "phondata", NULL)) != ENS_OK)
+	if ((status = ReadPhFile((void **)&phondata_ptr, "phondata", NULL, context)) != ENS_OK)
 		return status;
-	if ((status = ReadPhFile((void **)&tunes, "intonations", &length)) != ENS_OK)
+	if ((status = ReadPhFile((void **)&tunes, "intonations", &length, context)) != ENS_OK)
 		return status;
 	wavefile_data = (unsigned char *)phondata_ptr;
 	n_tunes = length / sizeof(TUNE);
@@ -139,7 +138,7 @@ espeak_ng_STATUS LoadPhData(int *srate)
 	}
 
 	if (version != version_phdata)
-		return ENS_VERSION_MISMATCH;
+		return create_version_mismatch_error_context(context, path_home, version, version_phdata);
 
 	// set up phoneme tables
 	p = phoneme_tab_data;
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/synthesize.h b/src/libespeak-ng/synthesize.h
index b5c8099f..b5e55100 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/synthesize.h
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/synthesize.h
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ unsigned int LookupSound(PHONEME_TAB *ph1, PHONEME_TAB *ph2, int which, int *mat
 frameref_t *LookupSpect(PHONEME_TAB *this_ph, int which, FMT_PARAMS *fmt_params,  int *n_frames, PHONEME_LIST *plist);
 
 unsigned char *LookupEnvelope(int ix);
-espeak_ng_STATUS LoadPhData(int *srate);
+espeak_ng_STATUS LoadPhData(int *srate, espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context);
 
 void SynthesizeInit(void);
 int  Generate(PHONEME_LIST *phoneme_list, int *n_ph, int resume);
diff --git a/src/speak-ng.c b/src/speak-ng.c
index b66abb8a..f5c9b74c 100644
--- a/src/speak-ng.c
+++ b/src/speak-ng.c
@@ -575,9 +575,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	espeak_ng_InitializePath(data_path);
-	espeak_ng_STATUS result = espeak_ng_Initialize();
+	espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT context = NULL;
+	espeak_ng_STATUS result = espeak_ng_Initialize(&context);
 	if (result != ENS_OK) {
 		espeak_ng_PrintStatusCodeMessage(result, stderr);
+		espeak_ng_ClearErrorContext(&context);
 		exit(1);
 	}