diff --git a/src/espeak-ng.c b/src/espeak-ng.c
index ca58f976..0ce2b0ec 100644
--- a/src/espeak-ng.c
+++ b/src/espeak-ng.c
@@ -636,8 +636,14 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	if (flag_compile) {
 		// This must be done after the voice is set
-		return (espeak_ng_CompileDictionary("", NULL, stderr, flag_compile & 0x1) == ENS_OK)
-		     ? EXIT_SUCCESS : EXIT_FAILURE;
+		espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT context = NULL;
+		espeak_ng_STATUS result = espeak_ng_CompileDictionary("", NULL, stderr, flag_compile & 0x1, &context);
+		if (result != ENS_OK) {
+			espeak_ng_PrintStatusCodeMessage(result, stderr, context);
+			espeak_ng_ClearErrorContext(&context);
+			return EXIT_FAILURE;
+		}
+		return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 	}
 
 	// set any non-default values of parameters. This must be done after espeak_Initialize()
diff --git a/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h b/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
index 2720acc9..95cc13f8 100644
--- a/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
+++ b/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
@@ -138,7 +138,8 @@ ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS
 espeak_ng_CompileDictionary(const char *dsource,
                             const char *dict_name,
                             FILE *log,
-                            int flags);
+                            int flags,
+                            espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context);
 
 ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS
 espeak_ng_CompileMbrolaVoice(const char *path,
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/compiledict.c b/src/libespeak-ng/compiledict.c
index b6a0971c..b37eaa92 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/compiledict.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/compiledict.c
@@ -1514,7 +1514,7 @@ static int compile_dictrules(FILE *f_in, FILE *f_out, char *fname_temp)
 }
 
 #pragma GCC visibility push(default)
-ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_CompileDictionary(const char *dsource, const char *dict_name, FILE *log, int flags)
+ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_CompileDictionary(const char *dsource, const char *dict_name, FILE *log, int flags, espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT *context)
 {
 	if (!log) log = stderr;
 	if (!dict_name) dict_name = dictionary_name;
@@ -1549,15 +1549,15 @@ ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_CompileDictionary(const char *dsource,
 	sprintf(fname_in, "%srules.txt", path);
 	if ((f_in = fopen(fname_in, "r")) == NULL) {
 		sprintf(fname_in, "%srules", path);
-		if ((f_in = fopen_log(fname_in, "r")) == NULL)
-			return errno;
+		if ((f_in = fopen(fname_in, "r")) == NULL)
+			return create_file_error_context(context, errno, fname_in);
 	}
 
 	sprintf(fname_out, "%s%c%s_dict", path_home, PATHSEP, dict_name);
-	if ((f_out = fopen_log(fname_out, "wb+")) == NULL) {
+	if ((f_out = fopen(fname_out, "wb+")) == NULL) {
 		int error = errno;
 		fclose(f_in);
-		return error;
+		return create_file_error_context(context, errno, fname_out);
 	}
 	sprintf(fname_temp, "%s%ctemp", path_home, PATHSEP);
 
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c b/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c
index 790a1acb..c6ce7b39 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c
@@ -149,7 +149,12 @@ ESPEAK_API espeak_ERROR espeak_Terminate(void)
 
 ESPEAK_API void espeak_CompileDictionary(const char *path, FILE *log, int flags)
 {
-	espeak_ng_CompileDictionary(path, dictionary_name, log, flags);
+	espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT context = NULL;
+	espeak_ng_STATUS result = espeak_ng_CompileDictionary(path, dictionary_name, log, flags, &context);
+	if (result != ENS_OK) {
+		espeak_ng_PrintStatusCodeMessage(result, stderr, context);
+		espeak_ng_ClearErrorContext(&context);
+	}
 }
 
 #pragma GCC visibility pop
diff --git a/src/speak-ng.c b/src/speak-ng.c
index dbadc878..b3ab8a8b 100644
--- a/src/speak-ng.c
+++ b/src/speak-ng.c
@@ -596,17 +596,23 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	if (flag_compile) {
+		espeak_ng_ERROR_CONTEXT context = NULL;
 #if defined(PLATFORM_DOS) || defined(PLATFORM_WINDOWS)
 		char path_dsource[sizeof(path_home)+20];
 		strcpy(path_dsource, path_home);
 		path_dsource[strlen(path_home)-11] = 0; // remove "espeak-data" from the end
 		strcat(path_dsource, "dictsource\\");
 
-		espeak_ng_STATUS status = espeak_ng_CompileDictionary(path_dsource, dictionary_name, NULL, flag_compile & 0x1);
+		espeak_ng_STATUS status = espeak_ng_CompileDictionary(path_dsource, dictionary_name, NULL, flag_compile & 0x1, &context);
 #else
-		espeak_ng_STATUS status = espeak_ng_CompileDictionary(NULL, dictionary_name, NULL, flag_compile & 0x1);
+		espeak_ng_STATUS status = espeak_ng_CompileDictionary(NULL, dictionary_name, NULL, flag_compile & 0x1, &context);
 #endif
-		return (status == ENS_OK) ? EXIT_SUCCESS : EXIT_FAILURE;
+		if (status != ENS_OK) {
+			espeak_ng_PrintStatusCodeMessage(status, stderr, context);
+			espeak_ng_ClearErrorContext(&context);
+			return EXIT_FAILURE;
+		}
+		return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 	}
 
 	SetParameter(espeakRATE, speed, 0);