diff --git a/src/JsonSchema/Constraints/BaseConstraint.php b/src/JsonSchema/Constraints/BaseConstraint.php
index 9d2ade65..6c4cc42f 100644
--- a/src/JsonSchema/Constraints/BaseConstraint.php
+++ b/src/JsonSchema/Constraints/BaseConstraint.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 namespace JsonSchema\Constraints;
 
 use JsonSchema\Entity\JsonPointer;
+use JsonSchema\Exception\ValidationException;
 
 /**
  * A more basic constraint definition - used for the public
@@ -47,6 +48,10 @@ public function addError(JsonPointer $path = null, $message, $constraint = '', a
             'constraint' => $constraint,
         );
 
+        if ($this->factory->getConfig(Constraint::CHECK_MODE_EXCEPTIONS)) {
+            throw new ValidationException(sprintf("Error validating %s: %s", $error['pointer'], $error['message']));
+        }
+
         if (is_array($more) && count($more) > 0)
         {
             $error += $more;
diff --git a/src/JsonSchema/Constraints/Constraint.php b/src/JsonSchema/Constraints/Constraint.php
index c5170eea..cc12a22c 100644
--- a/src/JsonSchema/Constraints/Constraint.php
+++ b/src/JsonSchema/Constraints/Constraint.php
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ abstract class Constraint extends BaseConstraint implements ConstraintInterface
     const CHECK_MODE_TYPE_CAST =        0x00000002;
     const CHECK_MODE_COERCE_TYPES =     0x00000004;
     const CHECK_MODE_APPLY_DEFAULTS =   0x00000008;
+    const CHECK_MODE_EXCEPTIONS =       0x00000010;
 
     /**
      * Bubble down the path
diff --git a/src/JsonSchema/Exception/ValidationException.php b/src/JsonSchema/Exception/ValidationException.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..65d8849e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/JsonSchema/Exception/ValidationException.php
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the JsonSchema package.
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+ * file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+namespace JsonSchema\Exception;
+
+class ValidationException extends RuntimeException
+{
+}
diff --git a/tests/Constraints/ValidationExceptionTest.php b/tests/Constraints/ValidationExceptionTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8fcbbcef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Constraints/ValidationExceptionTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the JsonSchema package.
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+ * file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+namespace JsonSchema\Tests\Constraints;
+
+use JsonSchema\Validator;
+use JsonSchema\Constraints\Constraint;
+use JsonSchema\Exception\ValidationException;
+
+class ValidationExceptionTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
+{
+    public function testValidationException()
+    {
+        $exception = new ValidationException();
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('\JsonSchema\Exception\ValidationException', $exception);
+
+        $checkValue = json_decode('{"propertyOne": "thisIsNotAnObject"}');
+        $schema = json_decode('{
+            "type": "object",
+            "additionalProperties": false,
+            "properties": {
+                "propertyOne": {
+                    "type": "object"
+                }
+            }
+        }');
+
+        $validator = new Validator();
+
+        try {
+            $validator->validate($checkValue, $schema, Constraint::CHECK_MODE_EXCEPTIONS);
+        } catch (\Exception $e) {
+            $exception = $e;
+        }
+
+        $this->assertEquals(
+            'Error validating /propertyOne: String value found, but an object is required',
+            $exception->getMessage()
+        );
+
+
+        $this->setExpectedException('JsonSchema\Exception\ValidationException');
+        throw $exception;
+        
+    }
+}