diff --git a/include/sigfn.hpp b/include/sigfn.hpp
index 98f7506..fd1eee6 100644
--- a/include/sigfn.hpp
+++ b/include/sigfn.hpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
 #include "sigfn.h"
 
+#include <stdexcept>
 #include <functional>
 #include <string>
 #include <unordered_map>
@@ -47,32 +48,6 @@ namespace sigfn
     const std::string INVALID_SIGNUM = "sigfn: invalid signal code";
     const std::string INVALID_HANDLER = "sigfn: invalid signal handler";
 
-    /**
-     * @brief sigfn exception
-     *
-     * @class exception allows sigfn error codes to be thrown as exceptions
-     */
-    class DLL_EXPORT exception final : public std::exception
-    {
-    private:
-        std::string _error_message;
-
-    public:
-        /**
-         * @brief create an exception based on a status code
-         *
-         * @param status error code that maps to an error message
-         */
-        exception(int status);
-
-        /**
-         * @brief what override for std::exception
-         * 
-         * @returns null-terminated char buffer containing error message
-         */
-        const char *what() const noexcept override;
-    };
-
     /**
      * @brief attach handler to specific signal using copy semantics
      *
diff --git a/src/sigfn.cpp b/src/sigfn.cpp
index 9c4b1a4..6bc389c 100644
--- a/src/sigfn.cpp
+++ b/src/sigfn.cpp
@@ -22,26 +22,15 @@
 
 #include "sigfn.hpp"
 
-sigfn::exception::exception(int status)
+static std::string error_message(int status)
 {
-    if (status == SIGFN_INVALID_SIGNUM)
-    {
-        _error_message = sigfn::INVALID_SIGNUM;
-    }
-    else if (status == SIGFN_INVALID_HANDLER)
-    {
-        _error_message = sigfn::INVALID_HANDLER;
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        _error_message = "";
-    }
+    const static std::unordered_map<int,std::string> error_messages = {
+        {SIGFN_INVALID_SIGNUM, sigfn::INVALID_SIGNUM},
+        {SIGFN_INVALID_HANDLER, sigfn::INVALID_HANDLER}
+    };
+    return error_messages.at(status);
 }
 
-char const* sigfn::exception::what() const noexcept
-{
-    return _error_message.c_str();
-}
 
 template <class F, class... Arg>
 static void sigfn_wrapped_call(F &&function, Arg... args)
@@ -53,7 +42,7 @@ static void sigfn_wrapped_call(F &&function, Arg... args)
 
     if (status != SIGFN_SUCCESS)
     {
-        throw sigfn::exception(status);
+        throw std::runtime_error(error_message(status));
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index e51a0e5..43a44b3 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,5 +26,4 @@ add_test(NAME test_c_ignore COMMAND unit IGNORE_C)
 add_test(NAME test_c_reset COMMAND unit RESET_C)
 add_test(NAME test_cpp_handle COMMAND unit HANDLE_CPP)
 add_test(NAME test_cpp_ignore COMMAND unit IGNORE_CPP)
-add_test(NAME test_cpp_reset COMMAND unit RESET_CPP)
-add_test(NAME test_cpp_exception COMMAND unit EXCEPTION_CPP)
\ No newline at end of file
+add_test(NAME test_cpp_reset COMMAND unit RESET_CPP)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/unit.cpp b/tests/unit.cpp
index 44dd809..60c4dbb 100644
--- a/tests/unit.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit.cpp
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ static void test_c_reset();
 static void test_cpp_handle();
 static void test_cpp_ignore();
 static void test_cpp_reset();
-static void test_cpp_exception();
 
 static void echo_signum(int signum, void *userdata);
 // GCOV_EXCL_START
@@ -69,7 +68,6 @@ int main(int argc, const char **argv)
         {"HANDLE_CPP", test_cpp_handle},
         {"IGNORE_CPP", test_cpp_ignore},
         {"RESET_CPP", test_cpp_reset},
-        {"EXCEPTION_CPP", test_cpp_exception},
     };
     int result;
     result = PASS;
@@ -78,7 +76,7 @@ int main(int argc, const char **argv)
         try
         {
             const std::function<void()> &unit_test = unit_tests.at(argv[1]);
-                unit_test();
+            unit_test();
         }
         catch (const std::exception &exception)
         {
@@ -179,7 +177,7 @@ void test_cpp_handle()
     }
     catch (const std::exception &e)
     {
-        flag = -1;
+        flag = (e.what() != nullptr) ? -1 : flag;
     }
     TEST_ASSERT(flag == -1);
 
@@ -206,9 +204,9 @@ void test_cpp_ignore()
             {
                 sigfn::ignore(signum);
             }
-            catch (const std::exception &exception)
+            catch (const std::exception &e)
             {
-                has_error = true;
+                has_error = (e.what() != nullptr);
             }
             TEST_ASSERT(expect_error == has_error);
         });
@@ -230,9 +228,9 @@ void test_cpp_reset()
             {
                 sigfn::reset(signum);
             }
-            catch (const std::exception &exception)
+            catch (const std::exception &e)
             {
-                has_error = true;
+                has_error = (e.what() != nullptr);
             }
             TEST_ASSERT(expect_error == has_error);
         });
@@ -240,29 +238,6 @@ void test_cpp_reset()
     try_catch_assert(SIGINT, false);
 }
 
-void test_cpp_exception()
-{
-    const std::function<void(int, const std::string &)> try_catch_assert(
-        [](
-            int status,
-            const std::string &expected_message)
-        {
-            std::string message("replaced by error messgae");
-            try
-            {
-                throw sigfn::exception(status);
-            }
-            catch (const std::exception &exception)
-            {
-                message = exception.what();
-            }
-            TEST_ASSERT(expected_message == message);
-        });
-    try_catch_assert(SIGFN_SUCCESS, "");
-    try_catch_assert(SIGFN_INVALID_SIGNUM, sigfn::INVALID_SIGNUM);
-    try_catch_assert(SIGFN_INVALID_HANDLER, sigfn::INVALID_HANDLER);
-}
-
 void echo_signum(int signum, void *userdata)
 {
     *(int *)userdata = signum;