diff --git a/docs/migration.rst b/docs/migration.rst
index ce7df59..b5cbb0d 100644
--- a/docs/migration.rst
+++ b/docs/migration.rst
@@ -181,6 +181,8 @@ From :mod:`nxt.error`:
   :exc:`DirectProtocolError` and :exc:`SystemProtocolError`.
 - :exc:`!FileNotFound` has been renamed to :exc:`FileNotFoundError`.
 - :exc:`!ModuleNotFound` has been renamed to :exc:`ModuleNotFoundError`.
+- New :exc:`EmptyMailboxError` and :exc:`NoActiveProgramError` have been added
+  as subclasses of :exc:`DirectProtocolError`.
 
 Sensors:
 
diff --git a/nxt/brick.py b/nxt/brick.py
index f365238..034d93a 100644
--- a/nxt/brick.py
+++ b/nxt/brick.py
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ def start_program(self, name):
     def stop_program(self):
         """Stop the running program on the brick.
 
-        :raises nxt.error.DirectProtocolError: When no program is running.
+        :raises nxt.error.NoActiveProgramError: When no program is running.
         """
         tgram = Telegram(Opcode.DIRECT_STOP_PROGRAM)
         self._cmd(tgram)
@@ -655,7 +655,7 @@ def get_current_program_name(self):
 
         :return: Program file name
         :rtype: str
-        :raises nxt.error.DirectProtocolError: When no program is running.
+        :raises nxt.error.NoActiveProgramError: When no program is running.
         """
         tgram = Telegram(Opcode.DIRECT_GET_CURR_PROGRAM)
         tgram = self._cmd(tgram)
@@ -670,7 +670,8 @@ def message_read(self, remote_inbox, local_inbox, remove):
         :param bool remove: Whether to remove the message from the mailbox.
         :return: The read message.
         :rtype: bytes
-        :raises nxt.error.DirectProtocolError: When mailbox is empty.
+        :raises nxt.error.EmptyMailboxError: When mailbox is empty.
+        :raises nxt.error.NoActiveProgramError: When no program is running.
         """
         tgram = Telegram(Opcode.DIRECT_MESSAGE_READ)
         tgram.add_u8(remote_inbox)
diff --git a/nxt/error.py b/nxt/error.py
index 41a89c5..77f3c62 100644
--- a/nxt/error.py
+++ b/nxt/error.py
@@ -50,12 +50,24 @@ class DirectProtocolError(ProtocolError):
     pass
 
 
+class EmptyMailboxError(DirectProtocolError):
+    """Raised when trying to read from empty mailbox."""
+
+    pass
+
+
 class I2CError(DirectProtocolError):
     """Raised on I2C error on a sensor port."""
 
     pass
 
 
+class NoActiveProgramError(DirectProtocolError):
+    """Raised when no program is running."""
+
+    pass
+
+
 class I2CPendingError(I2CError):
     """Raised when an I2C transaction on a sensor port is still in progress."""
 
diff --git a/nxt/telegram.py b/nxt/telegram.py
index 6acd5e2..1b20b40 100644
--- a/nxt/telegram.py
+++ b/nxt/telegram.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ def is_system(self):
 CODES = {
     0x00: None,
     0x20: nxt.error.I2CPendingError("pending communication transaction in progress"),
-    0x40: nxt.error.DirectProtocolError("specified mailbox queue is empty"),
+    0x40: nxt.error.EmptyMailboxError("specified mailbox queue is empty"),
     0x81: nxt.error.SystemProtocolError("no more handles"),
     0x82: nxt.error.SystemProtocolError("no space"),
     0x83: nxt.error.SystemProtocolError("no more files"),
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def is_system(self):
     0xDE: nxt.error.DirectProtocolError("no free memory in communication buffer"),
     0xDF: nxt.error.DirectProtocolError("specified channel/connection is not valid"),
     0xE0: nxt.error.I2CError("specified channel/connection not configured or busy"),
-    0xEC: nxt.error.DirectProtocolError("no active program"),
+    0xEC: nxt.error.NoActiveProgramError("no active program"),
     0xED: nxt.error.DirectProtocolError("illegal size specified"),
     0xEE: nxt.error.DirectProtocolError("illegal mailbox queue ID specified"),
     0xEF: nxt.error.DirectProtocolError(
diff --git a/tests/test_brick.py b/tests/test_brick.py
index db40440..7567b50 100644
--- a/tests/test_brick.py
+++ b/tests/test_brick.py
@@ -303,6 +303,11 @@ def test_stop_program(self, sock, brick):
         brick.stop_program()
         assert sock.mock_calls == sent_recved(bytes.fromhex("0001"))
 
+    def test_stop_program_fail(self, sock, brick):
+        sock.recv.return_value = bytes.fromhex("0201ec")
+        with pytest.raises(nxt.error.NoActiveProgramError):
+            brick.stop_program()
+
     def test_play_sound_file(self, sock, brick):
         brick.play_sound_file(True, "test.rso")
         assert sock.mock_calls == sent(bytes.fromhex("8002 01") + test_rso_bin)
@@ -463,6 +468,11 @@ def test_message_read(self, sock, brick):
         assert local_inbox == 0
         assert message == bytes.fromhex("21222324252627")
 
+    def test_message_read_fail(self, sock, brick):
+        sock.recv.return_value = bytes.fromhex("021340 00 00") + bytes(59)
+        with pytest.raises(nxt.error.EmptyMailboxError):
+            local_inbox, message = brick.message_read(10, 0, True)
+
 
 class TestFilesModules:
     """Test nxt.brick files & modules access."""