diff --git a/src/goto-programs/initialize_goto_model.cpp b/src/goto-programs/initialize_goto_model.cpp
index 4478dd7d856..8cd410c97a8 100644
--- a/src/goto-programs/initialize_goto_model.cpp
+++ b/src/goto-programs/initialize_goto_model.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ Author: Daniel Kroening, kroening@kroening.com
 #include <langapi/language.h>
 
 #include <goto-programs/rebuild_goto_start_function.h>
+#include <util/exception_utils.h>
 
 #include "goto_convert_functions.h"
 #include "read_goto_binary.h"
@@ -36,8 +37,10 @@ goto_modelt initialize_goto_model(
   const std::vector<std::string> &files=cmdline.args;
   if(files.empty())
   {
-    msg.error() << "Please provide a program" << messaget::eom;
-    throw 0;
+    throw invalid_command_line_argument_exceptiont(
+      "missing program argument",
+      "filename",
+      "one or more paths to program files");
   }
 
   std::vector<std::string> binaries, sources;
@@ -69,9 +72,8 @@ goto_modelt initialize_goto_model(
 
       if(!infile)
       {
-        msg.error() << "failed to open input file `" << filename
-          << '\'' << messaget::eom;
-        throw 0;
+        throw system_exceptiont(
+          "Failed to open input file `" + filename + '\'');
       }
 
       language_filet &lf=language_files.add_file(filename);
@@ -79,11 +81,8 @@ goto_modelt initialize_goto_model(
 
       if(lf.language==nullptr)
       {
-        source_locationt location;
-        location.set_file(filename);
-        msg.error().source_location=location;
-        msg.error() << "failed to figure out type of file" << messaget::eom;
-        throw 0;
+        throw invalid_source_file_exceptiont(
+          "Failed to figure out type of file `" + filename + '\'');
       }
 
       languaget &language=*lf.language;
@@ -94,8 +93,7 @@ goto_modelt initialize_goto_model(
 
       if(language.parse(infile, filename))
       {
-        msg.error() << "PARSING ERROR" << messaget::eom;
-        throw 0;
+        throw invalid_source_file_exceptiont("PARSING ERROR");
       }
 
       lf.get_modules();
@@ -105,8 +103,7 @@ goto_modelt initialize_goto_model(
 
     if(language_files.typecheck(goto_model.symbol_table))
     {
-      msg.error() << "CONVERSION ERROR" << messaget::eom;
-      throw 0;
+      throw invalid_source_file_exceptiont("CONVERSION ERROR");
     }
   }
 
@@ -115,7 +112,10 @@ goto_modelt initialize_goto_model(
     msg.status() << "Reading GOTO program from file" << messaget::eom;
 
     if(read_object_and_link(file, goto_model, message_handler))
-      throw 0;
+    {
+      throw invalid_source_file_exceptiont(
+        "failed to read object or link in file `" + file + '\'');
+    }
   }
 
   bool binaries_provided_start=
@@ -150,14 +150,12 @@ goto_modelt initialize_goto_model(
 
   if(entry_point_generation_failed)
   {
-    msg.error() << "SUPPORT FUNCTION GENERATION ERROR" << messaget::eom;
-    throw 0;
+    throw invalid_source_file_exceptiont("SUPPORT FUNCTION GENERATION ERROR");
   }
 
   if(language_files.final(goto_model.symbol_table))
   {
-    msg.error() << "FINAL STAGE CONVERSION ERROR" << messaget::eom;
-    throw 0;
+    throw invalid_source_file_exceptiont("FINAL STAGE CONVERSION ERROR");
   }
 
   msg.status() << "Generating GOTO Program" << messaget::eom;