diff --git a/include/libssh2.h b/include/libssh2.h
index 1580ba5e..bc4f2d47 100644
--- a/include/libssh2.h
+++ b/include/libssh2.h
@@ -405,6 +405,7 @@ typedef struct _LIBSSH2_POLLFD {
 #define LIBSSH2_ERROR_SOCKET_RECV               -43
 #define LIBSSH2_ERROR_ENCRYPT                   -44
 #define LIBSSH2_ERROR_BAD_SOCKET                -45
+#define LIBSSH2_ERROR_KNOWN_HOSTS               -46
 
 /* this is a define to provide the old (<= 1.2.7) name */
 #define LIBSSH2_ERROR_BANNER_NONE LIBSSH2_ERROR_BANNER_RECV
diff --git a/src/knownhost.c b/src/knownhost.c
index c58dfbb2..1087bc28 100644
--- a/src/knownhost.c
+++ b/src/knownhost.c
@@ -910,8 +910,11 @@ libssh2_knownhost_readfile(LIBSSH2_KNOWNHOSTS *hosts,
     file = fopen(filename, "r");
     if(file) {
         while(fgets(buf, sizeof(buf), file)) {
-            if(libssh2_knownhost_readline(hosts, buf, strlen(buf), type))
+            if(libssh2_knownhost_readline(hosts, buf, strlen(buf), type)) {
+                num = _libssh2_error(hosts->session, LIBSSH2_ERROR_KNOWN_HOSTS,
+                                     "Failed to parse known hosts file");
                 break;
+            }
             num++;
         }
         fclose(file);