diff --git a/examples/hello.rs b/examples/hello.rs
index 8152b14..3271809 100644
--- a/examples/hello.rs
+++ b/examples/hello.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ use std::{
 use io_lifetimes::{AsFd, FromFd, OwnedFd};
 
 #[cfg(windows)]
-use io_lifetimes::{AsHandle, FromHandle, OwnedHandle};
+use io_lifetimes::{AsHandle, FromHandle, InvalidHandleError, OwnedHandle};
 #[cfg(windows)]
 use std::{convert::TryInto, os::windows::io::RawHandle, ptr::null_mut};
 
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ fn main() -> io::Result<()> {
             null_mut() as RawHandle as HANDLE,
         )
         .try_into()
-        .map_err(|()| io::Error::last_os_error())?;
+        .map_err(|_err| io::Error::last_os_error())?;
 
         // Borrow the handle to write to it.
         let mut number_of_bytes_written = 0;
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 4783839..1094a5b 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -56,7 +56,10 @@ pub use traits::{FromHandle, FromSocket, IntoHandle, IntoSocket};
 pub use types::{BorrowedFd, OwnedFd};
 #[cfg(not(io_lifetimes_use_std))]
 #[cfg(windows)]
-pub use types::{BorrowedHandle, BorrowedSocket, HandleOrInvalid, OwnedHandle, OwnedSocket};
+pub use types::{
+    BorrowedHandle, BorrowedSocket, HandleOrInvalid, InvalidHandleError, NullHandleError,
+    OwnedHandle, OwnedSocket,
+};
 
 #[cfg(io_lifetimes_use_std)]
 #[cfg(unix)]
@@ -67,7 +70,8 @@ pub use std::os::wasi::io::{AsFd, BorrowedFd, OwnedFd};
 #[cfg(io_lifetimes_use_std)]
 #[cfg(windows)]
 pub use std::os::windows::io::{
-    AsHandle, AsSocket, BorrowedHandle, BorrowedSocket, HandleOrInvalid, OwnedHandle, OwnedSocket,
+    AsHandle, AsSocket, BorrowedHandle, BorrowedSocket, HandleOrInvalid, InvalidHandleError,
+    NullHandleError, OwnedHandle, OwnedSocket,
 };
 
 // io-lifetimes defined `FromFd`/`IntoFd` traits instead of just using
diff --git a/src/types.rs b/src/types.rs
index d68d71a..e9605af 100644
--- a/src/types.rs
+++ b/src/types.rs
@@ -484,17 +484,17 @@ impl BorrowedSocket<'_> {
 
 #[cfg(windows)]
 impl TryFrom<HandleOrInvalid> for OwnedHandle {
-    type Error = ();
+    type Error = InvalidHandleError;
 
     #[inline]
-    fn try_from(handle_or_invalid: HandleOrInvalid) -> Result<Self, ()> {
+    fn try_from(handle_or_invalid: HandleOrInvalid) -> Result<Self, InvalidHandleError> {
         let raw = handle_or_invalid.0;
         if raw as HANDLE == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE {
             // Don't call `CloseHandle`; it'd be harmless, except that it could
             // overwrite the `GetLastError` error.
             forget(handle_or_invalid);
 
-            Err(())
+            Err(InvalidHandleError(()))
         } else {
             Ok(OwnedHandle { handle: raw })
         }
@@ -503,23 +503,51 @@ impl TryFrom<HandleOrInvalid> for OwnedHandle {
 
 #[cfg(windows)]
 impl TryFrom<HandleOrNull> for OwnedHandle {
-    type Error = ();
+    type Error = NullHandleError;
 
     #[inline]
-    fn try_from(handle_or_null: HandleOrNull) -> Result<Self, ()> {
+    fn try_from(handle_or_null: HandleOrNull) -> Result<Self, NullHandleError> {
         let raw = handle_or_null.0;
         if raw.is_null() {
             // Don't call `CloseHandle`; it'd be harmless, except that it could
             // overwrite the `GetLastError` error.
             forget(handle_or_null);
 
-            Err(())
+            Err(NullHandleError(()))
         } else {
             Ok(OwnedHandle { handle: raw })
         }
     }
 }
 
+/// This is the error type used by [`HandleOrNull`] when attempting to convert
+/// into a handle, to indicate that the value is null.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct NullHandleError(());
+
+impl fmt::Display for NullHandleError {
+    fn fmt(&self, fmt: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        "A HandleOrNull could not be converted to a handle because it was null".fmt(fmt)
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::error::Error for NullHandleError {}
+
+/// This is the error type used by [`HandleOrInvalid`] when attempting to
+/// convert into a handle, to indicate that the value is
+/// `INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE`.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct InvalidHandleError(());
+
+impl fmt::Display for InvalidHandleError {
+    fn fmt(&self, fmt: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        "A HandleOrInvalid could not be converted to a handle because it was INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE"
+            .fmt(fmt)
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::error::Error for InvalidHandleError {}
+
 #[cfg(any(unix, target_os = "wasi"))]
 impl AsRawFd for BorrowedFd<'_> {
     #[inline]
diff --git a/tests/ffi.rs b/tests/ffi.rs
index e4a38d1..af03efe 100644
--- a/tests/ffi.rs
+++ b/tests/ffi.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #[cfg(any(unix, windows))]
 use io_lifetimes::example_ffi::*;
 #[cfg(windows)]
-use io_lifetimes::OwnedHandle;
+use io_lifetimes::{InvalidHandleError, OwnedHandle};
 #[cfg(windows)]
 use std::{convert::TryInto, os::windows::io::RawHandle, ptr::null_mut};
 #[cfg(windows)]
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ fn test_file_not_found() {
 #[cfg(windows)]
 #[test]
 fn test_file_not_found() {
-    let handle: Result<OwnedHandle, ()> = unsafe {
+    let handle: Result<OwnedHandle, InvalidHandleError> = unsafe {
         CreateFileW(
             [
                 'C' as u16, ':' as _, '/' as _, 'n' as _, 'o' as _, '/' as _, 's' as _, 'u' as _,
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ fn test_file_found() {
 #[cfg(windows)]
 #[test]
 fn test_file_found() {
-    let handle: Result<OwnedHandle, ()> = unsafe {
+    let handle: Result<OwnedHandle, InvalidHandleError> = unsafe {
         CreateFileW(
             [
                 'C' as u16, 'a' as _, 'r' as _, 'g' as _, 'o' as _, '.' as _, 't' as _, 'o' as _,