diff --git a/src/libmain/shared.cc b/src/libmain/shared.cc
index f7ab56271..8551eb048 100644
--- a/src/libmain/shared.cc
+++ b/src/libmain/shared.cc
@@ -281,6 +281,8 @@ int handleExceptions(const string & programName, std::function<void()> fun)
 {
     ReceiveInterrupts receiveInterrupts; // FIXME: need better place for this
 
+    ErrorInfo::programName = programName;
+
     string error = ANSI_RED "error:" ANSI_NORMAL " ";
     try {
         try {
@@ -296,12 +298,15 @@ int handleExceptions(const string & programName, std::function<void()> fun)
     } catch (Exit & e) {
         return e.status;
     } catch (UsageError & e) {
+        // TODO: switch to logError
+        // logError(e.info());
         printError(
-            format(error + "%1%\nTry '%2% --help' for more information.")
+            format("%1%\nTry '%2% --help' for more information.")
             % e.what() % programName);
         return 1;
     } catch (BaseError & e) {
-        printError(error + "%1%%2%", (settings.showTrace ? e.prefix() : ""), e.msg());
+        // logError(e.info());
+        printError("%1%%2%", (settings.showTrace ? e.prefix() : ""), e.msg());
         if (e.prefix() != "" && !settings.showTrace)
             printError("(use '--show-trace' to show detailed location information)");
         return e.status;
diff --git a/src/libutil/error.cc b/src/libutil/error.cc
index c6bca7135..20b97ea3d 100644
--- a/src/libutil/error.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/error.cc
@@ -7,6 +7,24 @@
 namespace nix
 {
 
+
+const std::string nativeSystem = SYSTEM;
+
+
+BaseError & BaseError::addPrefix(const FormatOrString & fs)
+{
+    prefix_ = fs.s + prefix_;
+    return *this;
+}
+
+
+std::string SysError::addErrno(const std::string & s)
+{
+    errNo = errno;
+    return s + ": " + strerror(errNo);
+}
+
+
 std::optional<string> ErrorInfo::programName = std::nullopt;
 
 std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream &os, const hintformat &hf)
diff --git a/src/libutil/types.hh b/src/libutil/types.hh
index 141bc6b3c..f11256f61 100644
--- a/src/libutil/types.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/types.hh
@@ -5,20 +5,8 @@
 
 #include <list>
 #include <set>
-#include <memory>
 #include <map>
-#include <optional>
 
-#include "fmt.hh"
-
-/* Before 4.7, gcc's std::exception uses empty throw() specifiers for
- * its (virtual) destructor and what() in c++11 mode, in violation of spec
- */
-#ifdef __GNUC__
-#if __GNUC__ < 4 || (__GNUC__ == 4 && __GNUC_MINOR__ < 7)
-#define EXCEPTION_NEEDS_THROW_SPEC
-#endif
-#endif
 
 namespace nix {
 
@@ -26,144 +14,13 @@ using std::list;
 using std::set;
 using std::vector;
 
-typedef enum {
-    lvlError = 0,
-    lvlWarn,
-    lvlInfo,
-    lvlTalkative,
-    lvlChatty,
-    lvlDebug,
-    lvlVomit
-} Verbosity;
-
-struct ErrPos
-{
-    int line;
-    int column;
-    string file;
-
-    template <class P>
-    ErrPos& operator=(const P &pos)
-    {
-        line = pos.line;
-        column = pos.column;
-        file = pos.file;
-        return *this;
-    }
-
-    template <class P>
-    ErrPos(const P &p)
-    {
-      *this = p;
-    }
-};
-
-struct NixCode
-{
-    ErrPos errPos;
-    std::optional<string> prevLineOfCode;
-    string errLineOfCode;
-    std::optional<string> nextLineOfCode;
-};
-
-// -------------------------------------------------
-// ErrorInfo.
-struct ErrorInfo
-{
-    Verbosity level;
-    string name;
-    string description;
-    std::optional<hintformat> hint;
-    std::optional<NixCode> nixCode;
-
-    static std::optional<string> programName;
-};
-
-std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream &out, const ErrorInfo &einfo);
-
-/* BaseError should generally not be caught, as it has Interrupted as
-   a subclass. Catch Error instead. */
-class BaseError : public std::exception
-{
-protected:
-    string prefix_; // used for location traces etc.
-    ErrorInfo err;
-    string what_;
-    void initWhat() 
-    {
-      std::ostringstream oss;
-      oss << err;
-      what_ = oss.str();
-    }
-public:
-    unsigned int status = 1; // exit status
-
-    template<typename... Args>
-    BaseError(unsigned int status, const Args & ... args)
-        : err { .level = lvlError,
-                .hint = hintfmt(args...)
-              }
-        , status(status)
-    { initWhat(); }
-
-    template<typename... Args>
-    BaseError(const Args & ... args)
-        : err { .level = lvlError, 
-                .hint = hintfmt(args...)
-              }
-    { initWhat(); }
-
-    BaseError(ErrorInfo e)
-        : err(e)
-    { initWhat(); }
-
-#ifdef EXCEPTION_NEEDS_THROW_SPEC
-    ~BaseError() throw () { };
-    const char * what() const throw () { return what_.c_str(); }
-#else
-    const char * what() const noexcept { return what_.c_str(); }
-#endif
-
-    const string & msg() const { return what_; }
-    const string & prefix() const { return prefix_; }
-    BaseError & addPrefix(const FormatOrString & fs);
-
-    const ErrorInfo & info() const { return err; }
-};
-
-#define MakeError(newClass, superClass) \
-    class newClass : public superClass                  \
-    {                                                   \
-    public:                                             \
-        using superClass::superClass;                   \
-    }
-
-MakeError(Error, BaseError);
-
-class SysError : public Error
-{
-public:
-    int errNo;
-
-    template<typename... Args>
-    SysError(const Args & ... args)
-        : Error(args...)  // TODO addErrNo for hintfmt
-        // : Error(addErrno(hintfmt(args...)))
-    { }
-
-private:
-
-    std::string addErrno(const std::string & s);
-};
-
-
-typedef list<string> Strings;
-typedef set<string> StringSet;
+typedef list<std::string> Strings;
+typedef set<std::string> StringSet;
 typedef std::map<std::string, std::string> StringMap;
 
-
 /* Paths are just strings. */
-typedef string Path;
+
+typedef std::string Path;
 typedef list<Path> Paths;
 typedef set<Path> PathSet;
 
diff --git a/src/libutil/util.cc b/src/libutil/util.cc
index bffcbcccf..747a9e991 100644
--- a/src/libutil/util.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/util.cc
@@ -40,24 +40,6 @@ extern char * * environ;
 
 namespace nix {
 
-
-const std::string nativeSystem = SYSTEM;
-
-
-BaseError & BaseError::addPrefix(const FormatOrString & fs)
-{
-    prefix_ = fs.s + prefix_;
-    return *this;
-}
-
-
-std::string SysError::addErrno(const std::string & s)
-{
-    errNo = errno;
-    return s + ": " + strerror(errNo);
-}
-
-
 std::optional<std::string> getEnv(const std::string & key)
 {
     char * value = getenv(key.c_str());
diff --git a/src/libutil/util.hh b/src/libutil/util.hh
index 636f3ba6c..978e14a30 100644
--- a/src/libutil/util.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/util.hh
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "types.hh"
+#include "error.hh"
 #include "logging.hh"
 #include "ansicolor.hh"