diff --git a/src/input/ThreadInputStream.cxx b/src/input/ThreadInputStream.cxx
index 8b03373ef..a637102e7 100644
--- a/src/input/ThreadInputStream.cxx
+++ b/src/input/ThreadInputStream.cxx
@@ -64,7 +64,10 @@ ThreadInputStream::ThreadFunc()
 
 	const ScopeLock lock(mutex);
 
-	if (!Open(postponed_error)) {
+	try {
+		Open();
+	} catch (...) {
+		postponed_exception = std::current_exception();
 		cond.broadcast();
 		return;
 	}
@@ -73,25 +76,27 @@ ThreadInputStream::ThreadFunc()
 	SetReady();
 
 	while (!close) {
-		assert(!postponed_error.IsDefined());
+		assert(!postponed_exception);
 
 		auto w = buffer->Write();
 		if (w.IsEmpty()) {
 			wake_cond.wait(mutex);
 		} else {
-			Error error;
 			size_t nbytes;
 
-			{
+			try {
 				const ScopeUnlock unlock(mutex);
-				nbytes = ThreadRead(w.data, w.size, error);
+				nbytes = ThreadRead(w.data, w.size);
+			} catch (...) {
+				postponed_exception = std::current_exception();
+				cond.broadcast();
+				break;
 			}
 
 			cond.broadcast();
 
 			if (nbytes == 0) {
 				eof = true;
-				postponed_error = std::move(error);
 				break;
 			}
 
@@ -110,14 +115,12 @@ ThreadInputStream::ThreadFunc(void *ctx)
 }
 
 bool
-ThreadInputStream::Check(Error &error)
+ThreadInputStream::Check(Error &)
 {
 	assert(!thread.IsInside());
 
-	if (postponed_error.IsDefined()) {
-		error = std::move(postponed_error);
-		return false;
-	}
+	if (postponed_exception)
+		std::rethrow_exception(postponed_exception);
 
 	return true;
 }
@@ -127,19 +130,17 @@ ThreadInputStream::IsAvailable()
 {
 	assert(!thread.IsInside());
 
-	return !buffer->IsEmpty() || eof || postponed_error.IsDefined();
+	return !buffer->IsEmpty() || eof || postponed_exception;
 }
 
 inline size_t
-ThreadInputStream::Read(void *ptr, size_t read_size, Error &error)
+ThreadInputStream::Read(void *ptr, size_t read_size, Error &)
 {
 	assert(!thread.IsInside());
 
 	while (true) {
-		if (postponed_error.IsDefined()) {
-			error = std::move(postponed_error);
-			return 0;
-		}
+		if (postponed_exception)
+			std::rethrow_exception(postponed_exception);
 
 		auto r = buffer->Read();
 		if (!r.IsEmpty()) {
diff --git a/src/input/ThreadInputStream.hxx b/src/input/ThreadInputStream.hxx
index 6ad45545c..5001c070d 100644
--- a/src/input/ThreadInputStream.hxx
+++ b/src/input/ThreadInputStream.hxx
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@
 #include "InputStream.hxx"
 #include "thread/Thread.hxx"
 #include "thread/Cond.hxx"
-#include "util/Error.hxx"
+
+#include <exception>
 
 #include <stdint.h>
 
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ class ThreadInputStream : public InputStream {
 	 */
 	Cond wake_cond;
 
-	Error postponed_error;
+	std::exception_ptr postponed_exception;
 
 	const size_t buffer_size;
 	CircularBuffer<uint8_t> *buffer = nullptr;
@@ -103,9 +104,10 @@ protected:
 	 *
 	 * The #InputStream is locked.  Unlock/relock it if you do a
 	 * blocking operation.
+	 *
+	 * Throws std::runtime_error on error.
 	 */
-	virtual bool Open(gcc_unused Error &error) {
-		return true;
+	virtual void Open() {
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -113,9 +115,11 @@ protected:
 	 *
 	 * The #InputStream is not locked.
 	 *
-	 * @return 0 on end-of-file or on error
+	 * Throws std::runtime_error on error.
+	 *
+	 * @return 0 on end-of-file
 	 */
-	virtual size_t ThreadRead(void *ptr, size_t size, Error &error) = 0;
+	virtual size_t ThreadRead(void *ptr, size_t size) = 0;
 
 	/**
 	 * Optional deinitialization before leaving the thread.
diff --git a/src/input/plugins/MmsInputPlugin.cxx b/src/input/plugins/MmsInputPlugin.cxx
index 9649cc85f..717d0f5fe 100644
--- a/src/input/plugins/MmsInputPlugin.cxx
+++ b/src/input/plugins/MmsInputPlugin.cxx
@@ -21,12 +21,13 @@
 #include "MmsInputPlugin.hxx"
 #include "input/ThreadInputStream.hxx"
 #include "input/InputPlugin.hxx"
+#include "system/Error.hxx"
 #include "util/StringCompare.hxx"
-#include "util/Error.hxx"
-#include "util/Domain.hxx"
 
 #include <libmms/mmsx.h>
 
+#include <stdexcept>
+
 static constexpr size_t MMS_BUFFER_SIZE = 256 * 1024;
 
 class MmsInputStream final : public ThreadInputStream {
@@ -39,27 +40,23 @@ public:
 	}
 
 protected:
-	virtual bool Open(gcc_unused Error &error) override;
-	virtual size_t ThreadRead(void *ptr, size_t size,
-				  Error &error) override;
+	virtual void Open() override;
+	virtual size_t ThreadRead(void *ptr, size_t size) override;
 
 	void Close() override {
 		mmsx_close(mms);
 	}
 };
 
-static constexpr Domain mms_domain("mms");
-
-bool
-MmsInputStream::Open(Error &error)
+void
+MmsInputStream::Open()
 {
 	Unlock();
 
 	mms = mmsx_connect(nullptr, nullptr, GetURI(), 128 * 1024);
 	if (mms == nullptr) {
 		Lock();
-		error.Set(mms_domain, "mmsx_connect() failed");
-		return false;
+		throw std::runtime_error("mmsx_connect() failed");
 	}
 
 	Lock();
@@ -67,7 +64,6 @@ MmsInputStream::Open(Error &error)
 	/* TODO: is this correct?  at least this selects the ffmpeg
 	   decoder, which seems to work fine */
 	SetMimeType("audio/x-ms-wma");
-	return true;
 }
 
 static InputStream *
@@ -86,7 +82,7 @@ input_mms_open(const char *url,
 }
 
 size_t
-MmsInputStream::ThreadRead(void *ptr, size_t read_size, Error &error)
+MmsInputStream::ThreadRead(void *ptr, size_t read_size)
 {
 	/* unfortunately, mmsx_read() blocks until the whole buffer
 	   has been filled; to avoid big latencies, limit the size of
@@ -98,7 +94,7 @@ MmsInputStream::ThreadRead(void *ptr, size_t read_size, Error &error)
 	int nbytes = mmsx_read(nullptr, mms, (char *)ptr, read_size);
 	if (nbytes <= 0) {
 		if (nbytes < 0)
-			error.SetErrno("mmsx_read() failed");
+			throw MakeErrno("mmsx_read() failed");
 		return 0;
 	}