diff --git a/Shellac-editline.cabal b/Shellac-editline.cabal
--- a/Shellac-editline.cabal
+++ b/Shellac-editline.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:           Shellac-editline
-Version:        0.9
+Version:        0.9.5
 Cabal-version:  >= 1.2
 Build-type:     Simple
 Author:         Robert Dockins
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
    src
 Build-Depends:
    base, haskell98,
-   editline >= 0.2,
+   editline >= 0.2.1,
    Shellac >= 0.9
 Exposed-modules:
    System.Console.Shell.Backend.Editline
diff --git a/src/System/Console/Shell/Backend/Editline.hs b/src/System/Console/Shell/Backend/Editline.hs
--- a/src/System/Console/Shell/Backend/Editline.hs
+++ b/src/System/Console/Shell/Backend/Editline.hs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
                             , hSetBuffering, hGetBuffering
                             , BufferMode(..)
                             )
+import System.IO.Error      ( mkIOError, userErrorType )
 
 import qualified Control.Exception as Ex
 import System.Console.Editline
@@ -45,8 +46,8 @@
   , clearHistoryState                = \_ -> EL.clearHistory
   , setMaxHistoryEntries             = \_ -> EL.stifleHistory
   , getMaxHistoryEntries             = \_ -> EL.historyMaxEntries
-  , readHistory                      = \_ -> EL.readHistory
-  , writeHistory                     = \_ -> EL.writeHistory
+  , readHistory                      = \_ -> editlineReadHistory
+  , writeHistory                     = \_ -> editlineWriteHistory
   }
 
 
@@ -75,3 +76,24 @@
 editlineOutput (RegularOutput str)  = hPutStr stdout str
 editlineOutput (InfoOutput str)     = hPutStr stdout str
 editlineOutput (ErrorOutput str)    = hPutStr stderr str
+
+
+editlineReadHistory :: FilePath -> IO ()
+editlineReadHistory p = do
+   x <- EL.readHistory p
+   if x then return ()
+    else ioError $ mkIOError
+            userErrorType
+            "System.Console.Shell.Backend.Editline.editlineReadHistory"
+	    Nothing
+            (Just p)
+
+editlineWriteHistory :: FilePath -> IO ()
+editlineWriteHistory p = do
+   x <- EL.writeHistory p
+   if x then return ()
+    else ioError $ mkIOError
+            userErrorType
+            "System.Console.Shell.Backend.Editline.editlineWriteHistory"
+	    Nothing
+            (Just p)