diff --git a/lzma-conduit.cabal b/lzma-conduit.cabal
--- a/lzma-conduit.cabal
+++ b/lzma-conduit.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                lzma-conduit
-version:             1.1.3.1
+version:             1.1.3.2
 synopsis:            Conduit interface for lzma/xz compression.
 description:
   High level bindings to xz-utils.
diff --git a/src/Data/Conduit/Lzma.hs b/src/Data/Conduit/Lzma.hs
--- a/src/Data/Conduit/Lzma.hs
+++ b/src/Data/Conduit/Lzma.hs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 import Data.ByteString (ByteString)
 import Data.ByteString.Internal (ByteString(PS))
 import Data.Conduit
+import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe)
 import Foreign
 import Foreign.C.Types (CSize, CUChar)
 
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@
   ret <- fun streamPtr
   if ret == c'LZMA_OK
     then return (streamPtr, buffer)
-    else fail $ name ++ " failed: " ++ prettyRet ret
+    else monadThrow $ userError $ name ++ " failed: " ++ prettyRet ret
 
 easyEncoder
   :: Maybe Int
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@
         (\ (streamPtr, buffer) -> c'lzma_end streamPtr >> free streamPtr >> free buffer)
       codeEnum streamKey streamPtr input
 
-    Nothing -> return ()
+    Nothing -> monadThrow $ userError $ "decompress: invalid empty input"
 
 -- | Compress a 'ByteString' into a xz container stream.
 compress
@@ -107,14 +108,12 @@
   -> Conduit ByteString m ByteString
 compress level = do
   mval <- await
-  case mval of
-    Just input -> do
-      (streamKey, (streamPtr, _)) <- lift $ allocate
-        (initStream "lzma_easy_encoder" (easyEncoder level))
-        (\ (streamPtr, buffer) -> c'lzma_end streamPtr >> free streamPtr >> free buffer)
-      codeEnum streamKey streamPtr input
-
-    Nothing -> return ()
+  process $ fromMaybe B.empty mval
+  where process input = do
+          (streamKey, (streamPtr, _)) <- lift $ allocate
+            (initStream "lzma_easy_encoder" (easyEncoder level))
+            (\ (streamPtr, buffer) -> c'lzma_end streamPtr >> free streamPtr >> free buffer)
+          codeEnum streamKey streamPtr input
 
 lzmaConduit
   :: (MonadResource m)
@@ -196,7 +195,7 @@
       ret <- liftIO $ c'lzma_code streamPtr action
       if ret == c'LZMA_OK || ret == c'LZMA_STREAM_END
         then buildChunks streamKey inputKey streamPtr action ret
-        else fail $ "lzma_code failed: " ++ prettyRet ret
+        else monadThrow $ userError $ "lzma_code failed: " ++ prettyRet ret
 
   -- nothing to do here
   | otherwise = do
diff --git a/tests/Main.hs b/tests/Main.hs
--- a/tests/Main.hs
+++ b/tests/Main.hs
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@
 import qualified Data.ByteString as B
 import qualified Data.Conduit as C
 import qualified Data.Conduit.List as Cl
+import Data.Either (isLeft)
 import Data.List
 import Data.Word
 import Data.Conduit.Lzma
+import System.IO.Error (tryIOError)
 
 main = defaultMain tests
 
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@
 decompressTests =
   [ testProperty "decompressRandom" prop_decompressRandom
   , testProperty "decompressCorrupt" prop_decompressCorrupt
+  , testProperty "decompressEmpty" prop_decompressEmpty
   ]
 
 chainedTests =
@@ -69,13 +72,15 @@
   return $ str == B.concat str'
 
 prop_decompressRandom :: Property
-prop_decompressRandom = expectFailure . monadicIO . forAllM someBigString $ \ str -> do
+prop_decompressRandom = monadicIO . forAllM someBigString $ \ str -> do
   header <- run . runResourceT $ Cl.sourceList [] C.$$ compress Nothing C.=$= Cl.consume
   let blob = header ++ [str]
-  run $ runResourceT $ Cl.sourceList blob C.$$ decompress Nothing C.=$= Cl.sinkNull
+  ioErrorE <- run $
+    tryIOError (runResourceT $ Cl.sourceList blob C.$$ decompress Nothing C.=$= Cl.sinkNull)
+  assert $ isLeft ioErrorE
 
 prop_decompressCorrupt :: Property
-prop_decompressCorrupt = expectFailure . monadicIO . forAllM someBigString $ \ str -> do
+prop_decompressCorrupt = monadicIO . forAllM someBigString $ \ str -> do
   header <- run . runResourceT $ Cl.sourceList [] C.$$ compress Nothing C.=$= Cl.consume
   let header' = B.concat header
   randVal <- pick $ elements [0..255::Word8]
@@ -83,4 +88,14 @@
   let (left, right) = B.splitAt randIdx header'
       updated = left `B.append` (randVal `B.cons` B.tail right)
       blob = [updated, str]
-  run $ runResourceT $ Cl.sourceList blob C.$$ decompress Nothing C.=$= Cl.sinkNull
+  ioErrorE <- run $
+    tryIOError (runResourceT $ Cl.sourceList blob C.$$ decompress Nothing C.=$= Cl.sinkNull)
+  assert $ isLeft ioErrorE
+
+prop_decompressEmpty :: Property
+prop_decompressEmpty = monadicIO . forAllM someBigString $ \ str -> do
+  count <- pick $ elements [0..10]
+  let blob = replicate count B.empty
+  ioErrorE <- run $
+    tryIOError (runResourceT $ Cl.sourceList blob C.$$ decompress Nothing C.=$= Cl.sinkNull)
+  assert $ isLeft ioErrorE