diff --git a/ChangeLog.md b/ChangeLog.md
--- a/ChangeLog.md
+++ b/ChangeLog.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## 0.1.7
+
+`withCheckedProcess` added.
+
 ## 0.1.6
 
 Provide `appCloseConnection` to get the underlying connection from an `AppData`.
diff --git a/Data/Streaming/Process.hs b/Data/Streaming/Process.hs
--- a/Data/Streaming/Process.hs
+++ b/Data/Streaming/Process.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE DeriveDataTypeable #-}
 -- | A full tutorial for this module is available on FP School of Haskell:
 -- <https://www.fpcomplete.com/user/snoyberg/library-documentation/data-conduit-process>.
 --
@@ -22,6 +23,9 @@
       -- * Type classes
     , InputSource
     , OutputSink
+      -- * Checked processes
+    , withCheckedProcess
+    , ProcessExitedUnsuccessfully (..)
       -- * Reexport
     , module System.Process
     ) where
@@ -31,10 +35,12 @@
 import           Control.Concurrent.STM          (STM, TMVar, atomically,
                                                   newEmptyTMVar, putTMVar,
                                                   readTMVar)
+import           Control.Exception               (Exception, throwIO)
 import           Control.Monad.IO.Class          (MonadIO, liftIO)
 import           Data.Maybe                      (fromMaybe)
 import           Data.Streaming.Process.Internal
-import           System.Exit                     (ExitCode)
+import           Data.Typeable                   (Typeable)
+import           System.Exit                     (ExitCode (ExitSuccess))
 import           System.IO                       (hClose)
 import           System.Process
 
@@ -150,3 +156,42 @@
         <*> getStdout stdoutH
         <*> getStderr stderrH
         <*> return (StreamingProcessHandle ph ec)
+
+-- | Indicates that a process exited with an non-success exit code.
+--
+-- Since 0.1.7
+data ProcessExitedUnsuccessfully = ProcessExitedUnsuccessfully CreateProcess ExitCode
+    deriving Typeable
+instance Show ProcessExitedUnsuccessfully where
+    show (ProcessExitedUnsuccessfully cp ec) = concat
+        [ "Process exited with "
+        , show ec
+        , ": "
+        , showCmdSpec (cmdspec cp)
+        ]
+      where
+        showCmdSpec (ShellCommand str) = str
+        showCmdSpec (RawCommand x xs) = unwords (x:xs)
+instance Exception ProcessExitedUnsuccessfully
+
+-- | Run a process and supply its streams to the given callback function. After
+-- the callback completes, wait for the process to complete and check its exit
+-- code. If the exit code is not a success, throw a
+-- 'ProcessExitedUnsuccessfully'.
+--
+-- Since 0.1.7
+withCheckedProcess :: ( InputSource stdin
+                      , OutputSink stderr
+                      , OutputSink stdout
+                      , MonadIO m
+                      )
+                   => CreateProcess
+                   -> (stdin -> stdout -> stderr -> m b)
+                   -> m b
+withCheckedProcess cp f = do
+    (x, y, z, sph) <- streamingProcess cp
+    res <- f x y z
+    ec <- waitForStreamingProcess sph
+    if ec == ExitSuccess
+        then return res
+        else liftIO $ throwIO $ ProcessExitedUnsuccessfully cp ec
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+streaming-commons
+=================
+
+Common lower-level functions needed by various streaming data libraries.
+Intended to be shared by libraries like conduit and pipes.
+
+[![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/fpco/streaming-commons.svg)](https://travis-ci.org/fpco/streaming-commons)
+
+Dependencies
+------------
+
+One of the requirements of this package is to restrict ourselves to "core"
+dependencies. The definition of core is still to be decided, but here's a
+working start:
+
+* *No* dependency on system libraries, beyond that which is required by other
+  dependencies.
+* Anything which ships with GHC. *However*, we must retain compatibility with
+  versions of those packages going back to at least GHC 7.4, and preferably
+  earlier.
+* text, once again with backwards compatibility for versions included with
+  legacy Haskell Platform. In other words, 0.11.2 support is required.
+* network, support back to 2.3. We do *not* need to support the
+  network/network-bytestring split.
+* stm, preferably all the way back to 2.1.
+* transformers
+
+For debate:
+
+* Other Haskell Platform packages, especially vector and attoparsec.
diff --git a/streaming-commons.cabal b/streaming-commons.cabal
--- a/streaming-commons.cabal
+++ b/streaming-commons.cabal
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 name:                streaming-commons
-version:             0.1.6
+version:             0.1.7
 synopsis:            Common lower-level functions needed by various streaming data libraries
 description:         Provides low-dependency functionality commonly needed by various streaming data libraries, such as conduit and pipes.
 homepage:            https://github.com/fpco/streaming-commons
 license:             MIT
 license-file:        LICENSE
-author:              Michael Snoyman, Gabriel Gonzalez
+author:              Michael Snoyman
 maintainer:          michael@snoyman.com
 -- copyright:           
 category:            Data
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
     cbits/*.c
     test/LICENSE.gz
     ChangeLog.md
+    README.md
 
 library
   exposed-modules:     Data.Streaming.Blaze