diff --git a/vtkm/cont/Error.h b/vtkm/cont/Error.h
index 4a7692ce7..41fcb1e95 100644
--- a/vtkm/cont/Error.h
+++ b/vtkm/cont/Error.h
@@ -24,14 +24,17 @@
 // templated.  If there is any reason to create a VTKm control library,
 // this class and its subclasses should probably go there.
 
+#include <exception>
 #include <string>
 
+#include <vtkm/internal/ExportMacros.h> // For VTKM_OVERRIDE
+
 namespace vtkm {
 namespace cont {
 
 /// The superclass of all exceptions thrown by any VTKm function or method.
 ///
-class Error
+class Error : public std::exception
 {
 public:
 //See note about GetMessage macro below.
@@ -47,6 +50,12 @@ public:
   const std::string &GetMessageW() const { return this->Message; }
 #endif
 
+  // For std::exception compatibility:
+  const char* what() const VTKM_NOEXCEPT VTKM_OVERRIDE
+  {
+    return this->Message.c_str();
+  }
+
 protected:
   Error() { }
   Error(const std::string message) : Message(message) { }
diff --git a/vtkm/internal/ExportMacros.h b/vtkm/internal/ExportMacros.h
index 05256f903..9f0466a7e 100644
--- a/vtkm/internal/ExportMacros.h
+++ b/vtkm/internal/ExportMacros.h
@@ -48,8 +48,10 @@
 // sure when that we gracefully fall back to just const when using 2013
 #if defined(VTKM_MSVC) && _MSC_VER < 1900
 #define VTKM_CONSTEXPR const
+#define VTKM_NOEXCEPT
 #else
 #define VTKM_CONSTEXPR constexpr
+#define VTKM_NOEXCEPT noexcept
 #endif
 
 #define VTKM_OVERRIDE override