diff --git a/src/device/cuda/atomics.jl b/src/device/cuda/atomics.jl
index 7f7661d6..43a4115a 100644
--- a/src/device/cuda/atomics.jl
+++ b/src/device/cuda/atomics.jl
@@ -299,6 +299,10 @@ const inplace_ops = Dict(
     :(⊻=) => :(⊻)
 )
 
+struct AtomicError <: Exception
+    msg::AbstractString
+end
+
 """
     @atomic a[I] = op(a[I], val)
     @atomic a[I] ...= val
@@ -319,10 +323,10 @@ macro atomic(ex)
     if ex.head == :(=)
         ref = ex.args[1]
         rhs = ex.args[2]
-        rhs.head == :call || error("right-hand side of an @atomic assignment should be a call")
+        Meta.isexpr(rhs, :call) || throw(AtomicError("right-hand side of an @atomic assignment should be a call"))
         op = rhs.args[1]
         if rhs.args[2] != ref
-            error("non-inplace @atomic assignment should reference the same array elements")
+            throw(AtomicError("right-hand side of a non-inplace @atomic assignment should reference the left-hand side"))
         end
         val = rhs.args[3]
     elseif haskey(inplace_ops, ex.head)
@@ -330,13 +334,11 @@ macro atomic(ex)
         ref = ex.args[1]
         val = ex.args[2]
     else
-        error("unknown @atomic expression")
+        throw(AtomicError("unknown @atomic expression"))
     end
 
     # decode array expression
-    if ref.head != :ref
-        error("@atomic should be applied to an array reference expression")
-    end
+    Meta.isexpr(ref, :ref) || throw(AtomicError("@atomic should be applied to an array reference expression"))
     array = ref.args[1]
     indices = Expr(:tuple, ref.args[2:end]...)
 
diff --git a/test/device/cuda.jl b/test/device/cuda.jl
index aa54166e..3f358e80 100644
--- a/test/device/cuda.jl
+++ b/test/device/cuda.jl
@@ -1100,6 +1100,29 @@ end
     end
 end
 
+@testset "macro" begin
+    using CUDAnative: AtomicError
+
+    @test_throws_macro AtomicError("right-hand side of an @atomic assignment should be a call") @macroexpand begin
+        @atomic a[1] = 1
+    end
+    @test_throws_macro AtomicError("right-hand side of an @atomic assignment should be a call") @macroexpand begin
+        @atomic a[1] = b ? 1 : 2
+    end
+
+    @test_throws_macro AtomicError("right-hand side of a non-inplace @atomic assignment should reference the left-hand side") @macroexpand begin
+        @atomic a[1] = a[2] + 1
+    end
+
+    @test_throws_macro AtomicError("unknown @atomic expression") @macroexpand begin
+        @atomic wat(a[1])
+    end
+
+    @test_throws_macro AtomicError("@atomic should be applied to an array reference expression") @macroexpand begin
+        @atomic a = a + 1
+    end
+end
+
 end
 
 ############################################################################################
diff --git a/test/util.jl b/test/util.jl
index 39e2bcc8..eab61100 100644
--- a/test/util.jl
+++ b/test/util.jl
@@ -17,6 +17,20 @@ macro test_throws_message(f, typ, ex...)
     end
 end
 
+# @test_throw, peeking into the load error for testing macro errors
+macro test_throws_macro(ty, ex)
+    return quote
+        Test.@test_throws $(esc(ty)) try
+            $(esc(ex))
+        catch err
+            @test err isa LoadError
+            @test err.file === $(string(__source__.file))
+            @test err.line === $(__source__.line + 1)
+            rethrow(err.error)
+        end
+    end
+end
+
 # NOTE: based on test/pkg.jl::capture_stdout, but doesn't discard exceptions
 macro grab_output(ex)
     quote