diff --git a/io/GeotiffSupport.cpp b/io/GeotiffSupport.cpp
index 8649dd8182..a0b0f025a6 100644
--- a/io/GeotiffSupport.cpp
+++ b/io/GeotiffSupport.cpp
@@ -124,6 +124,9 @@ GeotiffSrs::GeotiffSrs(const std::vector<uint8_t>& directoryRec,
     }
 
     ctx.gtiff = GTIFNewSimpleTags(ctx.tiff);
+    if (!ctx.gtiff)
+        throw Geotiff::error("Couldn't create Geotiff tags from "
+            "Geotiff definition.");
 
     GTIFDefn sGTIFDefn;
     if (GTIFGetDefn(ctx.gtiff, &sGTIFDefn))
@@ -145,7 +148,7 @@ GeotiffTags::GeotiffTags(const SpatialReference& srs)
 
     // Set tiff tags from WKT
     if (!GTIFSetFromOGISDefn(ctx.gtiff, srs.getWKT().c_str()))
-        throw error("Could not set m_gtiff from WKT");
+        throw Geotiff::error("Could not set m_gtiff from WKT");
     GTIFWriteKeys(ctx.gtiff);
 
     auto sizeFromType = [](int type, int count) -> size_t
diff --git a/io/GeotiffSupport.hpp b/io/GeotiffSupport.hpp
index 8ae66530bc..aa3e71608d 100644
--- a/io/GeotiffSupport.hpp
+++ b/io/GeotiffSupport.hpp
@@ -39,6 +39,15 @@
 namespace pdal
 {
 
+namespace Geotiff
+{
+    struct error : public std::runtime_error
+    {
+        error(const std::string& err) : std::runtime_error(err)
+        {}
+    };
+}
+
 class GeotiffSrs
 {
 public:
@@ -54,12 +63,6 @@ class GeotiffSrs
 class GeotiffTags
 {
 public:
-    struct error : public std::runtime_error
-    {
-        error(const std::string& err) : std::runtime_error(err)
-        {}
-    };
-
     GeotiffTags(const SpatialReference& srs);
 
     std::vector<uint8_t>& directoryData()
diff --git a/io/LasHeader.cpp b/io/LasHeader.cpp
index 264878066a..c503c018ec 100644
--- a/io/LasHeader.cpp
+++ b/io/LasHeader.cpp
@@ -220,6 +220,11 @@ void LasHeader::setSrs()
         else
             setSrsFromGeotiff();
     }
+    catch (Geotiff::error err)
+    {
+        m_log->get(LogLevel::Error) << "Could not create an SRS: " <<
+            err.what() << std::endl;
+    }
     catch (...)
     {
         m_log->get(LogLevel::Error) << "Could not create an SRS" << std::endl;
diff --git a/io/LasWriter.cpp b/io/LasWriter.cpp
index 5ede8ed26d..8225746367 100644
--- a/io/LasWriter.cpp
+++ b/io/LasWriter.cpp
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ void LasWriter::addGeotiffVlrs()
         addVlr(TRANSFORM_USER_ID, GEOTIFF_ASCII_RECORD_ID,
                 "GeoTiff GeoAsciiParamsTag", tags.asciiData());
     }
-    catch (GeotiffTags::error& err)
+    catch (Geotiff::error& err)
     {
         throwError(err.what());
     }