diff --git a/src/utils/error_monad.ml b/src/utils/error_monad.ml
index f689b8410..8ff3375ae 100644
--- a/src/utils/error_monad.ml
+++ b/src/utils/error_monad.ml
@@ -174,6 +174,11 @@ module Make() = struct
 
   let fail s = Lwt.return (Error [ s ])
 
+  let protect ~on_error t =
+    t >>= function
+    | Ok res -> return res
+    | Error err -> on_error err
+
   let (>>?) v f =
     match v with
     | Error _ as err -> err
@@ -286,6 +291,9 @@ module Make() = struct
   let fail_unless cond exn =
     if cond then return () else fail exn
 
+  let unless cond f =
+    if cond then return () else f ()
+
   let pp_print_error ppf errors =
     Format.fprintf ppf "@[<v 2>Error, dumping error stack:@,%a@]@."
       (Format.pp_print_list pp)
@@ -332,15 +340,20 @@ let error_exn s = Error [ Exn s ]
 let trace_exn exn f = trace (Exn exn) f
 let record_trace_exn exn f = record_trace (Exn exn) f
 
+let pp_exn ppf exn = pp ppf (Exn exn)
+
 let () =
   register_error_kind
     `Temporary
     ~id:"failure"
     ~title:"Generic error"
     ~description:"Unclassified error"
+    ~pp:Format.pp_print_string
     Data_encoding.(obj1 (req "msg" string))
     (function
       | Exn (Failure msg) -> Some msg
+      | Exn (Unix.Unix_error (err, fn, _)) ->
+          Some ("Unix error in " ^ fn ^ ": " ^ Unix.error_message err)
       | Exn exn -> Some (Printexc.to_string exn)
       | _ -> None)
     (fun msg -> Exn (Failure msg))
diff --git a/src/utils/error_monad.mli b/src/utils/error_monad.mli
index 4b3f0e1b4..11e607101 100644
--- a/src/utils/error_monad.mli
+++ b/src/utils/error_monad.mli
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ val failwith :
 val error_exn : exn -> 'a tzresult
 val record_trace_exn : exn -> 'a tzresult -> 'a tzresult
 val trace_exn : exn -> 'b tzresult Lwt.t -> 'b tzresult Lwt.t
+val pp_exn : Format.formatter -> exn -> unit
 
 type error += Exn of exn
 type error += Unclassified of string
diff --git a/src/utils/error_monad_sig.ml b/src/utils/error_monad_sig.ml
index 02964ae79..493d3f000 100644
--- a/src/utils/error_monad_sig.ml
+++ b/src/utils/error_monad_sig.ml
@@ -100,6 +100,12 @@ module type S = sig
   (** Erroneous return on failed assertion *)
   val fail_unless : bool -> error -> unit tzresult Lwt.t
 
+  val unless : bool -> (unit -> unit tzresult Lwt.t) -> unit tzresult Lwt.t
+
+  val protect :
+    on_error: (error list -> 'a tzresult Lwt.t) ->
+    'a tzresult Lwt.t -> 'a tzresult Lwt.t
+
   (** {2 In-monad list iterators} ********************************************)
 
   (** A {!List.iter} in the monad *)