diff --git a/src/internal/mana_c_api.h b/src/internal/mana_c_api.h
index e9af781..2afc5ad 100644
--- a/src/internal/mana_c_api.h
+++ b/src/internal/mana_c_api.h
@@ -33,13 +33,28 @@ extern "C"
         size_t size_bytes;
     } mana_offset_array_t;
 
+    typedef enum
+    {
+        mana_status_ok,
+        mana_status_invalid_argument,
+        mana_status_internal_error,
+    } mana_status_code_t;
+
+    typedef struct
+    {
+        mana_status_code_t code;
+        char message[256];
+    } mana_status_t;
+
 #define MANA_DEFINE_PLUGIN_INIT(name) void *name(int plugin_argc, const char **plugin_argv)
 
 #define MANA_DEFINE_PLUGIN_SHUTDOWN(name) void name(void *context)
 
-#define MANA_DEFINE_PLUGIN_BEGIN_RUN(name) void name(void *context, const char *descriptor_json)
+#define MANA_DEFINE_PLUGIN_BEGIN_RUN(name)                                                         \
+    mana_status_t name(void *context, const char *descriptor_json)
 
-#define MANA_DEFINE_PLUGIN_END_RUN(name) void name(void *context, const char *descriptor_json)
+#define MANA_DEFINE_PLUGIN_END_RUN(name)                                                           \
+    mana_status_t name(void *context, const char *descriptor_json)
 
 #define MANA_DEFINE_PLUGIN_EVENT_DATA(name)                                                        \
     void name(void *context, uint16_t eventIndex, mana_offset_array_t *arrays, size_t arrayCount,  \
diff --git a/src/internal/mana_lib.hpp b/src/internal/mana_lib.hpp
index ebba36d..eb2e3fe 100644
--- a/src/internal/mana_lib.hpp
+++ b/src/internal/mana_lib.hpp
@@ -230,6 +230,16 @@ inline std::string to_string(const ManaSinkPerfProxy::Perf &perf)
                        totalHits, MiB, elapsed_s, hit_s, MiB_s);
 }
 
+struct mana_c_error: public std::exception
+{
+    mana_status_t status;
+    mana_c_error(const mana_status_t &status_)
+        : status(status_)
+    {
+    }
+    const char *what() const noexcept override { return status.message; }
+};
+
 // wraps a mana_api.h mana_sink_plugin_t instance
 struct ManaCSink: public IManaSink
 {
@@ -248,17 +258,27 @@ struct ManaCSink: public IManaSink
 
     void begin_run(const char *descriptor_json) override
     {
-        plugin_.begin_run(context_, descriptor_json);
+        if (auto status = plugin_.begin_run(context_, descriptor_json);
+            status.code != mana_status_ok)
+        {
+            throw mana_c_error(status);
+        }
     }
+
     void end_run(const char *descriptor_json) override
     {
-        plugin_.end_run(context_, descriptor_json);
+        if (auto status = plugin_.end_run(context_, descriptor_json); status.code != mana_status_ok)
+        {
+            throw mana_c_error(status);
+        }
     }
+
     void process_event(uint16_t eventIndex, mana_offset_array_t *arrays, size_t arrayCount,
                        size_t totalBytes) override
     {
         plugin_.process_event(context_, eventIndex, arrays, arrayCount, totalBytes);
     }
+
     void process_system_event(const uint32_t *data, size_t size) override
     {
         plugin_.process_system_event(context_, data, size);
diff --git a/src/mana_plugin_c_test.c b/src/mana_plugin_c_test.c
index aea1350..1973912 100644
--- a/src/mana_plugin_c_test.c
+++ b/src/mana_plugin_c_test.c
@@ -27,12 +27,20 @@ MANA_DEFINE_PLUGIN_BEGIN_RUN(begin_run)
     log_info("begin_run: ctx=%p", context);
     /* pretty useless as the json needs to be parsed back into some c structure describing the input
      */
+    mana_status_t result;
+    result.code = mana_status_ok;
+    strncpy(result.message, "ok", sizeof(result.message));
+    return result;
 }
 
 MANA_DEFINE_PLUGIN_END_RUN(end_run)
 {
     (void)descriptor_json;
     log_info("end: ctx=%p", context);
+    mana_status_t result;
+    result.code = mana_status_ok;
+    strncpy(result.message, "ok", sizeof(result.message));
+    return result;
 }
 
 MANA_DEFINE_PLUGIN_EVENT_DATA(process_event)
diff --git a/src/mana_plugin_python.cc b/src/mana_plugin_python.cc
index 4b985e5..5c4f67b 100644
--- a/src/mana_plugin_python.cc
+++ b/src/mana_plugin_python.cc
@@ -62,6 +62,12 @@ MANA_DEFINE_PLUGIN_BEGIN_RUN(begin_run)
         auto &jEvent = jRun["events"][ei];
         ctx->eventBuffers[ei].resize(jEvent["outputs"].size());
     }
+
+    // TODO: check the above for errors and return a proper status
+    mana_status_t result;
+    result.code = mana_status_ok;
+    strncpy(result.message, "ok", sizeof(result.message));
+    return result;
 }
 
 MANA_DEFINE_PLUGIN_END_RUN(end_run)
@@ -69,6 +75,12 @@ MANA_DEFINE_PLUGIN_END_RUN(end_run)
     log_info("end: ctx=%p", context);
     auto ctx = reinterpret_cast<Context *>(context);
     ctx->py_end_run(descriptor_json);
+
+    // TODO: check the above for errors and return a proper status
+    mana_status_t result;
+    result.code = mana_status_ok;
+    strncpy(result.message, "ok", sizeof(result.message));
+    return result;
 }
 
 MANA_DEFINE_PLUGIN_EVENT_DATA(process_event)