diff --git a/lib/actions/app.coffee b/lib/actions/app.coffee
index 5feb36bd..bfc2cb6a 100644
--- a/lib/actions/app.coffee
+++ b/lib/actions/app.coffee
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ exports.create =
 		# https://github.com/resin-io/resin-cli/issues/30
 		resin.models.application.has(params.name).then (hasApplication) ->
 			if hasApplication
-				throw new Error('You already have an application with that name!')
+				patterns.expectedError('You already have an application with that name!')
 
 		.then ->
 			return options.type or patterns.selectDeviceType()
diff --git a/lib/actions/build.coffee b/lib/actions/build.coffee
index d72cf63e..e6dc6175 100644
--- a/lib/actions/build.coffee
+++ b/lib/actions/build.coffee
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ module.exports =
 		# compositions with many services trigger misleading warnings
 		require('events').defaultMaxListeners = 1000
 
+		{ expectedError } = require('../utils/patterns')
 		helpers = require('../utils/helpers')
 		Logger = require('../utils/logger')
 
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ module.exports =
 			{ application, arch, deviceType } = options
 
 			if (not (arch? and deviceType?) and not application?) or (application? and (arch? or deviceType?))
-				throw new Error('You must specify either an application or an arch/deviceType pair to build for')
+				expectedError('You must specify either an application or an arch/deviceType pair to build for')
 
 			if arch? and deviceType?
 				[ undefined, arch, deviceType ]
diff --git a/lib/actions/config.coffee b/lib/actions/config.coffee
index a7a821a7..c5ba62fc 100644
--- a/lib/actions/config.coffee
+++ b/lib/actions/config.coffee
@@ -277,10 +277,12 @@ exports.generate =
 		form = require('resin-cli-form')
 		deviceConfig = require('resin-device-config')
 		prettyjson = require('prettyjson')
+
 		{ generateDeviceConfig, generateApplicationConfig } = require('../utils/config')
+		{ expectedError } = require('../utils/patterns')
 
 		if not options.device? and not options.application?
-			throw new Error '''
+			expectedError '''
 				You have to pass either a device or an application.
 
 				See the help page for examples:
diff --git a/lib/actions/environment-variables.coffee b/lib/actions/environment-variables.coffee
index 4c2a0337..64e53691 100644
--- a/lib/actions/environment-variables.coffee
+++ b/lib/actions/environment-variables.coffee
@@ -53,17 +53,19 @@ exports.list =
 		resin = require('resin-sdk-preconfigured')
 		visuals = require('resin-cli-visuals')
 
+		{ expectedError } = require('../utils/patterns')
+
 		Promise.try ->
 			if options.application?
 				return resin.models.environmentVariables.getAllByApplication(options.application)
 			else if options.device?
 				return resin.models.environmentVariables.device.getAll(options.device)
 			else
-				throw new Error('You must specify an application or device')
+				expectedError('You must specify an application or device')
 
 		.tap (environmentVariables) ->
 			if _.isEmpty(environmentVariables)
-				throw new Error('No environment variables found')
+				expectedError('No environment variables found')
 			if not options.verbose
 				isSystemVariable = resin.models.environmentVariables.isSystemVariable
 				environmentVariables = _.reject(environmentVariables, isSystemVariable)
@@ -141,6 +143,8 @@ exports.add =
 		Promise = require('bluebird')
 		resin = require('resin-sdk-preconfigured')
 
+		{ expectedError } = require('../utils/patterns')
+
 		Promise.try ->
 			if not params.value?
 				params.value = process.env[params.key]
@@ -155,7 +159,7 @@ exports.add =
 			else if options.device?
 				resin.models.environmentVariables.device.create(options.device, params.key, params.value)
 			else
-				throw new Error('You must specify an application or device')
+				expectedError('You must specify an application or device')
 		.nodeify(done)
 
 exports.rename =
diff --git a/lib/actions/help.coffee b/lib/actions/help.coffee
index 7a252909..aa0f0325 100644
--- a/lib/actions/help.coffee
+++ b/lib/actions/help.coffee
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ _ = require('lodash')
 capitano = require('capitano')
 columnify = require('columnify')
 messages = require('../utils/messages')
+{ expectedError } = require('../utils/patterns')
 
 parse = (object) ->
 	return _.fromPairs _.map object, (item) ->
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ command = (params, options, done) ->
 		return done(error) if error?
 
 		if not command? or command.isWildcard()
-			return done(new Error("Command not found: #{params.command}"))
+			expectedError("Command not found: #{params.command}")
 
 		console.log("Usage: #{command.signature}")
 
diff --git a/lib/actions/local/common.coffee b/lib/actions/local/common.coffee
index 3191e226..db10f1c8 100644
--- a/lib/actions/local/common.coffee
+++ b/lib/actions/local/common.coffee
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ form = require('resin-cli-form')
 chalk = require('chalk')
 
 dockerUtils = require('../../utils/docker')
+{ expectedError } = require('../../utils/patterns')
 
 exports.dockerPort = dockerPort = 2375
 exports.dockerTimeout = dockerTimeout = 2000
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ exports.selectContainerFromDevice = Promise.method (deviceIp, filterSupervisor =
 		filterOutSupervisorContainer(container)
 	.then (containers) ->
 		if _.isEmpty(containers)
-			throw new Error("No containers found in #{deviceIp}")
+			expectedError("No containers found in #{deviceIp}")
 
 		return form.ask
 			message: 'Select a container'
diff --git a/lib/actions/local/scan.coffee b/lib/actions/local/scan.coffee
index e59b2327..b8fa0fca 100644
--- a/lib/actions/local/scan.coffee
+++ b/lib/actions/local/scan.coffee
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ module.exports =
 		{ SpinnerPromise } = require('resin-cli-visuals')
 		{ dockerPort, dockerTimeout } = require('./common')
 		dockerUtils = require('../../utils/docker')
+		{ expectedError } = require('../../utils/patterns')
 
 		if options.timeout?
 			options.timeout *= 1000
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ module.exports =
 			.catchReturn(false)
 		.tap (devices) ->
 			if _.isEmpty(devices)
-				throw new Error('Could not find any resinOS devices in the local network')
+				expectedError('Could not find any resinOS devices in the local network')
 		.map ({ host, address }) ->
 			docker = dockerUtils.createClient(host: address, port: dockerPort, timeout: dockerTimeout)
 			Promise.props
diff --git a/lib/actions/local/ssh.coffee b/lib/actions/local/ssh.coffee
index 9c6d6cea..1f6ac370 100644
--- a/lib/actions/local/ssh.coffee
+++ b/lib/actions/local/ssh.coffee
@@ -67,10 +67,12 @@ module.exports =
 		Promise = require 'bluebird'
 		_ = require('lodash')
 		{ forms } = require('resin-sync')
+
 		{ selectContainerFromDevice, getSubShellCommand } = require('./common')
+		{ expectedError } = require('../../utils/patterns')
 
 		if (options.host is true and options.container?)
-			throw new Error('Please pass either --host or --container option')
+			expectedError('Please pass either --host or --container option')
 
 		if not options.port?
 			options.port = 22222
diff --git a/lib/actions/notes.coffee b/lib/actions/notes.coffee
index aceaf315..12ddb702 100644
--- a/lib/actions/notes.coffee
+++ b/lib/actions/notes.coffee
@@ -45,9 +45,11 @@ exports.set =
 		_ = require('lodash')
 		resin = require('resin-sdk-preconfigured')
 
+		{ expectedError } = require('../utils/patterns')
+
 		Promise.try ->
 			if _.isEmpty(params.note)
-				throw new Error('Missing note content')
+				expectedError('Missing note content')
 
 			resin.models.device.note(options.device, params.note)
 		.nodeify(done)
diff --git a/lib/actions/ssh.coffee b/lib/actions/ssh.coffee
index 561be990..96cc9952 100644
--- a/lib/actions/ssh.coffee
+++ b/lib/actions/ssh.coffee
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ module.exports =
 			console.info("Connecting to: #{uuid}")
 			resin.models.device.get(uuid)
 		.then (device) ->
-			throw new Error('Device is not online') if not device.is_online
+			patterns.expectedError('Device is not online') if not device.is_online
 
 			Promise.props
 				username: resin.auth.whoami()
diff --git a/lib/app.coffee b/lib/app.coffee
index adb19d60..6c58476e 100644
--- a/lib/app.coffee
+++ b/lib/app.coffee
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ actions = require('./actions')
 errors = require('./errors')
 events = require('./events')
 update = require('./utils/update')
+{ expectedError } = require('./utils/patterns')
 
 # Assign bluebird as the global promise library
 # stream-to-promise will produce native promises if not
@@ -87,13 +88,13 @@ require('any-promise/register/bluebird')
 capitano.permission 'user', (done) ->
 	resin.auth.isLoggedIn().then (isLoggedIn) ->
 		if not isLoggedIn
-			throw new Error '''
+			expectedError('''
 				You have to log in to continue
 
 				Run the following command to go through the login wizard:
 
 				  $ resin login
-			'''
+			''')
 	.nodeify(done)
 
 capitano.command
diff --git a/lib/utils/docker.coffee b/lib/utils/docker.coffee
index 85afce52..e02e37bc 100644
--- a/lib/utils/docker.coffee
+++ b/lib/utils/docker.coffee
@@ -174,5 +174,6 @@ exports.createClient = createClient = do ->
 		return new Docker(opts)
 
 ensureDockerSeemsAccessible = (docker) ->
+	{ expectedError } = require('./patterns')
 	docker.ping().catch ->
-		throw new Error('Docker seems to be unavailable. Is it installed and running?')
+		expectedError('Docker seems to be unavailable. Is it installed and running?')