diff --git a/include/tins/exceptions.h b/include/tins/exceptions.h
index 1b726b6..d23b00a 100644
--- a/include/tins/exceptions.h
+++ b/include/tins/exceptions.h
@@ -35,13 +35,22 @@
 
 namespace Tins {
 /**
- * \brief Exception thrown when an option is not found.
+ * \brief Base class for all libtins exceptions.
  */
-class option_not_found : public std::runtime_error {
+class exception_base : public std::runtime_error {
 public:
-    option_not_found()
+    exception_base() 
     : std::runtime_error(std::string()) { }
 
+    exception_base(const std::string& message) 
+    : std::runtime_error(message) { }
+};
+
+/**
+ * \brief Exception thrown when an option is not found.
+ */
+class option_not_found : exception_base {
+public:
     // try to avoid allocations by doing this.
     const char* what() const throw() {
         return "Option not found";
@@ -51,11 +60,8 @@ public:
 /**
  * \brief Exception thrown when a malformed packet is parsed.
  */
-class malformed_packet : public std::runtime_error {
+class malformed_packet : public exception_base {
 public:
-    malformed_packet()
-    : std::runtime_error(std::string()) { }
-
     const char* what() const throw() {
         return "Malformed packet";
     }
@@ -64,11 +70,8 @@ public:
 /**
  * \brief Exception thrown when a PDU is not found when using PDU::rfind_pdu.
  */
-class pdu_not_found : public std::runtime_error {
+class pdu_not_found : public exception_base {
 public:
-    pdu_not_found()
-    : std::runtime_error(std::string()) { }
-
     const char* what() const throw() {
         return "PDU not found";
     }
@@ -78,11 +81,8 @@ public:
  * \brief Exception thrown when PDU::send requires a valid interface,
  * but an invalid is used.
  */
-class invalid_interface : public std::runtime_error {
+class invalid_interface : public exception_base {
 public:
-    invalid_interface()
-    : std::runtime_error(std::string()) { }
-
     const char* what() const throw() {
         return "Invalid interface";
     }
@@ -91,10 +91,8 @@ public:
 /**
  * \brief Exception thrown when a field is not present in frame.
  */
-class field_not_present : public std::runtime_error {
+class field_not_present : public exception_base {
 public:
-    field_not_present()
-    : std::runtime_error(std::string()) { }
     const char* what() const throw() {
         return "Field not present";
     }
@@ -103,35 +101,35 @@ public:
 /**
  * \brief Exception thrown when PacketSender fails to open a socket.
  */
-class socket_open_error : public std::runtime_error {
+class socket_open_error : public exception_base {
 public:
     socket_open_error(const std::string &msg)
-    : std::runtime_error(msg) { }
+    : exception_base(msg) { }
 };
 
 /**
  * \brief Exception thrown when PacketSender fails to close a socket.
  */
-class socket_close_error : public std::runtime_error {
+class socket_close_error : exception_base {
 public:
     socket_close_error(const std::string &msg)
-    : std::runtime_error(msg) { }
+    : exception_base(msg) { }
 };
 
 /**
  * \brief Exception thrown when PacketSender fails to write on a socket.
  */
-class socket_write_error : public std::runtime_error {
+class socket_write_error : public exception_base {
 public:
     socket_write_error(const std::string &msg)
-    : std::runtime_error(msg) { }
+    : exception_base(msg) { }
 };
 
 /**
  * \brief Exception thrown when an invalid socket type is provided
  * to PacketSender.
  */
-class invalid_socket_type : public std::exception {
+class invalid_socket_type : public exception_base {
 public:
     const char *what() const throw() {
         return "The provided socket type is invalid";
@@ -142,7 +140,7 @@ public:
  * \brief Exception thrown when an unkown link layer PDU type is
  * found while sniffing.
  */
-class unknown_link_type : public std::exception {
+class unknown_link_type : public exception_base {
 public:
     const char *what() const throw() {
         return "The sniffed link layer PDU type is unknown";
@@ -152,7 +150,7 @@ public:
 /**
  * \brief Exception thrown when a malformed option is found.
  */
-class malformed_option : public std::exception {
+class malformed_option : public exception_base {
 public:
     const char *what() const throw() {
         return "Malformed option";
@@ -162,7 +160,7 @@ public:
 /**
  * \brief Exception thrown when a call to tins_cast fails.
  */
-class bad_tins_cast : public std::exception {
+class bad_tins_cast : public exception_base {
 public:
     const char *what() const throw() {
         return "Bad Tins cast";
@@ -173,7 +171,7 @@ public:
  * \brief Exception thrown when sniffing a protocol that
  * has been disabled at compile time.
  */
-class protocol_disabled : public std::exception {
+class protocol_disabled : public exception_base {
 public:
     const char *what() const throw() {
         return "Protocol disabled";
@@ -184,7 +182,7 @@ public:
  * \brief Exception thrown when a payload is too large to fit
  * into a PDUOption.
  */
-class option_payload_too_large : public std::exception {
+class option_payload_too_large : public exception_base {
 public:
     const char *what() const throw() {
         return "Option payload too large";
@@ -196,7 +194,7 @@ namespace WPA2 {
     /**
      * \brief Exception thrown when an invalid WPA2 handshake is found.
      */
-    class invalid_handshake : public std::exception {
+    class invalid_handshake : public exception_base {
     public:
         const char *what() const throw() {
             return "Invalid WPA2 handshake";