diff --git a/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/RpcClient.java b/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/RpcClient.java
index b73d45dd0f..eaf6ef6703 100644
--- a/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/RpcClient.java
+++ b/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/RpcClient.java
@@ -34,46 +34,46 @@ import java.util.Iterator;
 public interface RpcClient extends Closeable {
   // executeShard sends a single query to a set of shards.
   ExecuteShardsResponse executeShard(
-      Context ctx, ExecuteShardsRequest request) throws VitessRpcException;
+      Context ctx, ExecuteShardsRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException;
 
   // executeKeyspaceIds sends a query with keyspace ids as bind variables.
   ExecuteKeyspaceIdsResponse executeKeyspaceIds(
-      Context ctx, ExecuteKeyspaceIdsRequest request) throws VitessRpcException;
+      Context ctx, ExecuteKeyspaceIdsRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException;
 
   // executeKeyRanges sends a query with a set of key ranges.
   ExecuteKeyRangesResponse executeKeyRanges(
-      Context ctx, ExecuteKeyRangesRequest request) throws VitessRpcException;
+      Context ctx, ExecuteKeyRangesRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException;
 
   // executeBatchKeyspaceIds sends a list of queries with keyspace ids as bind variables.
   ExecuteBatchKeyspaceIdsResponse executeBatchKeyspaceIds(
-      Context ctx, ExecuteBatchKeyspaceIdsRequest request) throws VitessRpcException;
+      Context ctx, ExecuteBatchKeyspaceIdsRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException;
 
   // executeBatchShards sends a list of queries to a set of shards.
   ExecuteBatchShardsResponse executeBatchShards(
-      Context ctx, ExecuteBatchShardsRequest request) throws VitessRpcException;
+      Context ctx, ExecuteBatchShardsRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException;
 
   // streamExecuteShard starts stream queries with multiple shards.
   Iterator<StreamExecuteShardsResponse> streamExecuteShard(
-      Context ctx, StreamExecuteShardsRequest request) throws VitessRpcException;
+      Context ctx, StreamExecuteShardsRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException;
 
   // streamExecuteKeyspaceIds starts a list of stream queries with keyspace ids as bind variables.
   Iterator<StreamExecuteKeyspaceIdsResponse> streamExecuteKeyspaceIds(
-      Context ctx, StreamExecuteKeyspaceIdsRequest request) throws VitessRpcException;
+      Context ctx, StreamExecuteKeyspaceIdsRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException;
 
   // streamExecuteKeyRanges starts stream query with a set of key ranges.
   Iterator<StreamExecuteKeyRangesResponse> streamExecuteKeyRanges(
-      Context ctx, StreamExecuteKeyRangesRequest request) throws VitessRpcException;
+      Context ctx, StreamExecuteKeyRangesRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException;
 
   // begin starts a transaction.
-  BeginResponse begin(Context ctx, BeginRequest request) throws VitessRpcException;
+  BeginResponse begin(Context ctx, BeginRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException;
 
   // commit commits a transaction.
-  CommitResponse commit(Context ctx, CommitRequest request) throws VitessRpcException;
+  CommitResponse commit(Context ctx, CommitRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException;
 
   // rollback rollbacks a pending transaction.
-  RollbackResponse rollback(Context ctx, RollbackRequest request) throws VitessRpcException;
+  RollbackResponse rollback(Context ctx, RollbackRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException;
 
   // getSrvKeyspace returns a list of serving keyspaces.
   GetSrvKeyspaceResponse getSrvKeyspace(
-      Context ctx, GetSrvKeyspaceRequest request) throws VitessRpcException;
+      Context ctx, GetSrvKeyspaceRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException;
 }
diff --git a/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/VTGateConn.java b/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/VTGateConn.java
index 0b51656ea6..524a292ffd 100644
--- a/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/VTGateConn.java
+++ b/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/VTGateConn.java
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import java.util.Iterator;
 
 /**
  * VTGateConn manages a VTGate connection.
- * TODO(shengzhe): define VitessException for app-level error
+ *
  * <p>Usage:
  *
  * <code>
@@ -79,46 +79,46 @@ public class VTGateConn implements Closeable {
   }
 
   public ExecuteShardsResponse ExecuteShard(Context ctx, ExecuteShardsRequest request)
-      throws VitessRpcException {
+      throws VitessException, VitessRpcException {
     return this.client.executeShard(ctx, request);
   }
 
   public ExecuteKeyspaceIdsResponse ExecuteKeyspaceIds(Context ctx, ExecuteKeyspaceIdsRequest request)
-      throws VitessRpcException {
+      throws VitessException, VitessRpcException {
     return this.client.executeKeyspaceIds(ctx, request);
   }
 
   public ExecuteKeyRangesResponse executeKeyRanges(Context ctx, ExecuteKeyRangesRequest request)
-      throws VitessRpcException {
+      throws VitessException, VitessRpcException {
     return this.client.executeKeyRanges(ctx, request);
   }
 
   public ExecuteBatchKeyspaceIdsResponse executeBatchKeyspaceIds(
-      Context ctx, ExecuteBatchKeyspaceIdsRequest request) throws VitessRpcException {
+      Context ctx, ExecuteBatchKeyspaceIdsRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException {
     return this.client.executeBatchKeyspaceIds(ctx, request);
   }
 
   public ExecuteBatchShardsResponse executeBatchShards(Context ctx, ExecuteBatchShardsRequest request)
-      throws VitessRpcException {
+      throws VitessException, VitessRpcException {
     return this.client.executeBatchShards(ctx, request);
   }
 
   public Iterator<StreamExecuteShardsResponse> streamExecuteShard(
-      Context ctx, StreamExecuteShardsRequest request) throws VitessRpcException {
+      Context ctx, StreamExecuteShardsRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException {
     return this.client.streamExecuteShard(ctx, request);
   }
 
   public Iterator<StreamExecuteKeyspaceIdsResponse> streamExecuteKeyspaceIds(
-      Context ctx, StreamExecuteKeyspaceIdsRequest request) throws VitessRpcException {
+      Context ctx, StreamExecuteKeyspaceIdsRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException {
     return this.client.streamExecuteKeyspaceIds(ctx, request);
   }
 
   public Iterator<StreamExecuteKeyRangesResponse> streamExecuteKeyRanges(
-      Context ctx, StreamExecuteKeyRangesRequest request) throws VitessRpcException {
+      Context ctx, StreamExecuteKeyRangesRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException {
     return this.client.streamExecuteKeyRanges(ctx, request);
   }
 
-  public VTGateTx begin(Context ctx, BeginRequest request) throws VitessRpcException {
+  public VTGateTx begin(Context ctx, BeginRequest request) throws VitessException, VitessRpcException {
     BeginResponse response = this.client.begin(ctx, request);
     if (response.hasError()) {
       throw new VitessRpcException(response.getError().getMessage());
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ public class VTGateConn implements Closeable {
   }
 
   public GetSrvKeyspaceResponse getSrvKeyspace(Context ctx, GetSrvKeyspaceRequest request)
-      throws VitessRpcException {
+      throws VitessException, VitessRpcException {
     return this.client.getSrvKeyspace(ctx, request);
   }
 
diff --git a/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/VTGateTx.java b/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/VTGateTx.java
index 7cb5c49a65..8c7bc42814 100644
--- a/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/VTGateTx.java
+++ b/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/VTGateTx.java
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ public class VTGateTx {
   }
 
   public QueryResult executeShard(Context ctx, ExecuteShardsRequest request)
-      throws VitessRpcException, VitessNotInTransactionException {
+      throws VitessException, VitessRpcException, VitessNotInTransactionException {
     if (this.session == null) {
       throw new VitessNotInTransactionException("executeShard: not in transaction");
     }
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public class VTGateTx {
   }
 
   public QueryResult executeKeyspaceIds(Context ctx, ExecuteKeyspaceIdsRequest request)
-      throws VitessRpcException, VitessNotInTransactionException {
+      throws VitessException, VitessRpcException, VitessNotInTransactionException {
     if (this.session == null) {
       throw new VitessNotInTransactionException("executeKeyspaceIds: not in transaction");
     }
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public class VTGateTx {
   }
 
   public QueryResult executeKeyRanges(Context ctx, ExecuteKeyRangesRequest request)
-      throws VitessRpcException, VitessNotInTransactionException {
+      throws VitessException, VitessRpcException, VitessNotInTransactionException {
     if (this.session == null) {
       throw new VitessNotInTransactionException("executeKeyRanges: not in transaction");
     }
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public class VTGateTx {
 
   public List<QueryResult> executeBatchKeyspaceIds(
       Context ctx, ExecuteBatchKeyspaceIdsRequest request)
-      throws VitessRpcException, VitessNotInTransactionException {
+      throws VitessException, VitessRpcException, VitessNotInTransactionException {
     if (this.session == null) {
       throw new VitessNotInTransactionException("executeBatchKeyspaceIds: not in transaction");
     }
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public class VTGateTx {
   }
 
   public List<QueryResult> executeBatchShards(Context ctx, ExecuteBatchShardsRequest request)
-      throws VitessRpcException, VitessNotInTransactionException {
+      throws VitessException, VitessRpcException, VitessNotInTransactionException {
     if (this.session == null) {
       throw new VitessNotInTransactionException("executeBatchShards: not in transaction");
     }
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ public class VTGateTx {
 
 
   public CommitResponse commit(Context ctx, CommitRequest request)
-      throws VitessRpcException, VitessNotInTransactionException {
+      throws VitessException, VitessRpcException, VitessNotInTransactionException {
     if (this.session == null) {
       throw new VitessNotInTransactionException("commit: not in transaction");
     }
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ public class VTGateTx {
   }
 
   public RollbackResponse rollback(Context ctx, RollbackRequest request)
-      throws VitessRpcException, VitessNotInTransactionException {
+      throws VitessException, VitessRpcException, VitessNotInTransactionException {
     if (this.session == null) {
       throw new VitessNotInTransactionException("rollback: not in transaction");
     }
diff --git a/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/VitessException.java b/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/VitessException.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0349f9cfee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/VitessException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+package com.youtube.vitess.client;
+
+/**
+ * VitessException indicates an error returned by VTGate.
+ */
+public class VitessException extends Exception {
+
+  public VitessException() {
+    super();
+  }
+
+  public VitessException(String message) {
+    super(message);
+  }
+
+  public VitessException(String message, Throwable cause) {
+    super(message, cause);
+  }
+
+  public VitessException(Throwable cause) {
+    super(cause);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/VitessRpcException.java b/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/VitessRpcException.java
index e862e9603d..fc3f6726ed 100644
--- a/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/VitessRpcException.java
+++ b/java/client/src/main/java/com/youtube/vitess/client/VitessRpcException.java
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package com.youtube.vitess.client;
 
 /**
- * VitessRpcException indicates a rpc error between client and VTGate.
+ * VitessRpcException indicates an RPC error while trying to communicate with VTGate.
  */
 public class VitessRpcException extends Exception {