diff --git a/package.yaml b/package.yaml
index 3956c4c..b2c184d 100644
--- a/package.yaml
+++ b/package.yaml
@@ -14,9 +14,11 @@ extra-source-files:
 dependencies:
   - base >= 4.7 && < 5
   - OddWord >= 1.0 && < 1.1
+  - aeson
+  - bytestring
   - containers
   - text
-  - aeson
+  - transformers
   - unordered-containers
 
 library:
diff --git a/src/Mima/Run.hs b/src/Mima/Run.hs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66ba107
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Mima/Run.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE GeneralizedNewtypeDeriving #-}
+
+module Mima.Run
+  (
+  -- * The 'Run' monad
+    Run
+  , run
+  , throw
+  , catch
+  , handle
+  -- * File operations
+  , readFileT
+  , writeFileT
+  , readFileBS
+  , writeFileBS
+  ) where
+
+import           Control.Monad.IO.Class
+import           Control.Monad.Trans.Except
+import qualified Data.ByteString            as BS
+import qualified Data.Text                  as T
+import qualified Data.Text.IO               as T
+import           System.IO.Error
+
+newtype Run a = Run (ExceptT T.Text IO a)
+  deriving (Functor, Applicative, Monad, MonadIO)
+
+run :: Run a -> IO (Either T.Text a)
+run (Run e) = runExceptT e
+
+throw :: T.Text -> Run a
+throw = Run . throwE
+
+catch :: Run a -> (T.Text -> Run a) -> Run a
+catch (Run a) f = Run $ catchE a (\x -> let (Run result) = f x in result)
+
+handle :: (T.Text -> Run a) -> Run a -> Run a
+handle = flip catch
+
+isRelevantError :: IOError -> Bool
+isRelevantError e = isAlreadyInUseError e || isDoesNotExistError e || isPermissionError e
+
+formatRelevantError :: IOError -> Maybe T.Text
+formatRelevantError e
+  | isRelevantError e = Just $ T.pack $
+    "Can't open file " <> ioeGetLocation e <> ": " <> ioeGetErrorString e
+  | otherwise = Nothing
+
+protect :: IO a -> Run a
+protect m = do
+  result <- liftIO $ tryIOError m
+  case result of
+    Right a -> pure a
+    Left e -> case formatRelevantError e of
+      Nothing  -> liftIO $ ioError e
+      Just msg -> throw msg
+
+readFileT :: FilePath -> Run T.Text
+readFileT = protect . T.readFile
+
+writeFileT :: FilePath -> T.Text -> Run ()
+writeFileT path = protect . T.writeFile path
+
+readFileBS :: FilePath -> Run BS.ByteString
+readFileBS = protect . BS.readFile
+
+writeFileBS :: FilePath -> BS.ByteString -> Run ()
+writeFileBS path = protect . BS.writeFile path