diff --git a/sqlite3/sqlite3.py b/sqlite3/sqlite3.py
index bc883dfc..970f130f 100644
--- a/sqlite3/sqlite3.py
+++ b/sqlite3/sqlite3.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import ffi
 sq3 = ffi.open("libsqlite3.so.0")
 
 sqlite3_open = sq3.func("i", "sqlite3_open", "sp")
+#int sqlite3_close(sqlite3*);
+sqlite3_close = sq3.func("i", "sqlite3_close", "p")
 #int sqlite3_prepare(
 #  sqlite3 *db,            /* Database handle */
 #  const char *zSql,       /* SQL statement, UTF-8 encoded */
@@ -12,6 +14,8 @@ sqlite3_open = sq3.func("i", "sqlite3_open", "sp")
 #  const char **pzTail     /* OUT: Pointer to unused portion of zSql */
 #);
 sqlite3_prepare = sq3.func("i", "sqlite3_prepare", "psipp")
+#int sqlite3_finalize(sqlite3_stmt *pStmt);
+sqlite3_finalize = sq3.func("i", "sqlite3_finalize", "p")
 #int sqlite3_step(sqlite3_stmt*);
 sqlite3_step = sq3.func("i", "sqlite3_step", "p")
 #int sqlite3_column_count(sqlite3_stmt *pStmt);
@@ -22,8 +26,15 @@ sqlite3_column_int = sq3.func("i", "sqlite3_column_int", "pi")
 # using "d" return type gives wrong results
 sqlite3_column_double = sq3.func("f", "sqlite3_column_double", "pi")
 sqlite3_column_text = sq3.func("s", "sqlite3_column_text", "pi")
+#const char *sqlite3_errmsg(sqlite3*);
+sqlite3_errmsg = sq3.func("s", "sqlite3_errmsg", "p")
+
+# Too recent
+##const char *sqlite3_errstr(int);
+#sqlite3_errstr = sq3.func("s", "sqlite3_errstr", "i")
 
 
+SQLITE_OK         = 0
 SQLITE_ERROR      = 1
 SQLITE_BUSY       = 5
 SQLITE_MISUSE     = 21
@@ -37,6 +48,15 @@ SQLITE_BLOB     = 4
 SQLITE_NULL     = 5
 
 
+class Error(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+def check_error(db, s):
+    if s != SQLITE_OK:
+        raise Error(s, sqlite3_errmsg(db))
+
+
 class Connections:
 
     def __init__(self, h):
@@ -45,43 +65,53 @@ class Connections:
     def cursor(self):
         return Cursor(self.h)
 
+    def close(self):
+        s = sqlite3_close(self.h)
+        check_error(self.h, s)
+
 
 class Cursor:
 
     def __init__(self, h):
         self.h = h
-        self.s = None
+        self.stmnt = None
 
     def execute(self, sql):
         b = bytearray(4)
-        sqlite3_prepare(self.h, sql, -1, b, None)
-        self.s = int.from_bytes(b)
-        self.num_cols = sqlite3_column_count(self.s)
-        #print("num_cols", self.num_cols)
+        s = sqlite3_prepare(self.h, sql, -1, b, None)
+        check_error(self.h, s)
+        self.stmnt = int.from_bytes(b)
+        print("stmnt", self.stmnt)
+        self.num_cols = sqlite3_column_count(self.stmnt)
+        print("num_cols", self.num_cols)
+
+    def close(self):
+        s = sqlite3_finalize(self.stmnt)
+        check_error(self.h, s)
 
     def make_row(self):
         res = []
         for i in range(self.num_cols):
-            t = sqlite3_column_type(self.s, i)
+            t = sqlite3_column_type(self.stmnt, i)
             #print("type", t)
             if t == SQLITE_INTEGER:
-                res.append(sqlite3_column_int(self.s, i))
+                res.append(sqlite3_column_int(self.stmnt, i))
             elif t == SQLITE_FLOAT:
-                res.append(sqlite3_column_double(self.s, i))
+                res.append(sqlite3_column_double(self.stmnt, i))
             elif t == SQLITE_TEXT:
-                res.append(sqlite3_column_text(self.s, i))
+                res.append(sqlite3_column_text(self.stmnt, i))
             else:
                 raise NotImplementedError
         return tuple(res)
 
     def fetchone(self):
-        res = sqlite3_step(self.s)
+        res = sqlite3_step(self.stmnt)
         #print("step:", res)
         if res == SQLITE_DONE:
             return None
         if res == SQLITE_ROW:
             return self.make_row()
-        assert False, res
+        check_error(self.h, res)
 
 
 def connect(fname):