diff --git a/lib/.basestar.js.swp b/lib/.basestar.js.swp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0026ea0
Binary files /dev/null and b/lib/.basestar.js.swp differ
diff --git a/lib/basestar.js b/lib/basestar.js
index ff49806..e6794c7 100644
--- a/lib/basestar.js
+++ b/lib/basestar.js
@@ -40,13 +40,17 @@ Basestar.prototype.proxyMethods = Utils.proxyFunctionsToObject;
 // ...data - additional arguments to be passed to both event/callback
 //
 // Returns nothing
-Basestar.prototype.respond = function(event, callback) {
-  var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 2);
+Basestar.prototype.respond = function(event, callback, err) {
+  var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 3);
 
-  this.emit.apply(this, [event].concat(args));
+  if (!!err) {
+    this.emit('error', err);
+  } else {
+    this.emit.apply(this, [event].concat(args));
+  }
 
   if (typeof callback === "function") {
-    callback.apply(this, args);
+    callback.apply(this, [err].concat(args));
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/spec/lib/basestar.spec.js b/spec/lib/basestar.spec.js
index 769df22..10511a5 100644
--- a/spec/lib/basestar.spec.js
+++ b/spec/lib/basestar.spec.js
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ describe("Basestar", function() {
 
   describe("#respond", function() {
     var listener, callback, child;
-
     var Child = function Child() {};
 
     Utils.subclass(Child, Basestar);
@@ -65,16 +64,31 @@ describe("Basestar", function() {
 
       child.on("event", listener);
 
-      child.respond("event", callback, "arg1", 2, { three: true });
+      child.respond("event", callback, null, "arg1", 2, { three: true });
     });
 
     it("triggers the callback with all additional arguments", function() {
-      expect(callback).to.be.calledWith("arg1", 2, { three: true });
+      expect(callback).to.be.calledWith(null, "arg1", 2, { three: true });
     });
 
     it("emits an event with all additional arguments", function() {
       expect(listener).to.be.calledWith("arg1", 2, { three: true });
     });
+
+    context("when err is not null", function() {
+      var errListener, err;
+
+      beforeEach(function() {
+        errListener = spy();
+        child = new Child();
+        child.on("error", errListener);
+        child.respond("event", callback, "Error on event!", "arg1", 2, { three: true });
+      });
+
+      it ("emits an error event", function() {
+        expect(errListener).to.be.calledWith("Error on event!");
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   describe("#defineEvent", function() {