diff --git a/src/pygccxml/parser/source_reader.py b/src/pygccxml/parser/source_reader.py
index d864554b..ddd679ca 100644
--- a/src/pygccxml/parser/source_reader.py
+++ b/src/pygccxml/parser/source_reader.py
@@ -235,7 +235,8 @@ def create_xml_file(self, source_file, destination=None):
         process = subprocess.Popen(
             args=command_line,
             shell=True,
-            stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+            stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
 
         try:
             results = []
@@ -246,9 +247,12 @@ def create_xml_file(self, source_file, destination=None):
             for line in process.stdout.readlines():
                 if line.strip():
                     results.append(line.rstrip())
+            for line in process.stderr.readlines():
+                if line.strip():
+                    results.append(line.rstrip())
 
             exit_status = process.returncode
-            msg = os.linesep.join([str(s) for s in results])
+            msg = os.linesep.join([str(s.decode()) for s in results])
             if self.__config.ignore_gccxml_output:
                 if not os.path.isfile(xml_file):
                     raise RuntimeError(
@@ -257,18 +261,17 @@ def create_xml_file(self, source_file, destination=None):
                         ": %s status:%s" %
                         (msg, exit_status))
             else:
-                if msg or exit_status or not \
-                        os.path.isfile(xml_file):
-                    if not os.path.isfile(xml_file):
-                        raise RuntimeError(
-                            "Error occurred while running " +
-                            self.__config.xml_generator.upper() +
-                            " xml file does not exist")
-                    else:
-                        raise RuntimeError(
-                            "Error occurred while running " +
-                            self.__config.xml_generator.upper() +
-                            ": %s status:%s" % (msg, exit_status))
+                if msg or exit_status:
+                    raise RuntimeError(
+                        "Error occurred while running " +
+                        self.__config.xml_generator.upper() +
+                        ": %s status:%s" % (msg, exit_status))
+                if not os.path.isfile(xml_file):
+                    raise RuntimeError(
+                        "Error occurred while running " +
+                        self.__config.xml_generator.upper() +
+                        " xml file does not exist")
+
         except Exception:
             utils.remove_file_no_raise(xml_file, self.__config)
             raise
diff --git a/tests/test_source_reader.py b/tests/test_source_reader.py
index 20e403a6..766b912a 100644
--- a/tests/test_source_reader.py
+++ b/tests/test_source_reader.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 # See http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt
 
 import platform
+import os
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -35,3 +36,15 @@ def test_compound_argument_type(global_ns):
     do_smth = global_ns.calldefs('do_smth')
     assert do_smth is not None
     do_smth.function_type()
+
+
+def test_stderr_present_and_readable():
+    with open(os.path.join('tests', 'data', TEST_FILES[0]), 'r') as f:
+        source_str = f.read()
+
+    err_str = "add some stuff that should not compile"
+    source_str += err_str
+    config = autoconfig.cxx_parsers_cfg.config.clone()
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError) as e_context:
+        parser.parse_string(source_str, config)
+    assert err_str in str(e_context)