diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index 5b83770..f4b92c7 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use snafu::Snafu;
 
 use crate::byte_buffer::ByteBufferError;
 use crate::encoding_type::EncodingError;
-use crate::node_types::StandardType;
+use crate::node_types::{StandardType, UnknownKbinType};
 use crate::reader::ReaderError;
 use crate::sixbit::SixbitError;
 use crate::value::Value;
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ pub enum KbinError {
     #[snafu(display("Failed to interpret slice as UTF-8"))]
     Utf8Slice { source: Utf8Error },
 
+    // TODO(felix): remove when text reader has own error type
+    #[snafu(display("Invalid kbin type read"))]
+    InvalidKbinType { source: UnknownKbinType },
 
     #[snafu(display(
         "Size Mismatch, type: {}, expected size: {}, actual size: {}",
diff --git a/src/node_types.rs b/src/node_types.rs
index ecec8a6..b87bd1c 100644
--- a/src/node_types.rs
+++ b/src/node_types.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use std::error::Error;
 use std::fmt;
 use std::ops::Deref;
 
@@ -11,12 +12,29 @@ pub struct KbinType {
     pub count: usize,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum UnknownKbinType {
+    Byte(u8),
+    Name(String),
+}
+
 impl fmt::Display for KbinType {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
         write!(f, "{} ({})", self.konst, self.name)
     }
 }
 
+impl fmt::Display for UnknownKbinType {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
+        match self {
+            Self::Byte(byte) => write!(f, "Unknown or not implemented type: {}", byte),
+            Self::Name(name) => write!(f, "Unknown or not implemented name: {}", name),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Error for UnknownKbinType {}
+
 macro_rules! construct_types {
   (
     $(
@@ -43,21 +61,21 @@ macro_rules! construct_types {
     )+
 
     impl StandardType {
-      pub fn from_u8(input: u8) -> StandardType {
+      pub fn from_u8(input: u8) -> Result<StandardType, UnknownKbinType> {
         match input {
           $(
-            $id => StandardType::$konst,
+            $id => Ok(StandardType::$konst),
           )+
-          _ => panic!("Node type {} not implemented", input),
+          _ => Err(UnknownKbinType::Byte(input)),
         }
       }
 
-      pub fn from_name(input: &str) -> StandardType {
+      pub fn from_name(input: &str) -> Result<StandardType, UnknownKbinType> {
         match input {
           $(
-            $name => StandardType::$konst,
+            $name => Ok(StandardType::$konst),
           )+
-          _ => panic!("Node name {} not implemented", input),
+          _ => Err(UnknownKbinType::Name(String::from(input))),
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/reader.rs b/src/reader.rs
index 4310fb8..2bc3630 100644
--- a/src/reader.rs
+++ b/src/reader.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use crate::compression_type::{CompressionType, UnknownCompression};
 use crate::encoding_type::EncodingType;
 use crate::error::KbinError;
 use crate::node::{Key, NodeData, NodeDefinition};
-use crate::node_types::StandardType;
+use crate::node_types::{StandardType, UnknownKbinType};
 use crate::sixbit::Sixbit;
 use crate::{ARRAY_MASK, SIGNATURE};
 
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ pub enum ReaderError {
     #[snafu(display("Failed to read node type"))]
     NodeType { source: io::Error },
 
+    #[snafu(display("Invalid node type read"))]
+    InvalidNodeType { source: UnknownKbinType },
+
     #[snafu(display("Failed to read array node length"))]
     ArrayLength { source: io::Error },
 
@@ -112,11 +115,11 @@ impl Reader {
         })
     }
 
-    fn parse_node_type(raw_node_type: u8) -> Result<(StandardType, bool), KbinError> {
+    fn parse_node_type(raw_node_type: u8) -> Result<(StandardType, bool), ReaderError> {
         let is_array = raw_node_type & ARRAY_MASK == ARRAY_MASK;
         let node_type = raw_node_type & !ARRAY_MASK;
 
-        let xml_type = StandardType::from_u8(node_type);
+        let xml_type = StandardType::from_u8(node_type).context(InvalidNodeType)?;
         debug!(
             "Reader::parse_node_type() => raw_node_type: {}, node_type: {:?} ({}), is_array: {}",
             raw_node_type, xml_type, node_type, is_array
@@ -138,7 +141,7 @@ impl Reader {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn read_node_type(&mut self) -> Result<(StandardType, bool), KbinError> {
+    pub fn read_node_type(&mut self) -> Result<(StandardType, bool), ReaderError> {
         self.check_if_node_buffer_end()?;
 
         let raw_node_type = self.node_buf.read_u8().context(NodeType)?;
@@ -147,7 +150,10 @@ impl Reader {
         Ok(value)
     }
 
-    pub fn read_node_data(&mut self, node_type: (StandardType, bool)) -> Result<Bytes, KbinError> {
+    pub fn read_node_data(
+        &mut self,
+        node_type: (StandardType, bool),
+    ) -> Result<Bytes, ReaderError> {
         let (node_type, is_array) = node_type;
         trace!(
             "Reader::read_node_data(node_type: {:?}, is_array: {})",
@@ -178,7 +184,7 @@ impl Reader {
         Ok(value)
     }
 
-    pub fn read_node_definition(&mut self) -> Result<NodeDefinition, KbinError> {
+    pub fn read_node_definition(&mut self) -> Result<NodeDefinition, ReaderError> {
         let node_type = self.read_node_type()?;
         match node_type.0 {
             StandardType::NodeEnd | StandardType::FileEnd => {
diff --git a/src/text_reader.rs b/src/text_reader.rs
index 138c427..a3d3465 100644
--- a/src/text_reader.rs
+++ b/src/text_reader.rs
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ impl<'a> TextXmlReader<'a> {
                     if attr.key == b"__type" {
                         let value = str::from_utf8(&*value)?;
 
-                        node_type = Some(StandardType::from_name(value));
+                        node_type = Some(StandardType::from_name(value).context(InvalidKbinType)?);
                     } else if attr.key == b"__count" {
                         let value = str::from_utf8(&*value)?;
                         let num_count = value.parse::<u32>().context(StringParseInt {