Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/io/BoundingBoxDownloader.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/io/BoundingBoxDownloader.java	(revision 8787)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/io/BoundingBoxDownloader.java	(revision 8788)
@@ -126,4 +126,13 @@
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Parse the given input source and return the dataset.
+     *
+     * @see OsmReader#parseDataSet(InputStream, ProgressMonitor)
+     */
+    protected DataSet parseDataSet(InputStream source, ProgressMonitor progressMonitor) throws IllegalDataException {
+        return OsmReader.parseDataSet(source, progressMonitor);
+    }
+
     @Override
     public DataSet parseOsm(ProgressMonitor progressMonitor) throws OsmTransferException {
@@ -140,5 +149,5 @@
                     if (in == null)
                         return null;
-                    ds = OsmReader.parseDataSet(in, progressMonitor.createSubTaskMonitor(1, false));
+                    ds = parseDataSet(in, progressMonitor.createSubTaskMonitor(1, false));
                 }
 
@@ -147,5 +156,5 @@
                     if (in == null)
                         return null;
-                    ds2 = OsmReader.parseDataSet(in, progressMonitor.createSubTaskMonitor(1, false));
+                    ds2 = parseDataSet(in, progressMonitor.createSubTaskMonitor(1, false));
                 }
                 if (ds2 == null)
@@ -159,5 +168,5 @@
                     if (in == null)
                         return null;
-                    ds = OsmReader.parseDataSet(in, progressMonitor.createSubTaskMonitor(1, false));
+                    ds = parseDataSet(in, progressMonitor.createSubTaskMonitor(1, false));
                 }
             }
Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/io/OverpassDownloadReader.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/io/OverpassDownloadReader.java	(revision 8787)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/io/OverpassDownloadReader.java	(revision 8788)
@@ -5,4 +5,7 @@
 
 import java.io.InputStream;
+
+import javax.xml.stream.XMLStreamConstants;
+import javax.xml.stream.XMLStreamException;
 
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.data.Bounds;
@@ -107,4 +110,22 @@
 
     @Override
+    protected DataSet parseDataSet(InputStream source, ProgressMonitor progressMonitor) throws IllegalDataException {
+        return new OsmReader() {
+            @Override
+            protected void parseUnknown(boolean printWarning) throws XMLStreamException {
+                if ("remark".equals(parser.getLocalName())) {
+                    if (parser.getEventType() == XMLStreamConstants.START_ELEMENT) {
+                        final String text = parser.getElementText();
+                        if (text.contains("runtime error")) {
+                            throw new XMLStreamException(text);
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                super.parseUnknown(printWarning);
+            }
+        }.doParseDataSet(source, progressMonitor);
+    }
+
+    @Override
     public DataSet parseOsm(ProgressMonitor progressMonitor) throws OsmTransferException {