diff --git a/lib/driverProviders/direct.js b/lib/driverProviders/direct.js
index 2c7ee341d..8ef8c0ee7 100644
--- a/lib/driverProviders/direct.js
+++ b/lib/driverProviders/direct.js
@@ -12,8 +12,10 @@ var webdriver = require('selenium-webdriver'),
     path = require('path'),
     util = require('util'),
     DriverProvider = require('./driverProvider'),
-    log = require('../logger');
+    Logger = require('../logger2').Logger,
+    BrowserError = require('../exitCodes').BrowserError;
 
+var logger = new Logger('direct');
 var DirectDriverProvider = function(config) {
   DriverProvider.call(this, config);
 };
@@ -28,13 +30,13 @@ util.inherits(DirectDriverProvider, DriverProvider);
 DirectDriverProvider.prototype.setupEnv = function() {
   switch (this.config_.capabilities.browserName) {
     case 'chrome':
-      log.puts('Using ChromeDriver directly...');
+      logger.info('Using ChromeDriver directly...');
       break;
     case 'firefox':
-      log.puts('Using FirefoxDriver directly...');
+      logger.info('Using FirefoxDriver directly...');
       break;
     default:
-      throw new Error('browserName (' + this.config_.capabilities.browserName +
+      throw new BrowserError(logger, 'browserName (' + this.config_.capabilities.browserName +
           ') is not supported with directConnect.');
   }
   return q.fcall(function() {});
@@ -62,7 +64,7 @@ DirectDriverProvider.prototype.getNewDriver = function() {
       var chromeDriverFile = this.config_.chromeDriver || defaultChromeDriverPath;
 
       if (!fs.existsSync(chromeDriverFile)) {
-        throw new Error('Could not find chromedriver at ' + chromeDriverFile);
+        throw new BrowserError(logger, 'Could not find chromedriver at ' + chromeDriverFile);
       }
 
       var service = new chrome.ServiceBuilder(chromeDriverFile).build();
@@ -76,8 +78,8 @@ DirectDriverProvider.prototype.getNewDriver = function() {
       driver = new firefox.Driver(this.config_.capabilities);
       break;
     default:
-      throw new Error('browserName ' + this.config_.capabilities.browserName +
-          'is not supported with directConnect.');
+      throw new BrowserError(logger, 'browserName ' + this.config_.capabilities.browserName +
+          ' is not supported with directConnect.');
   }
   this.drivers_.push(driver);
   return driver;
diff --git a/lib/exitCodes.ts b/lib/exitCodes.ts
index 01701c9c0..8b9b14ebe 100644
--- a/lib/exitCodes.ts
+++ b/lib/exitCodes.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 import {Logger} from './logger2';
 
+
 const CONFIG_ERROR_CODE = 105;
+const BROWSER_ERROR_CODE = 135;
 
 export class ProtractorError {
   error: Error;
   description: string;
   code: number;
   stack: string;
+
   constructor(logger: Logger, description: string, code: number) {
     this.error = new Error();
     this.description = description;
@@ -26,3 +29,13 @@ export class ConfigError extends ProtractorError {
     super(logger, description, ConfigError.CODE);
   }
 }
+
+/**
+ * Browser errors including getting a driver session, direct connect, etc.
+ */
+export class BrowserError extends ProtractorError {
+  static CODE = BROWSER_ERROR_CODE;
+  constructor(logger: Logger, msg: string) {
+    super(logger, msg, BrowserError.CODE);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/spec/unit/driverProviders/direct_test.js b/spec/unit/driverProviders/direct_test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ffe001b33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/unit/driverProviders/direct_test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+
+var fs = require('fs'),
+    os = require('os'),
+    path = require('path');
+var BrowserError = require('../../../built/exitCodes').BrowserError,
+    Logger = require('../../../built/logger2').Logger,
+    WriteTo = require('../../../built/logger2').WriteTo;
+
+describe('direct connect', function() {
+  beforeEach(function() {
+    Logger.setWrite(WriteTo.NONE);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(function() {
+    Logger.setWrite(WriteTo.CONSOLE);
+  });
+
+  describe('without the selenium driver', function() {
+    it('should throw an error if no drivers are present', function() {
+      var config = {
+        directConnect: true,
+        capabilities: { browserName: 'chrome' },
+        chromeDriver: '/foo/bar/chromedriver'
+      };
+      var errorFound = false;
+      try {
+        webdriver = require('../../../built/driverProviders/direct')(config);
+        webdriver.getNewDriver();
+      } catch(e) {
+        errorFound = true;
+        expect(e.code).toBe(BrowserError.CODE);
+      }
+      expect(errorFound).toBe(true);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('with selenium drivers', function() {
+    var chromedriver = '';
+    beforeEach(function() {
+      // add files to selenium folder
+      file = 'chromedriver_' + require('../../../config.json').webdriverVersions.chromedriver;
+      chromedriver = path.resolve(os.tmpdir(), file);
+      fs.openSync(chromedriver, 'w');
+    });
+
+    afterEach(function() {
+      try {
+        fs.unlinkSync(chromedriver);
+      } catch(e) {
+      }
+    });
+    it('should throw an error if the driver cannot be used', function() {
+      var config = {
+        directConnect: true,
+        capabilities: { browserName: 'foobar explorer' },
+        chromeDriver: chromedriver
+      };
+      var errorFound = false;
+      try {
+        webdriver = require('../../../built/driverProviders/direct')(config);
+        webdriver.getNewDriver();
+      } catch(e) {
+        errorFound = true;
+        expect(e.code).toBe(BrowserError.CODE);
+      }
+      expect(errorFound).toBe(true);
+    });
+  });
+});