diff --git a/scrapy/loader/__init__.py b/scrapy/loader/__init__.py
index 20f0f90c3..844e3828c 100644
--- a/scrapy/loader/__init__.py
+++ b/scrapy/loader/__init__.py
@@ -109,8 +109,14 @@ class ItemLoader(object):
         for proc in processors:
             if value is None:
                 break
+            _proc = proc
             proc = wrap_loader_context(proc, self.context)
-            value = proc(value)
+            try:
+                value = proc(value)
+            except Exception as e:
+                raise ValueError("Error with processor %s value=%r error='%s: %s'" %
+                                 (_proc.__class__.__name__, value,
+                                  type(e).__name__, str(e)))
         return value
 
     def load_item(self):
@@ -150,8 +156,15 @@ class ItemLoader(object):
 
     def _process_input_value(self, field_name, value):
         proc = self.get_input_processor(field_name)
+        _proc = proc
         proc = wrap_loader_context(proc, self.context)
-        return proc(value)
+        try:
+            return proc(value)
+        except Exception as e:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "Error with input processor %s: field=%r value=%r "
+                "error='%s: %s'" % (_proc.__class__.__name__, field_name,
+                                    value, type(e).__name__, str(e)))
 
     def _get_item_field_attr(self, field_name, key, default=None):
         if isinstance(self.item, Item):
diff --git a/scrapy/loader/processors.py b/scrapy/loader/processors.py
index bf7c74bfe..468aec2cc 100644
--- a/scrapy/loader/processors.py
+++ b/scrapy/loader/processors.py
@@ -25,7 +25,13 @@ class MapCompose(object):
         for func in wrapped_funcs:
             next_values = []
             for v in values:
-                next_values += arg_to_iter(func(v))
+                try:
+                    next_values += arg_to_iter(func(v))
+                except Exception as e:
+                    raise ValueError("Error in MapCompose with "
+                                     "%s value=%r error='%s: %s'" %
+                                     (str(func), value, type(e).__name__,
+                                      str(e)))
             values = next_values
         return values
 
@@ -46,7 +52,12 @@ class Compose(object):
         for func in wrapped_funcs:
             if value is None and self.stop_on_none:
                 break
-            value = func(value)
+            try:
+                value = func(value)
+            except Exception as e:
+                raise ValueError("Error in Compose with "
+                                 "%s value=%r error='%s: %s'" %
+                                 (str(func), value, type(e).__name__, str(e)))
         return value
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_loader.py b/tests/test_loader.py
index 5a8ee1b2e..ce0fa0701 100644
--- a/tests/test_loader.py
+++ b/tests/test_loader.py
@@ -456,6 +456,42 @@ class BasicItemLoaderTest(unittest.TestCase):
             'title': [u'Test item title 3', u'Test item 4'],
         })
 
+    def test_error_input_processor(self):
+        class TestItem(Item):
+            name = Field()
+
+        class TestItemLoader(ItemLoader):
+            default_item_class = TestItem
+            name_in = MapCompose(float)
+
+        il = TestItemLoader()
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, il.add_value, 'name',
+                          [u'marta', u'other'])
+
+    def test_error_output_processor(self):
+        class TestItem(Item):
+            name = Field()
+
+        class TestItemLoader(ItemLoader):
+            default_item_class = TestItem
+            name_out = Compose(Join(), float)
+
+        il = TestItemLoader()
+        il.add_value('name', u'marta')
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            il.load_item()
+
+    def test_error_processor_as_argument(self):
+        class TestItem(Item):
+            name = Field()
+
+        class TestItemLoader(ItemLoader):
+            default_item_class = TestItem
+
+        il = TestItemLoader()
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, il.add_value, 'name',
+                          [u'marta', u'other'], Compose(float))
+
 
 class ProcessorsTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
@@ -482,13 +518,22 @@ class ProcessorsTest(unittest.TestCase):
         proc = Compose(str.upper)
         self.assertEqual(proc(None), None)
         proc = Compose(str.upper, stop_on_none=False)
-        self.assertRaises(TypeError, proc, None)
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, proc, None)
+        proc = Compose(str.upper, lambda x: x + 1)
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, proc, 'hello')
 
     def test_mapcompose(self):
         filter_world = lambda x: None if x == 'world' else x
         proc = MapCompose(filter_world, six.text_type.upper)
         self.assertEqual(proc([u'hello', u'world', u'this', u'is', u'scrapy']),
                          [u'HELLO', u'THIS', u'IS', u'SCRAPY'])
+        proc = MapCompose(filter_world, six.text_type.upper)
+        self.assertEqual(proc(None), [])
+        proc = MapCompose(filter_world, six.text_type.upper)
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, proc, [1])
+        proc = MapCompose(filter_world, lambda x: x + 1)
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, proc, 'hello')
+
 
 
 class SelectortemLoaderTest(unittest.TestCase):