diff --git a/MAINTAINERS b/MAINTAINERS
index d6de200453..adc64cfe33 100644
--- a/MAINTAINERS
+++ b/MAINTAINERS
@@ -1874,6 +1874,7 @@ M: Markus Armbruster <armbru@redhat.com>
 S: Supported
 F: include/qapi/error.h
 F: include/qemu/error-report.h
+F: qapi/error.json
 F: util/error.c
 F: util/qemu-error.c
 
@@ -2062,6 +2063,7 @@ F: monitor/monitor-internal.h
 F: monitor/qmp*
 F: monitor/misc.c
 F: monitor/monitor.c
+F: qapi/error.json
 F: docs/devel/*qmp-*
 F: docs/interop/*qmp-*
 F: scripts/qmp/
diff --git a/include/qapi/error.h b/include/qapi/error.h
index 51b63dd4b5..3f95141a01 100644
--- a/include/qapi/error.h
+++ b/include/qapi/error.h
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@
 #ifndef ERROR_H
 #define ERROR_H
 
-#include "qapi/qapi-types-common.h"
+#include "qapi/qapi-types-error.h"
 
 /*
  * Overall category of an error.
diff --git a/qapi/Makefile.objs b/qapi/Makefile.objs
index c5a29e86e2..dd3f5e6f94 100644
--- a/qapi/Makefile.objs
+++ b/qapi/Makefile.objs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ util-obj-y += qmp-event.o
 util-obj-y += qapi-util.o
 
 QAPI_COMMON_MODULES = audio authz block-core block char common crypto
-QAPI_COMMON_MODULES += dump introspect job machine migration misc net
+QAPI_COMMON_MODULES += dump error introspect job machine migration misc net
 QAPI_COMMON_MODULES += qdev qom rdma rocker run-state sockets tpm
 QAPI_COMMON_MODULES += trace transaction ui
 QAPI_TARGET_MODULES = machine-target misc-target
diff --git a/qapi/common.json b/qapi/common.json
index 99d313ef3b..3d4e8de1e0 100644
--- a/qapi/common.json
+++ b/qapi/common.json
@@ -4,30 +4,6 @@
 # = Common data types
 ##
 
-##
-# @QapiErrorClass:
-#
-# QEMU error classes
-#
-# @GenericError: this is used for errors that don't require a specific error
-#                class. This should be the default case for most errors
-#
-# @CommandNotFound: the requested command has not been found
-#
-# @DeviceNotActive: a device has failed to be become active
-#
-# @DeviceNotFound: the requested device has not been found
-#
-# @KVMMissingCap: the requested operation can't be fulfilled because a
-#                 required KVM capability is missing
-#
-# Since: 1.2
-##
-{ 'enum': 'QapiErrorClass',
-  # Keep this in sync with ErrorClass in error.h
-  'data': [ 'GenericError', 'CommandNotFound',
-            'DeviceNotActive', 'DeviceNotFound', 'KVMMissingCap' ] }
-
 ##
 # @IoOperationType:
 #
diff --git a/qapi/error.json b/qapi/error.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3fad08f506
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qapi/error.json
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# -*- Mode: Python -*-
+
+##
+# = QMP errors
+##
+
+##
+# @QapiErrorClass:
+#
+# QEMU error classes
+#
+# @GenericError: this is used for errors that don't require a specific error
+#                class. This should be the default case for most errors
+#
+# @CommandNotFound: the requested command has not been found
+#
+# @DeviceNotActive: a device has failed to be become active
+#
+# @DeviceNotFound: the requested device has not been found
+#
+# @KVMMissingCap: the requested operation can't be fulfilled because a
+#                 required KVM capability is missing
+#
+# Since: 1.2
+##
+{ 'enum': 'QapiErrorClass',
+  # Keep this in sync with ErrorClass in error.h
+  'data': [ 'GenericError', 'CommandNotFound',
+            'DeviceNotActive', 'DeviceNotFound', 'KVMMissingCap' ] }
diff --git a/qapi/qapi-schema.json b/qapi/qapi-schema.json
index 38af54d6b3..920b03b0aa 100644
--- a/qapi/qapi-schema.json
+++ b/qapi/qapi-schema.json
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@
 # stable order, it's best to include each sub-schema just once, or
 # include it first right here.
 
+{ 'include': 'error.json' }
 { 'include': 'common.json' }
 { 'include': 'sockets.json' }
 { 'include': 'run-state.json' }