diff --git a/db_badger.go b/db_badger.go
index 8310a23..18e908c 100644
--- a/db_badger.go
+++ b/db_badger.go
@@ -103,8 +103,8 @@ func (ld *badgerLoadedDatabase) NavContext(ndata *navData) ([]contextAction, err
 	return nil, nil // No special actions are supported
 }
 
-func (ld *badgerLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid) {
-	vcl.ShowMessage("Badger doesn't support querying")
+func (ld *badgerLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid) error {
+	return errors.New("Badger doesn't support querying")
 }
 
 func (ld *badgerLoadedDatabase) Close() {
diff --git a/db_bolt.go b/db_bolt.go
index 63891f5..3e43c76 100644
--- a/db_bolt.go
+++ b/db_bolt.go
@@ -185,8 +185,8 @@ func (ld *boltLoadedDatabase) DeleteBucket(ndata *navData) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (ld *boltLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid) {
-	vcl.ShowMessage("Bolt doesn't support querying")
+func (ld *boltLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid) error {
+	return errors.New("Bolt doesn't support querying")
 }
 
 func (ld *boltLoadedDatabase) Close() {
diff --git a/db_debconf.go b/db_debconf.go
index 236eefc..1e632cb 100644
--- a/db_debconf.go
+++ b/db_debconf.go
@@ -89,8 +89,8 @@ func (ld *debconfLoadedDatabase) NavContext(ndata *navData) ([]contextAction, er
 	return nil, nil // No special actions are supported
 }
 
-func (ld *debconfLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid) {
-	vcl.ShowMessage("debconf doesn't support querying")
+func (ld *debconfLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid) error {
+	return errors.New("debconf doesn't support querying")
 }
 
 func (ld *debconfLoadedDatabase) Close() {
diff --git a/db_none.go b/db_none.go
index df5de41..1d75b4b 100644
--- a/db_none.go
+++ b/db_none.go
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ func (n *noLoadedDatabase) ApplyChanges(f *TMainForm, ndata *navData) error {
 	return errors.New("Editing is not supported")
 }
 
-func (n *noLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid) {
+func (n *noLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid) error {
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (n *noLoadedDatabase) NavChildren(ndata *navData) ([]string, error) {
diff --git a/db_pebble.go b/db_pebble.go
index e0b6f72..0ea2f98 100644
--- a/db_pebble.go
+++ b/db_pebble.go
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ func (ld *pebbleLoadedDatabase) NavContext(ndata *navData) ([]contextAction, err
 	return nil, nil // No special actions are supported
 }
 
-func (ld *pebbleLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid) {
-	vcl.ShowMessage("pebble doesn't support querying")
+func (ld *pebbleLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid) error {
+	return errors.New("pebble doesn't support querying")
 }
 
 func (ld *pebbleLoadedDatabase) Close() {
diff --git a/db_redis.go b/db_redis.go
index 8b70589..d4dd5a4 100644
--- a/db_redis.go
+++ b/db_redis.go
@@ -168,22 +168,20 @@ func (ld *redisLoadedDatabase) NavContext(ndata *navData) ([]contextAction, erro
 	return nil, nil // No special actions are supported
 }
 
-func (ld *redisLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid) {
+func (ld *redisLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid) error {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 
 	// Need to parse the query into separate string+args fields for the protocol
 	fields, err := lexer.Fields(query)
 	if err != nil {
-		vcl.ShowMessage(fmt.Sprintf("Parsing the query: %v", err))
-		return
+		return fmt.Errorf("Parsing the query: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	fields_boxed := box_interface(fields)
 
 	ret, err := ld.db.Do(ctx, fields_boxed...).Result()
 	if err != nil {
-		vcl.ShowMessage(fmt.Sprintf("The redis query returned an error: %v", err))
-		return
+		return fmt.Errorf("The redis query returned an error: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	vcl_stringgrid_clear(resultArea)
@@ -212,6 +210,8 @@ func (ld *redisLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGr
 
 	vcl_stringgrid_columnwidths(resultArea)
 	resultArea.SetEnabled(true)
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (ld *redisLoadedDatabase) Close() {
diff --git a/db_sqlite.go b/db_sqlite.go
index ed4349b..a7fe190 100644
--- a/db_sqlite.go
+++ b/db_sqlite.go
@@ -164,11 +164,10 @@ func populateRows(rr *sql.Rows, dest *vcl.TStringGrid) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (ld *sqliteLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid) {
+func (ld *sqliteLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid) error {
 	rr, err := ld.db.Query(query)
 	if err != nil {
-		vcl.ShowMessage(err.Error())
-		return
+		return err
 	}
 
 	defer rr.Close()
@@ -177,8 +176,7 @@ func (ld *sqliteLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringG
 
 	columns, err := rr.Columns()
 	if err != nil {
-		vcl.ShowMessage(err.Error())
-		return
+		return err
 	}
 
 	populateColumns(columns, resultArea)
@@ -187,6 +185,7 @@ func (ld *sqliteLoadedDatabase) ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringG
 
 	vcl_stringgrid_columnwidths(resultArea)
 	resultArea.SetEnabled(true)
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (ld *sqliteLoadedDatabase) NavChildren(ndata *navData) ([]string, error) {
diff --git a/loadedDatabase.go b/loadedDatabase.go
index 88852c7..0d7eef0 100644
--- a/loadedDatabase.go
+++ b/loadedDatabase.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ type loadedDatabase interface {
 	RootElement() *vcl.TTreeNode
 	RenderForNav(f *TMainForm, ndata *navData)
 	ApplyChanges(f *TMainForm, ndata *navData) error
-	ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid)
+	ExecQuery(query string, resultArea *vcl.TStringGrid) error
 	NavChildren(ndata *navData) ([]string, error)
 	NavContext(ndata *navData) ([]contextAction, error)
 	Keepalive(ndata *navData)
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index b0a5739..f1a5581 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -712,7 +712,11 @@ func (f *TMainForm) OnQueryExecute(sender vcl.IObject) {
 	}
 
 	ndata := (*navData)(node.Data())
-	ndata.ld.ExecQuery(queryString, f.queryResult)
+	err := ndata.ld.ExecQuery(queryString, f.queryResult)
+	if err != nil {
+		vcl.ShowMessage(err.Error())
+		return
+	}
 }
 
 func (f *TMainForm) OnNavChange(sender vcl.IObject, node *vcl.TTreeNode) {