diff --git a/tests/core/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 8fbc8a3..30fecc8 100644
--- a/tests/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ target_include_directories(test_linuxdeploy PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src)
 ld_add_test(test_linuxdeploy)
 
 ld_core_add_test_executable(test_elf_file test_elf_file.cpp ../../src/core.cpp)
-target_link_libraries(test_elf_file PRIVATE gtest_main)
+target_link_libraries(test_elf_file PRIVATE gtest_main gmock)
 target_include_directories(test_elf_file PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src)
 # register in CTest
 ld_add_test(test_elf_file)
diff --git a/tests/core/test_elf_file.cpp b/tests/core/test_elf_file.cpp
index cad6c21..7ba4431 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_elf_file.cpp
+++ b/tests/core/test_elf_file.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "gtest/gtest.h"
+#include "gmock/gmock.h"
 
 #include "linuxdeploy/core/elf_file.h"
 
@@ -9,6 +10,27 @@ namespace bf = boost::filesystem;
 using namespace std;
 using namespace linuxdeploy::core::elf_file;
 
+namespace {
+    typedef std::function<void()> callback_t;
+
+    template<typename T>
+    void expectThrowMessageHasSubstr(const callback_t& callback, const char* message) {
+        EXPECT_THAT(callback, ::testing::ThrowsMessage<ElfFileParseError>(::testing::HasSubstr(message)));
+    }
+
+    void expectElfFileConstructorThrowMessage(const char* path, const char* message) {
+        return expectThrowMessageHasSubstr<ElfFileParseError>([=]() { ElfFile{path}; }, message);
+    }
+
+    void expectThrowsElfFileErrorInvalidElfHeader(const char* path) {
+        expectElfFileConstructorThrowMessage(path, "Invalid magic bytes in file header");
+    }
+
+    void expectThrowsElfFileErrorFileNotFound(const char* path) {
+        expectElfFileConstructorThrowMessage(path, "No such file or directory: ");
+    }
+}
+
 namespace LinuxDeployTest {
     class ElfFileTest : public ::testing::Test {};
 
@@ -27,4 +49,18 @@ namespace LinuxDeployTest {
         ElfFile staticLibraryFile(SIMPLE_EXECUTABLE_STATIC_PATH);
         EXPECT_FALSE(staticLibraryFile.isDynamicallyLinked());
     }
+
+    TEST_F(ElfFileTest, checkInvalidElfHeaderOnEmptyFile) {
+        expectThrowsElfFileErrorInvalidElfHeader("/dev/null");
+    }
+
+    TEST_F(ElfFileTest, checkInvalidElfHeaderOnRandomFiles) {
+        expectThrowsElfFileErrorInvalidElfHeader(SIMPLE_DESKTOP_ENTRY_PATH);
+        expectThrowsElfFileErrorInvalidElfHeader(SIMPLE_ICON_PATH);
+        expectThrowsElfFileErrorInvalidElfHeader(SIMPLE_FILE_PATH);
+    }
+
+    TEST_F(ElfFileTest, checkFileNotFound) {
+        expectThrowsElfFileErrorFileNotFound("/abc/def/ghi/jkl/mno/pqr/stu/vwx/yz");
+    }
 }