diff --git a/src/Valitron/Validator.php b/src/Valitron/Validator.php
index 04a6244..e25de20 100644
--- a/src/Valitron/Validator.php
+++ b/src/Valitron/Validator.php
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 <?php
 namespace Valitron;
 
+use InvalidArgumentException;
+
 /**
  * Validation Class
  *
@@ -45,7 +47,12 @@ class Validator
         $langDir = $langDir ?: static::langDir();
 
         // Load language file in directory
-        static::$_ruleMessages = include rtrim($langDir, '/') . '/' . $lang . '.php';
+        $langFile = rtrim($langDir, '/') . '/' . $lang . '.php';
+        if ( stream_resolve_include_path($langFile) ) {
+            static::$_ruleMessages = include $langFile;            
+        } else {
+            throw new InvalidArgumentException("fail to load language file '$langFile'");
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/Valitron/StaticLangTest.php b/tests/Valitron/LangTest.php
similarity index 77%
rename from tests/Valitron/StaticLangTest.php
rename to tests/Valitron/LangTest.php
index 0ff847a..7660dba 100644
--- a/tests/Valitron/StaticLangTest.php
+++ b/tests/Valitron/LangTest.php
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 use Valitron\Validator;
 
-class StaticLangTest extends BaseTestCase
+class LangTest extends BaseTestCase
 {
 	protected function getLangDir()
 	{
@@ -41,4 +41,13 @@ class StaticLangTest extends BaseTestCase
 		$validator = new Validator(array());
 		$this->assertEquals(realpath($this->getLangDir()), realpath(Validator::langDir()));
 	}
+
+	/**
+     * @expectedException InvalidArgumentException
+     * @expectedExceptionMessage fail to load language file '/this/dir/does/not/exists/en.php'
+     */
+	public function testLangException()
+	{
+		new Validator(array(), array(), 'en', '/this/dir/does/not/exists');
+	}
 }