diff --git a/context.go b/context.go
index 184e8b5b..a0dc0fca 100644
--- a/context.go
+++ b/context.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ package tiledb
 #cgo LDFLAGS: -ltiledb
 #cgo linux LDFLAGS: -ldl
 #include <tiledb/tiledb.h>
+#include <tiledb/tiledb_experimental.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 */
 import "C"
@@ -28,13 +29,25 @@ type Context struct {
 func NewContext(config *Config) (*Context, error) {
 	var context Context
 	var ret C.int32_t
+	var tdbErr *C.tiledb_error_t
 	if config != nil {
-		ret = C.tiledb_ctx_alloc(config.tiledbConfig, &context.tiledbContext)
+		ret = C.tiledb_ctx_alloc_with_error(config.tiledbConfig, &context.tiledbContext, &tdbErr)
 	} else {
-		ret = C.tiledb_ctx_alloc(nil, &context.tiledbContext)
+		ret = C.tiledb_ctx_alloc_with_error(nil, &context.tiledbContext, &tdbErr)
 	}
 	if ret != C.TILEDB_OK {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating tiledb context: %w", context.LastError())
+		// If the error isn't null report this
+		if tdbErr != nil {
+			var msg *C.char
+			C.tiledb_error_message(tdbErr, &msg)
+			defer C.tiledb_error_free(&tdbErr)
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating tiledb context: %s", C.GoString(msg))
+		}
+		// If the context is not null see if the error exists there
+		if context.tiledbContext != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating tiledb context: %w", context.LastError())
+		}
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating tiledb context: unknown error")
 	}
 
 	// Set finalizer for free C pointer on gc