diff --git a/sqlx-core/src/decode.rs b/sqlx-core/src/decode.rs
index f1551a23..292df0cd 100644
--- a/sqlx-core/src/decode.rs
+++ b/sqlx-core/src/decode.rs
@@ -3,13 +3,12 @@ use std::fmt::{self, Display, Formatter};
 use std::str::Utf8Error;
 
 use crate::database::HasRawValue;
-use crate::Database;
+use crate::{Database, Type, TypeInfo};
 
 /// A type that can be decoded from a SQL value.
-pub trait Decode<'r, Db: Database>: Send + Sync {
-    fn decode(value: <Db as HasRawValue<'r>>::RawValue) -> Result<Self>
-    where
-        Self: Sized;
+pub trait Decode<'r, Db: Database>: Sized + Send + Sync {
+    /// Decode the SQL value into the target type.
+    fn decode(value: <Db as HasRawValue<'r>>::RawValue) -> Result<Self>;
 }
 
 /// A type that can be decoded from a SQL value, without borrowing any data
@@ -23,6 +22,11 @@ impl<T, Db: Database> DecodeOwned<Db> for T where T: for<'r> Decode<'r, Db> {}
 #[derive(Debug)]
 #[non_exhaustive]
 pub enum Error {
+    TypeNotCompatible {
+        rust_type_name: &'static str,
+        sql_type_name: &'static str,
+    },
+
     /// An unexpected SQL `NULL` was encountered during decoding.
     ///
     /// To decode potentially `NULL` values, wrap the target type in `Option`.
@@ -48,6 +52,14 @@ impl Display for Error {
         match self {
             Self::UnexpectedNull => f.write_str("unexpected null; try decoding as an `Option`"),
 
+            Self::TypeNotCompatible { rust_type_name, sql_type_name } => {
+                write!(
+                    f,
+                    "Rust type `{}` is not compatible with SQL type `{}`",
+                    rust_type_name, sql_type_name
+                )
+            }
+
             Self::NotUtf8(error) => {
                 write!(f, "{}", error)
             }
diff --git a/sqlx-core/src/encode.rs b/sqlx-core/src/encode.rs
index a071a608..6b9a3743 100644
--- a/sqlx-core/src/encode.rs
+++ b/sqlx-core/src/encode.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use std::error::Error as StdError;
 use std::fmt::{self, Display, Formatter};
 
 use crate::database::HasOutput;
-use crate::Database;
+use crate::{Database, Type, TypeInfo};
 
 /// A type that can be encoded into a SQL value.
 pub trait Encode<Db: Database>: Send + Sync {
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ impl<T: Encode<Db>, Db: Database> Encode<Db> for &T {
 #[derive(Debug)]
 #[non_exhaustive]
 pub enum Error {
+    TypeNotCompatible {
+        rust_type_name: &'static str,
+        sql_type_name: &'static str,
+    },
+
     /// A general error raised while encoding a value.
     Custom(Box<dyn StdError + Send + Sync>),
 }
@@ -35,6 +40,14 @@ impl Error {
 impl Display for Error {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
         match self {
+            Self::TypeNotCompatible { rust_type_name, sql_type_name } => {
+                write!(
+                    f,
+                    "Rust type `{}` is not compatible with SQL type `{}`",
+                    rust_type_name, sql_type_name
+                )
+            }
+
             Self::Custom(error) => {
                 write!(f, "{}", error)
             }
diff --git a/sqlx-core/src/error.rs b/sqlx-core/src/error.rs
index 7ad7a3e5..b731f4c9 100644
--- a/sqlx-core/src/error.rs
+++ b/sqlx-core/src/error.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ mod database;
 
 pub use database::DatabaseError;
 
+use crate::Column;
+
 /// Specialized `Result` type returned from fallible methods within SQLx.
 pub type Result<T> = std::result::Result<T, Error>;
 
@@ -89,6 +91,15 @@ impl Error {
     pub fn opt_msg(message: impl Into<Cow<'static, str>>) -> Self {
         Self::ConnectOptions { message: message.into(), source: None }
     }
+
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    pub fn column_decode(column: &impl Column, source: DecodeError) -> Self {
+        crate::Error::ColumnDecode {
+            source,
+            column_index: column.index(),
+            column_name: column.name().to_owned().into_boxed_str(),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl Display for Error {
@@ -107,41 +118,45 @@ impl Display for Error {
             }
 
             Self::RowNotFound => {
-                f.write_str("no row returned by a query required to return at least one row")
+                f.write_str("No row returned by a query required to return at least one row")
             }
 
-            Self::Closed => f.write_str("connection or pool is closed"),
+            Self::Closed => f.write_str("Connection or pool is closed"),
 
             Self::Decode(error) => {
-                write!(f, "decode: {}", error)
+                write!(f, "Decode: {}", error)
             }
 
             Self::Encode(error) => {
-                write!(f, "encode: {}", error)
+                write!(f, "Encode: {}", error)
             }
 
             Self::ColumnIndexOutOfBounds { index, len } => {
                 write!(
                     f,
-                    "column index out of bounds: the len is {}, but the index is {}",
+                    "Column index out of bounds: the len is {}, but the index is {}",
                     len, index
                 )
             }
 
             Self::ColumnNotFound { name } => {
-                write!(f, "no column found for name `{}`", name)
+                write!(f, "No column found for name `{}`", name)
             }
 
             Self::ColumnDecode { column_index, column_name, source } => {
-                write!(f, "decode column {} `{}`: {}", column_index, column_name, source)
+                if column_name.is_empty() {
+                    write!(f, "Decode column {}: {}", column_index, source)
+                } else {
+                    write!(f, "Decode column {} `{}`: {}", column_index, column_name, source)
+                }
             }
 
             Self::ParameterEncode { parameter: Either::Left(index), source } => {
-                write!(f, "encode parameter {}: {}", index, source)
+                write!(f, "Encode parameter {}: {}", index, source)
             }
 
             Self::ParameterEncode { parameter: Either::Right(name), source } => {
-                write!(f, "encode parameter `{}`: {}", name, source)
+                write!(f, "Encode parameter `{}`: {}", name, source)
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/sqlx-core/src/type_info.rs b/sqlx-core/src/type_info.rs
index 594f13d7..72584d53 100644
--- a/sqlx-core/src/type_info.rs
+++ b/sqlx-core/src/type_info.rs
@@ -34,5 +34,5 @@ pub trait TypeInfo {
     ///
     /// Common type names include `VARCHAR`, `INTEGER`, and `BIGINT`.
     ///
-    fn name(&self) -> &str;
+    fn name(&self) -> &'static str;
 }