diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 4ae611a6bc..82f910c1b7 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -945,6 +945,7 @@ dependencies = [
 name = "ra_cli"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
+ "anyhow",
  "crossbeam-channel",
  "env_logger",
  "itertools",
diff --git a/crates/ra_cli/Cargo.toml b/crates/ra_cli/Cargo.toml
index 03494a809f..ce88a76b1d 100644
--- a/crates/ra_cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/ra_cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ log = "0.4.5"
 pico-args = "0.3.0"
 rand = { version = "0.7.0", features = ["small_rng"] }
 rustc-hash = "1.0"
+anyhow = "1.0"
 
 hir = { path = "../ra_hir", package = "ra_hir" }
 hir_def = { path = "../ra_hir_def", package = "ra_hir_def" }
diff --git a/crates/ra_cli/src/analysis_bench.rs b/crates/ra_cli/src/analysis_bench.rs
index 3dc8dc6917..91fc55fe20 100644
--- a/crates/ra_cli/src/analysis_bench.rs
+++ b/crates/ra_cli/src/analysis_bench.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 use std::{path::Path, sync::Arc, time::Instant};
 
+use anyhow::format_err;
 use ra_db::{
     salsa::{Database, Durability},
     FileId, SourceDatabaseExt,
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ pub(crate) fn run(verbosity: Verbosity, path: &Path, what: BenchWhat) -> Result<
                 }
                 None
             })
-            .ok_or_else(|| format!("Can't find {:?}", path))?
+            .ok_or_else(|| format_err!("Can't find {}", path.display()))?
     };
 
     match &what {
diff --git a/crates/ra_cli/src/load_cargo.rs b/crates/ra_cli/src/load_cargo.rs
index 2d6433f184..b9a4e6abad 100644
--- a/crates/ra_cli/src/load_cargo.rs
+++ b/crates/ra_cli/src/load_cargo.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 //! FIXME: write short doc here
 
-use std::{collections::HashSet, error::Error, path::Path};
-
-use rustc_hash::FxHashMap;
+use std::{collections::HashSet, path::Path};
 
 use crossbeam_channel::{unbounded, Receiver};
 use ra_db::{CrateGraph, FileId, SourceRootId};
@@ -10,8 +8,9 @@ use ra_ide::{AnalysisChange, AnalysisHost, FeatureFlags};
 use ra_project_model::{get_rustc_cfg_options, PackageRoot, ProjectWorkspace};
 use ra_vfs::{RootEntry, Vfs, VfsChange, VfsTask, Watch};
 use ra_vfs_glob::RustPackageFilterBuilder;
+use rustc_hash::FxHashMap;
 
-type Result<T> = std::result::Result<T, Box<dyn Error + Send + Sync>>;
+use anyhow::Result;
 
 fn vfs_file_to_id(f: ra_vfs::VfsFile) -> FileId {
     FileId(f.0)
diff --git a/crates/ra_cli/src/main.rs b/crates/ra_cli/src/main.rs
index 66258c860d..4cf062f472 100644
--- a/crates/ra_cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/ra_cli/src/main.rs
@@ -5,14 +5,14 @@ mod analysis_stats;
 mod analysis_bench;
 mod progress_report;
 
-use std::{error::Error, fmt::Write, io::Read, path::PathBuf, str::FromStr};
+use std::{fmt::Write, io::Read, path::PathBuf, str::FromStr};
 
 use pico_args::Arguments;
 use ra_ide::{file_structure, Analysis};
 use ra_prof::profile;
 use ra_syntax::{AstNode, SourceFile};
 
-type Result<T, E = Box<dyn Error + Send + Sync>> = std::result::Result<T, E>;
+use anyhow::{bail, format_err, Result};
 
 fn main() -> Result<()> {
     env_logger::try_init()?;
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ pub(crate) struct Position {
 }
 
 impl FromStr for Position {
-    type Err = Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>;
+    type Err = anyhow::Error;
     fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self> {
         let (path_line, column) = rsplit_at_char(s, ':')?;
         let (path, line) = rsplit_at_char(path_line, ':')?;
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ impl FromStr for Position {
 }
 
 fn rsplit_at_char(s: &str, c: char) -> Result<(&str, &str)> {
-    let idx = s.rfind(':').ok_or_else(|| format!("no `{}` in {}", c, s))?;
+    let idx = s.rfind(c).ok_or_else(|| format_err!("no `{}` in {}", c, s))?;
     Ok((&s[..idx], &s[idx + 1..]))
 }
 
@@ -143,12 +143,12 @@ impl Command {
             matches.contains(["-v", "--verbose"]),
             matches.contains(["-q", "--quiet"]),
         ) {
-            (true, _, true) => Err("Invalid flags: -q conflicts with -vv")?,
+            (true, _, true) => bail!("Invalid flags: -q conflicts with -vv"),
             (true, _, false) => Verbosity::Spammy,
             (false, false, false) => Verbosity::Normal,
             (false, false, true) => Verbosity::Quiet,
             (false, true, false) => Verbosity::Verbose,
-            (false, true, true) => Err("Invalid flags: -q conflicts with -v")?,
+            (false, true, true) => bail!("Invalid flags: -q conflicts with -v"),
         };
 
         let command = match subcommand.as_str() {
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ ARGS:
                 let path = {
                     let mut trailing = matches.free()?;
                     if trailing.len() != 1 {
-                        Err("Invalid flags")?;
+                        bail!("Invalid flags");
                     }
                     trailing.pop().unwrap().into()
                 };
@@ -318,9 +318,9 @@ fn handle_extra_flags(e: pico_args::Error) -> Result<()> {
             write!(&mut invalid_flags, "{}, ", flag)?;
         }
         let (invalid_flags, _) = invalid_flags.split_at(invalid_flags.len() - 2);
-        Err(format!("Invalid flags: {}", invalid_flags).into())
+        bail!("Invalid flags: {}", invalid_flags);
     } else {
-        Err(e.to_string().into())
+        bail!(e);
     }
 }