diff --git a/client/context/broadcast.go b/client/context/broadcast.go
index 9c1a720ae7aa..c31162226429 100644
--- a/client/context/broadcast.go
+++ b/client/context/broadcast.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package context
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/mempool"
+
 	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/flags"
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
 )
@@ -29,6 +31,27 @@ func (ctx CLIContext) BroadcastTx(txBytes []byte) (res sdk.TxResponse, err error
 	return res, err
 }
 
+func CheckTendermintError(err error) *sdk.TxResponse {
+	if err == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	if err == mempool.ErrTxInCache {
+		return &sdk.TxResponse{Code: uint32(sdk.CodeTxInCache)}
+	}
+
+	switch err.(type) {
+	case mempool.ErrMempoolIsFull:
+		return &sdk.TxResponse{Code: uint32(sdk.CodeMempoolIsFull)}
+	case mempool.ErrPreCheck:
+		return &sdk.TxResponse{Code: uint32(sdk.CodeFailedPreCheck)}
+	case mempool.ErrTxTooLarge:
+		return &sdk.TxResponse{Code: uint32(sdk.CodeTxTooLarge)}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // BroadcastTxCommit broadcasts transaction bytes to a Tendermint node and
 // waits for a commit. An error is only returned if there is no RPC node
 // connection or if broadcasting fails.
@@ -44,6 +67,10 @@ func (ctx CLIContext) BroadcastTxCommit(txBytes []byte) (sdk.TxResponse, error)
 
 	res, err := node.BroadcastTxCommit(txBytes)
 	if err != nil {
+		if res := CheckTendermintError(err); res != nil {
+			return *res, err
+		}
+
 		return sdk.NewResponseFormatBroadcastTxCommit(res), err
 	}
 
@@ -67,6 +94,12 @@ func (ctx CLIContext) BroadcastTxSync(txBytes []byte) (sdk.TxResponse, error) {
 	}
 
 	res, err := node.BroadcastTxSync(txBytes)
+	if err != nil {
+		if res := CheckTendermintError(err); res != nil {
+			return *res, err
+		}
+	}
+
 	return sdk.NewResponseFormatBroadcastTx(res), err
 }
 
@@ -79,5 +112,11 @@ func (ctx CLIContext) BroadcastTxAsync(txBytes []byte) (sdk.TxResponse, error) {
 	}
 
 	res, err := node.BroadcastTxAsync(txBytes)
+	if err != nil {
+		if res := CheckTendermintError(err); res != nil {
+			return *res, err
+		}
+	}
+
 	return sdk.NewResponseFormatBroadcastTx(res), err
 }
diff --git a/client/context/broadcast_test.go b/client/context/broadcast_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d048abe593de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/context/broadcast_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package context
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/client/flags"
+	"github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/mempool"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/rpc/client/mock"
+	ctypes "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/rpc/core/types"
+	tmtypes "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
+)
+
+type MockClient struct {
+	mock.Client
+	err error
+}
+
+func (c MockClient) BroadcastTxCommit(tx tmtypes.Tx) (*ctypes.ResultBroadcastTxCommit, error) {
+	return nil, c.err
+}
+
+func (c MockClient) BroadcastTxAsync(tx tmtypes.Tx) (*ctypes.ResultBroadcastTx, error) {
+	return nil, c.err
+}
+
+func (c MockClient) BroadcastTxSync(tx tmtypes.Tx) (*ctypes.ResultBroadcastTx, error) {
+	return nil, c.err
+}
+
+func CreateContextWithErrorAndMode(err error, mode string) CLIContext {
+	return CLIContext{
+		Client:        MockClient{err: err},
+		BroadcastMode: mode,
+	}
+}
+
+// Test the correct code is returned when
+func TestBroadcastError(t *testing.T) {
+	errors := map[error]uint32{
+		mempool.ErrTxInCache:       uint32(types.CodeTxInCache),
+		mempool.ErrTxTooLarge{}:    uint32(types.CodeTxTooLarge),
+		mempool.ErrPreCheck{}:      uint32(types.CodeFailedPreCheck),
+		mempool.ErrMempoolIsFull{}: uint32(types.CodeMempoolIsFull),
+	}
+
+	modes := []string{
+		flags.BroadcastAsync,
+		flags.BroadcastBlock,
+		flags.BroadcastSync,
+	}
+
+	for _, mode := range modes {
+		for err, code := range errors {
+			ctx := CreateContextWithErrorAndMode(err, mode)
+			resp, returnedErr := ctx.BroadcastTx([]byte{})
+			require.Error(t, returnedErr)
+			require.Equal(t, code, resp.Code)
+		}
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/types/errors.go b/types/errors.go
index 7a7a0d4a9dcd..e40e2e5a811b 100644
--- a/types/errors.go
+++ b/types/errors.go
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ const (
 	CodeTooManySignatures CodeType = 15
 	CodeGasOverflow       CodeType = 16
 	CodeNoSignatures      CodeType = 17
+	CodeTxInCache         CodeType = 18
+	CodeMempoolIsFull     CodeType = 19
+	CodeFailedPreCheck    CodeType = 20
+	CodeTxTooLarge        CodeType = 21
 
 	// CodespaceRoot is a codespace for error codes in this file only.
 	// Notice that 0 is an "unset" codespace, which can be overridden with