diff --git a/doc/lispref/control.texi b/doc/lispref/control.texi
index a7d605cf0a0..3925bdd1b40 100644
--- a/doc/lispref/control.texi
+++ b/doc/lispref/control.texi
@@ -2447,12 +2447,13 @@ as the overall value.
 The argument @var{var} is a variable.  @code{condition-case} does not
 bind this variable when executing the @var{protected-form}, only when it
 handles an error.  At that time, it binds @var{var} locally to an
-@dfn{error description}, which is a list giving the particulars of the
-error.  The error description has the form @code{(@var{error-symbol}
+@dfn{error descriptor}, also sometimes called error description,
+which is a list giving the particulars of the error.
+The error descriptor has the form @code{(@var{error-symbol}
 . @var{data})}.  The handler can refer to this list to decide what to
 do.  For example, if the error is for failure opening a file, the file
 name is the second element of @var{data}---the third element of the
-error description.
+error descriptor.
 
 If @var{var} is @code{nil}, that means no variable is bound.  Then the
 error symbol and associated data are not available to the handler.
@@ -2469,15 +2470,31 @@ Sometimes it is necessary to re-throw a signal caught by
 how to do that:
 
 @example
-  (signal (car err) (cdr err))
+  (signal err)
 @end example
 
 @noindent
-where @code{err} is the error description variable, the first argument
+where @code{err} is the error descriptor variable, the first argument
 to @code{condition-case} whose error condition you want to re-throw.
 @xref{Definition of signal}.
 @end defspec
 
+@defun error-type error
+This function returns the error symbol of the error descriptor @var{error}.
+@end defun
+
+@defun error-data error
+This function returns the data of the error descriptor @var{error}.
+@end defun
+
+@defun error-slot-value error pos
+This function returns the value in the field number @var{pos} of the error
+descriptor @var{error}.  The fields are numbered starting with 1.  E.g.,
+for an error of type @code{wrong-type-argument}, @code{(error-slot-value
+@var{error} 2)} returns the object that failed the type test, and
+@code{(error-slot-value @var{error} 1)} returns the predicate that failed.
+@end defun
+
 @defun error-message-string error-descriptor
 This function returns the error message string for a given error
 descriptor.  It is useful if you want to handle an error by printing the
@@ -2615,7 +2632,7 @@ Emacs searches all the active @code{condition-case} and
 specifies one or more of these condition names.  When the innermost
 matching handler is one installed by @code{handler-bind}, the
 @var{handler} function is called with a single argument holding the
-error description.
+error descriptor.
 
 Contrary to what happens with @code{condition-case}, @var{handler} is
 called in the dynamic context where the error happened.  This means it
@@ -2799,6 +2816,18 @@ make it possible to categorize errors at various levels of generality
 when you write an error handler.  Using error symbols alone would
 eliminate all but the narrowest level of classification.
 
+@defun error-type-p symbol
+This function returns non-@code{nil} if @var{symbol} is a valid
+error condition name.
+@end defun
+
+@defun error-has-type-p error condition
+This function tests whether @var{condition} is a parent of the error
+symbol of the error descriptor @var{error}.
+It returns non-@code{nil} if the type of the error descriptor
+@var{error} belongs to the condition name @var{condition}.
+@end defun
+
   @xref{Standard Errors}, for a list of the main error symbols
 and their conditions.
 
diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
index c26baa03266..09fb35322d3 100644
--- a/etc/NEWS
+++ b/etc/NEWS
@@ -4009,6 +4009,13 @@ that will provide an Xref backend when used.
 
 * Lisp Changes in Emacs 31.1
 
++++
+** Extended error API
+The API to manipulate error descriptors has been improved.
+You can now do (signal err) instead (signal (car err) (cdr err)).
+And there are new functions: 'error-type-p', 'error-type',
+'error-has-type-p', and 'error-slot-value'.
+
 +++
 ** 'secure-hash' now supports generating SHA-3 message digests.
 The list returned by 'secure-hash-algorithms' now contains the symbols
diff --git a/lisp/subr.el b/lisp/subr.el
index 0ad86fd30a1..3cf4e8276d6 100644
--- a/lisp/subr.el
+++ b/lisp/subr.el
@@ -568,8 +568,40 @@ Defaults to `error'."
            (cons parent (get parent 'error-conditions)))))
     (put name 'error-conditions
          (delete-dups (copy-sequence (cons name conditions))))
+    ;; FIXME: Make `error-message-string' more flexible, e.g. allow
+    ;; the message to be specified by a `format' string or a function.
     (when message (put name 'error-message message))))
 
+(defun error-type-p (symbol)
+  "Return non-nil if SYMBOL is a condition type."
+  (get symbol 'error-conditions))
+
+(defun error--p (object)
+  "Return non-nil if OBJECT looks like a valid error descriptor."
+  (let ((type (car-safe object)))
+    (and type (symbolp type) (listp (cdr object))
+         (error-type-p type))))
+
+(defalias 'error-type #'car
+ "Return the symbol which represents the type of ERROR.
+\n(fn ERROR)")
+
+(defalias 'error-data #'cdr
+  "Return the slots attached to ERROR, as a list.
+\n(fn ERROR)")
+
+(defun error-has-type-p (error condition)
+  "Return non-nil if ERROR is of type CONDITION (or a subtype of it)."
+  (unless (error--p error)
+    (signal 'wrong-type-argument (list #'error--p error)))
+  (or (eq condition t)
+      (memq condition (get (car error) 'error-conditions))))
+
+(defalias 'error-slot-value #'elt
+  "Access the SLOT of object ERROR.
+Slots are specified by position, and slot 0 is the error symbol.
+\n(fn ERROR SLOT)")
+
 ;; We put this here instead of in frame.el so that it's defined even on
 ;; systems where frame.el isn't loaded.
 (defun frame-configuration-p (object)
diff --git a/src/eval.c b/src/eval.c
index 7ca9d761a7e..0b451b2c891 100644
--- a/src/eval.c
+++ b/src/eval.c
@@ -1871,10 +1871,15 @@ probably_quit (void)
   unbind_to (gc_count, Qnil);
 }
 
-DEFUN ("signal", Fsignal, Ssignal, 2, 2, 0,
+DEFUN ("signal", Fsignal, Ssignal, 1, 2, 0,
        doc: /* Signal an error.  Args are ERROR-SYMBOL and associated DATA.
 This function does not return.
 
+When signaling a new error, the DATA argument is mandatory.
+When re-signaling an error to propagate it to further handlers,
+DATA has to be omitted and the first argument has to be the whole
+error descriptor.
+
 When `noninteractive' is non-nil (in particular, in batch mode), an
 unhandled error calls `kill-emacs', which terminates the Emacs
 session with a non-zero exit code.
@@ -1942,13 +1947,14 @@ signal_or_quit (Lisp_Object error_symbol, Lisp_Object data, bool continuable)
       /* FIXME: 'handler-bind' makes `signal-hook-function' obsolete?  */
       /* FIXME: Here we still "split" the error object
          into its error-symbol and its error-data?  */
-      calln (Vsignal_hook_function, error_symbol, data);
+      calln (Vsignal_hook_function, real_error_symbol,
+	     NILP (data) && CONSP (error) ? XCDR (error) : data);
       unbind_to (count, Qnil);
     }
 
   conditions = Fget (real_error_symbol, Qerror_conditions);
   if (NILP (conditions))
-    signal_error ("Invalid error symbol", error_symbol);
+    signal_error ("Invalid error symbol", real_error_symbol);
 
   /* Remember from where signal was called.  Skip over the frame for
      `signal' itself.  If a frame for `error' follows, skip that,