diff --git a/modules/highgui/misc/java/src/java/highgui+HighGui.java b/modules/highgui/misc/java/src/java/highgui+HighGui.java
index 7a25095166..e986618fb4 100644
--- a/modules/highgui/misc/java/src/java/highgui+HighGui.java
+++ b/modules/highgui/misc/java/src/java/highgui+HighGui.java
@@ -43,8 +43,7 @@ public final class HighGui {
 
     public static void imshow(String winname, Mat img) {
         if (img.empty()) {
-            System.err.println("Error: Empty image in imshow");
-            System.exit(-1);
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Image is empty");
         } else {
             ImageWindow tmpWindow = windows.get(winname);
             if (tmpWindow == null) {
@@ -113,8 +112,7 @@ public final class HighGui {
 
         // If there are no windows to be shown return
         if (windows.isEmpty()) {
-            System.err.println("Error: waitKey must be used after an imshow");
-            System.exit(-1);
+            throw new IllegalStateException("No windows created. Call imshow() first");
         }
 
         // Remove the unused windows
@@ -145,8 +143,7 @@ public final class HighGui {
                     win.lbl.setIcon(icon);
                 }
             } else {
-                System.err.println("Error: no imshow associated with" + " namedWindow: \"" + win.name + "\"");
-                System.exit(-1);
+                throw new IllegalStateException("No image set for window: \"" + win.name + "\". Call imshow() first");
             }
         }
 
@@ -158,6 +155,7 @@ public final class HighGui {
             }
         } catch (InterruptedException e) {
             e.printStackTrace();
+            Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
         }
 
         // Set all windows as already used