diff --git a/externals/simplecpp/simplecpp.cpp b/externals/simplecpp/simplecpp.cpp
index 9fd88d281..2c38cd67b 100644
--- a/externals/simplecpp/simplecpp.cpp
+++ b/externals/simplecpp/simplecpp.cpp
@@ -2426,8 +2426,16 @@ std::map<std::string, simplecpp::TokenList*> simplecpp::load(const simplecpp::To
             continue;
 
         std::ifstream fin(filename.c_str());
-        if (!fin.is_open())
+        if (!fin.is_open()) {
+            if (outputList) {
+                simplecpp::Output err(fileNumbers);
+                err.type = simplecpp::Output::EXPLICIT_INCLUDE_NOT_FOUND;
+                err.location = Location(fileNumbers);
+                err.msg = "Can not open include file '" + filename + "' that is explicitly included.";
+                outputList->push_back(err);
+            }
             continue;
+        }
 
         TokenList *tokenlist = new TokenList(fin, fileNumbers, filename, outputList);
         if (!tokenlist->front()) {
diff --git a/externals/simplecpp/simplecpp.h b/externals/simplecpp/simplecpp.h
index 7f44d3087..577711af5 100644
--- a/externals/simplecpp/simplecpp.h
+++ b/externals/simplecpp/simplecpp.h
@@ -167,7 +167,8 @@ namespace simplecpp {
             INCLUDE_NESTED_TOO_DEEPLY,
             SYNTAX_ERROR,
             PORTABILITY_BACKSLASH,
-            UNHANDLED_CHAR_ERROR
+            UNHANDLED_CHAR_ERROR,
+            EXPLICIT_INCLUDE_NOT_FOUND
         } type;
         Location location;
         std::string msg;
diff --git a/lib/cppcheck.cpp b/lib/cppcheck.cpp
index 258df343d..8f2756168 100644
--- a/lib/cppcheck.cpp
+++ b/lib/cppcheck.cpp
@@ -275,6 +275,7 @@ unsigned int CppCheck::checkFile(const std::string& filename, const std::string
             case simplecpp::Output::INCLUDE_NESTED_TOO_DEEPLY:
             case simplecpp::Output::SYNTAX_ERROR:
             case simplecpp::Output::UNHANDLED_CHAR_ERROR:
+            case simplecpp::Output::EXPLICIT_INCLUDE_NOT_FOUND:
                 err = true;
                 break;
             case simplecpp::Output::WARNING:
@@ -299,7 +300,8 @@ unsigned int CppCheck::checkFile(const std::string& filename, const std::string
             }
         }
 
-        preprocessor.loadFiles(tokens1, files);
+        if (!preprocessor.loadFiles(tokens1, files))
+            return mExitCode;
 
         if (!mSettings.plistOutput.empty()) {
             std::string filename2;
diff --git a/lib/preprocessor.cpp b/lib/preprocessor.cpp
index e5107c466..33882e53c 100644
--- a/lib/preprocessor.cpp
+++ b/lib/preprocessor.cpp
@@ -559,6 +559,7 @@ static bool hasErrors(const simplecpp::OutputList &outputList)
         case simplecpp::Output::INCLUDE_NESTED_TOO_DEEPLY:
         case simplecpp::Output::SYNTAX_ERROR:
         case simplecpp::Output::UNHANDLED_CHAR_ERROR:
+        case simplecpp::Output::EXPLICIT_INCLUDE_NOT_FOUND:
             return true;
         case simplecpp::Output::WARNING:
         case simplecpp::Output::MISSING_HEADER:
@@ -569,12 +570,36 @@ static bool hasErrors(const simplecpp::OutputList &outputList)
     return false;
 }
 
+void Preprocessor::handleErrors(const simplecpp::OutputList& outputList, bool throwError)
+{
+    const bool showerror = (!mSettings.userDefines.empty() && !mSettings.force);
+    reportOutput(outputList, showerror);
+    if (throwError) {
+        for (const simplecpp::Output& output : outputList) {
+            switch (output.type) {
+            case simplecpp::Output::ERROR:
+            case simplecpp::Output::INCLUDE_NESTED_TOO_DEEPLY:
+            case simplecpp::Output::SYNTAX_ERROR:
+            case simplecpp::Output::UNHANDLED_CHAR_ERROR:
+            case simplecpp::Output::EXPLICIT_INCLUDE_NOT_FOUND:
+                throw output;
+            case simplecpp::Output::WARNING:
+            case simplecpp::Output::MISSING_HEADER:
+            case simplecpp::Output::PORTABILITY_BACKSLASH:
+                break;
+            };
+        }
+    }
+}
 
-void Preprocessor::loadFiles(const simplecpp::TokenList &rawtokens, std::vector<std::string> &files)
+bool Preprocessor::loadFiles(const simplecpp::TokenList &rawtokens, std::vector<std::string> &files)
 {
     const simplecpp::DUI dui = createDUI(mSettings, emptyString, files[0]);
 
-    mTokenLists = simplecpp::load(rawtokens, files, dui, nullptr);
+    simplecpp::OutputList outputList;
+    mTokenLists = simplecpp::load(rawtokens, files, dui, &outputList);
+    handleErrors(outputList, false);
+    return !hasErrors(outputList);
 }
 
 void Preprocessor::removeComments()
@@ -614,23 +639,7 @@ simplecpp::TokenList Preprocessor::preprocess(const simplecpp::TokenList &tokens
     simplecpp::TokenList tokens2(files);
     simplecpp::preprocess(tokens2, tokens1, files, mTokenLists, dui, &outputList, &macroUsage);
 
-    const bool showerror = (!mSettings.userDefines.empty() && !mSettings.force);
-    reportOutput(outputList, showerror);
-    if (throwError && hasErrors(outputList)) {
-        for (const simplecpp::Output &output : outputList) {
-            switch (output.type) {
-            case simplecpp::Output::ERROR:
-            case simplecpp::Output::INCLUDE_NESTED_TOO_DEEPLY:
-            case simplecpp::Output::SYNTAX_ERROR:
-            case simplecpp::Output::UNHANDLED_CHAR_ERROR:
-                throw output;
-            case simplecpp::Output::WARNING:
-            case simplecpp::Output::MISSING_HEADER:
-            case simplecpp::Output::PORTABILITY_BACKSLASH:
-                break;
-            };
-        }
-    }
+    handleErrors(outputList, throwError);
 
     tokens2.removeComments();
 
@@ -717,6 +726,9 @@ void Preprocessor::reportOutput(const simplecpp::OutputList &outputList, bool sh
         case simplecpp::Output::UNHANDLED_CHAR_ERROR:
             error(out.location.file(), out.location.line, out.msg);
             break;
+        case simplecpp::Output::EXPLICIT_INCLUDE_NOT_FOUND:
+            error(emptyString, 0, out.msg);
+            break;
         };
     }
 }
diff --git a/lib/preprocessor.h b/lib/preprocessor.h
index 86505d575..8b63a212c 100644
--- a/lib/preprocessor.h
+++ b/lib/preprocessor.h
@@ -98,7 +98,9 @@ public:
 
     std::set<std::string> getConfigs(const simplecpp::TokenList &tokens) const;
 
-    void loadFiles(const simplecpp::TokenList &rawtokens, std::vector<std::string> &files);
+    void handleErrors(const simplecpp::OutputList &outputList, bool throwError);
+
+    bool loadFiles(const simplecpp::TokenList &rawtokens, std::vector<std::string> &files);
 
     void removeComments();