diff --git a/platformio/__main__.py b/platformio/__main__.py
index 909a0260..58cabe8b 100644
--- a/platformio/__main__.py
+++ b/platformio/__main__.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ def main(argv=None):
     except Exception as exc:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
         if not isinstance(exc, exception.ReturnErrorCode):
             maintenance.on_platformio_exception(exc)
-            error_str = "Error: "
+            error_str = f"{exc.__class__.__name__}: "
             if isinstance(exc, exception.PlatformioException):
                 error_str += str(exc)
             else:
diff --git a/platformio/package/meta.py b/platformio/package/meta.py
index 4db53106..36578a37 100644
--- a/platformio/package/meta.py
+++ b/platformio/package/meta.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import semantic_version
 from platformio import fs
 from platformio.compat import get_object_members, hashlib_encode_data, string_types
 from platformio.package.manifest.parser import ManifestFileType
-from platformio.package.version import cast_version_to_semver
+from platformio.package.version import SemanticVersionError, cast_version_to_semver
 from platformio.util import items_in_list
 
 
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ class PackageSpec:  # pylint: disable=too-many-instance-attributes
         if requirements:
             try:
                 self.requirements = requirements
-            except ValueError as exc:
+            except SemanticVersionError as exc:
                 if not self.name or self.uri or self.raw:
                     raise exc
                 self.raw = "%s=%s" % (self.name, requirements)
@@ -224,11 +224,14 @@ class PackageSpec:  # pylint: disable=too-many-instance-attributes
         if not value:
             self._requirements = None
             return
-        self._requirements = (
-            value
-            if isinstance(value, semantic_version.SimpleSpec)
-            else semantic_version.SimpleSpec(str(value))
-        )
+        try:
+            self._requirements = (
+                value
+                if isinstance(value, semantic_version.SimpleSpec)
+                else semantic_version.SimpleSpec(str(value))
+            )
+        except ValueError as exc:
+            raise SemanticVersionError(exc) from exc
 
     def humanize(self):
         result = ""
diff --git a/platformio/package/version.py b/platformio/package/version.py
index 770be9e4..909d83e1 100644
--- a/platformio/package/version.py
+++ b/platformio/package/version.py
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ import re
 
 import semantic_version
 
+from platformio.exception import UserSideException
+
+
+class SemanticVersionError(UserSideException):
+    pass
+
 
 def cast_version_to_semver(value, force=True, raise_exception=False):
     assert value
@@ -29,7 +35,7 @@ def cast_version_to_semver(value, force=True, raise_exception=False):
         except ValueError:
             pass
     if raise_exception:
-        raise ValueError("Invalid SemVer version %s" % value)
+        raise SemanticVersionError("Invalid SemVer version %s" % value)
     # parse commit hash
     if re.match(r"^[\da-f]+$", value, flags=re.I):
         return semantic_version.Version("0.0.0+sha." + value)
diff --git a/platformio/project/exception.py b/platformio/project/exception.py
index 95681bc0..d6e53fa6 100644
--- a/platformio/project/exception.py
+++ b/platformio/project/exception.py
@@ -12,14 +12,14 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-from platformio.exception import PlatformioException, UserSideException
+from platformio.exception import UserSideException
 
 
-class ProjectError(PlatformioException):
+class ProjectError(UserSideException):
     pass
 
 
-class NotPlatformIOProjectError(ProjectError, UserSideException):
+class NotPlatformIOProjectError(ProjectError):
     MESSAGE = (
         "Not a PlatformIO project. `platformio.ini` file has not been "
         "found in current working directory ({0}). To initialize new project "
@@ -27,28 +27,28 @@ class NotPlatformIOProjectError(ProjectError, UserSideException):
     )
 
 
-class InvalidProjectConfError(ProjectError, UserSideException):
+class InvalidProjectConfError(ProjectError):
     MESSAGE = "Invalid '{0}' (project configuration file): '{1}'"
 
 
-class UndefinedEnvPlatformError(ProjectError, UserSideException):
+class UndefinedEnvPlatformError(ProjectError):
     MESSAGE = "Please specify platform for '{0}' environment"
 
 
-class ProjectEnvsNotAvailableError(ProjectError, UserSideException):
+class ProjectEnvsNotAvailableError(ProjectError):
     MESSAGE = "Please setup environments in `platformio.ini` file"
 
 
-class UnknownEnvNamesError(ProjectError, UserSideException):
+class UnknownEnvNamesError(ProjectError):
     MESSAGE = "Unknown environment names '{0}'. Valid names are '{1}'"
 
 
-class InvalidEnvNameError(ProjectError, UserSideException):
+class InvalidEnvNameError(ProjectError):
     MESSAGE = (
         "Invalid environment name '{0}'. The name can contain "
         "alphanumeric, underscore, and hyphen characters (a-z, 0-9, -, _)"
     )
 
 
-class ProjectOptionValueError(ProjectError, UserSideException):
+class ProjectOptionValueError(ProjectError):
     MESSAGE = "{0} for option `{1}` in section [{2}]"