diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_extra/documents/juce_FileBasedDocument.cpp b/modules/juce_gui_extra/documents/juce_FileBasedDocument.cpp
index 1273d1d758..1e9d8697d5 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_extra/documents/juce_FileBasedDocument.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_extra/documents/juce_FileBasedDocument.cpp
@@ -65,16 +65,14 @@ void FileBasedDocument::setFile (const File& newFile)
 }
 
 //==============================================================================
-#if JUCE_MODAL_LOOPS_PERMITTED
-bool FileBasedDocument::loadFrom (const File& newFile,
-                                  const bool showMessageOnFailure)
+Result FileBasedDocument::loadFrom (const File& newFile, const bool showMessageOnFailure)
 {
     MouseCursor::showWaitCursor();
 
     const File oldFile (documentFile);
     documentFile = newFile;
 
-    Result result (Result::fail ("The file doesn't exist"));
+    Result result (Result::fail (TRANS("The file doesn't exist")));
 
     if (newFile.existsAsFile())
     {
@@ -86,7 +84,7 @@ bool FileBasedDocument::loadFrom (const File& newFile,
             MouseCursor::hideWaitCursor();
 
             setLastDocumentOpened (newFile);
-            return true;
+            return result;
         }
     }
 
@@ -94,19 +92,18 @@ bool FileBasedDocument::loadFrom (const File& newFile,
     MouseCursor::hideWaitCursor();
 
     if (showMessageOnFailure)
-    {
-        AlertWindow::showMessageBox (AlertWindow::WarningIcon,
-                                     TRANS("Failed to open file..."),
-                                     TRANS("There was an error while trying to load the file: FLNM")
-                                        .replace ("FLNM", "\n" + newFile.getFullPathName())
-                                       + "\n\n"
-                                       + result.getErrorMessage());
-    }
+        AlertWindow::showMessageBoxAsync (AlertWindow::WarningIcon,
+                                          TRANS("Failed to open file..."),
+                                          TRANS("There was an error while trying to load the file: FLNM")
+                                              .replace ("FLNM", "\n" + newFile.getFullPathName())
+                                            + "\n\n"
+                                            + result.getErrorMessage());
 
-    return false;
+    return result;
 }
 
-bool FileBasedDocument::loadFromUserSpecifiedFile (const bool showMessageOnFailure)
+#if JUCE_MODAL_LOOPS_PERMITTED
+Result FileBasedDocument::loadFromUserSpecifiedFile (const bool showMessageOnFailure)
 {
     FileChooser fc (openFileDialogTitle,
                     getLastDocumentOpened(),
@@ -115,7 +112,7 @@ bool FileBasedDocument::loadFromUserSpecifiedFile (const bool showMessageOnFailu
     if (fc.browseForFileToOpen())
         return loadFrom (fc.getResult(), showMessageOnFailure);
 
-    return false;
+    return Result::fail (TRANS("User cancelled"));
 }
 
 static bool askToOverwriteFile (const File& newFile)
@@ -179,15 +176,13 @@ FileBasedDocument::SaveResult FileBasedDocument::saveAs (const File& newFile,
     MouseCursor::hideWaitCursor();
 
     if (showMessageOnFailure)
-    {
-        AlertWindow::showMessageBox (AlertWindow::WarningIcon,
-                                     TRANS("Error writing to file..."),
-                                     TRANS("An error occurred while trying to save \"DCNM\" to the file: FLNM")
-                                         .replace ("DCNM", getDocumentTitle())
-                                         .replace ("FLNM", "\n" + newFile.getFullPathName())
-                                        + "\n\n"
-                                        + result.getErrorMessage());
-    }
+        AlertWindow::showMessageBoxAsync (AlertWindow::WarningIcon,
+                                          TRANS("Error writing to file..."),
+                                          TRANS("An error occurred while trying to save \"DCNM\" to the file: FLNM")
+                                            .replace ("DCNM", getDocumentTitle())
+                                            .replace ("FLNM", "\n" + newFile.getFullPathName())
+                                           + "\n\n"
+                                           + result.getErrorMessage());
 
     return failedToWriteToFile;
 }
diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_extra/documents/juce_FileBasedDocument.h b/modules/juce_gui_extra/documents/juce_FileBasedDocument.h
index 9d77d6845b..66e1dda855 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_extra/documents/juce_FileBasedDocument.h
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_extra/documents/juce_FileBasedDocument.h
@@ -100,11 +100,12 @@ public:
         to this new one; if it fails, the document's file is left unchanged, and optionally
         a message box is shown telling the user there was an error.
 
-        @returns true if the new file loaded successfully
+        @returns A result indicating whether the new file loaded successfully, or the error
+                 message if it failed.
         @see loadDocument, loadFromUserSpecifiedFile
     */
-    bool loadFrom (const File& fileToLoadFrom,
-                   bool showMessageOnFailure);
+    Result loadFrom (const File& fileToLoadFrom,
+                     bool showMessageOnFailure);
 
     /** Asks the user for a file and tries to load it.
 
@@ -113,11 +114,11 @@ public:
         for a file. If they pick one, the loadFrom() method is used to
         try to load it, optionally showing a message if it fails.
 
-        @returns    true if a file was loaded; false if the user cancelled or if they
-                    picked a file which failed to load correctly
+        @returns    a result indicating success; This will be a failure message if the user
+                    cancelled or if they picked a file which failed to load correctly
         @see loadFrom
     */
-    bool loadFromUserSpecifiedFile (bool showMessageOnFailure);
+    Result loadFromUserSpecifiedFile (bool showMessageOnFailure);
 
     //==============================================================================
     /** A set of possible outcomes of one of the save() methods