diff --git a/imbox/imbox.py b/imbox/imbox.py
index f8dfc14..89fa616 100644
--- a/imbox/imbox.py
+++ b/imbox/imbox.py
@@ -1,15 +1,19 @@
+import imaplib
+
 from imbox.imap import ImapTransport
 from imbox.messages import Messages
 
 import logging
 
-from imbox.vendors import GmailMessages, hostname_vendorname_dict
+from imbox.vendors import GmailMessages, hostname_vendorname_dict, name_authentication_string_dict
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 class Imbox:
 
+    authentication_error_message = None
+
     def __init__(self, hostname, username=None, password=None, ssl=True,
                  port=None, ssl_context=None, policy=None, starttls=False,
                  vendor=None):
@@ -21,10 +25,20 @@ class Imbox:
         self.username = username
         self.password = password
         self.parser_policy = policy
-        self.connection = self.server.connect(username, password)
+        self.vendor = vendor or hostname_vendorname_dict.get(self.hostname)
+
+        if self.vendor is not None:
+            self.authentication_error_message = name_authentication_string_dict.get(self.vendor)
+
+        try:
+            self.connection = self.server.connect(username, password)
+        except imaplib.IMAP4.error as e:
+            if self.authentication_error_message is None:
+                raise
+            raise imaplib.IMAP4.error(self.authentication_error_message + '\n' + str(e))
+
         logger.info("Connected to IMAP Server with user {username} on {hostname}{ssl}".format(
             hostname=hostname, username=username, ssl=(" over SSL" if ssl or starttls else "")))
-        self.vendor = vendor or hostname_vendorname_dict.get(self.hostname)
 
     def __enter__(self):
         return self
@@ -62,19 +76,19 @@ class Imbox:
     def messages(self, **kwargs):
         folder = kwargs.get('folder', False)
 
+        messages_class = Messages
+
+        if self.vendor == 'gmail':
+            messages_class = GmailMessages
+
         if folder:
-            self.connection.select(folder)
+            self.connection.select(messages_class.folder_lookup.get((folder.lower())) or folder)
             msg = " from folder '{}'".format(folder)
         else:
             msg = " from inbox"
 
         logger.info("Fetch list of messages{}".format(msg))
 
-        messages_class = Messages
-
-        if self.vendor == 'gmail':
-            messages_class = GmailMessages
-
         return messages_class(connection=self.connection,
                               parser_policy=self.parser_policy,
                               **kwargs)
diff --git a/imbox/messages.py b/imbox/messages.py
index 3d44f42..baefae7 100644
--- a/imbox/messages.py
+++ b/imbox/messages.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 class Messages:
 
+    folder_lookup = {}
+
     def __init__(self,
                  connection,
                  parser_policy,
diff --git a/imbox/vendors/__init__.py b/imbox/vendors/__init__.py
index f983626..da8a6b9 100644
--- a/imbox/vendors/__init__.py
+++ b/imbox/vendors/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 from imbox.vendors.gmail import GmailMessages
 
+vendors = [GmailMessages]
 
-hostname_vendorname_dict = {GmailMessages.hostname: GmailMessages.name}
+hostname_vendorname_dict = {vendor.hostname: vendor.name for vendor in vendors}
+name_authentication_string_dict = {vendor.name: vendor.authentication_error_message for vendor in vendors}
 
 __all__ = ['GmailMessages',
-           'hostname_vendorname_dict']
\ No newline at end of file
+           'hostname_vendorname_dict',
+           'name_authentication_string_dict']
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/imbox/vendors/gmail.py b/imbox/vendors/gmail.py
index a9dfa4b..97c97d9 100644
--- a/imbox/vendors/gmail.py
+++ b/imbox/vendors/gmail.py
@@ -2,5 +2,28 @@ from imbox.messages import Messages
 
 
 class GmailMessages(Messages):
+    authentication_error_message = ('If you\'re not using an app-specific password, grab one here: '
+                                    'https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords')
     hostname = 'imap.gmail.com'
     name = 'gmail'
+    folder_lookup = {
+
+        'all_mail': '"[Gmail]/All Mail"',
+        'all': '"[Gmail]/All Mail"',
+        'all mail': '"[Gmail]/All Mail"',
+        'sent': '"[Gmail]/Sent Mail"',
+        'sent mail': '"[Gmail]/Sent Mail"',
+        'sent_mail': '"[Gmail]/Sent Mail"',
+        'drafts': '"[Gmail]/Drafts"',
+        'important': '"[Gmail]/Important"',
+        'spam': '"[Gmail]/Spam"',
+        'starred': '"[Gmail]/Starred"',
+        'trash': '"[Gmail]/Trash"',
+
+    }
+
+    def __init__(self,
+                 connection,
+                 parser_policy,
+                 **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(connection, parser_policy, **kwargs)