diff --git a/.changes/nextrelease/awsexception-throwable.json b/.changes/nextrelease/awsexception-throwable.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2287c1ddcf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/nextrelease/awsexception-throwable.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+[
+  {
+    "type": "enhancement",
+    "category": "Exception",
+    "description": "Loosens requirements for `$previous` `AwsException` parameter from `Exception` to `Throwable`."
+  }
+]
diff --git a/src/Exception/AwsException.php b/src/Exception/AwsException.php
index 05b7b955f0..54d7549f01 100644
--- a/src/Exception/AwsException.php
+++ b/src/Exception/AwsException.php
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 use JmesPath\Env as JmesPath;
 use Psr\Http\Message\ResponseInterface;
 use Psr\Http\Message\RequestInterface;
+use Throwable;
 
 /**
  * Represents an AWS exception that is thrown when a command fails.
@@ -39,35 +40,29 @@ class AwsException extends \RuntimeException implements
 
 
     /**
-     * @param string           $message Exception message
+     * @param string $message Exception message
      * @param CommandInterface $command
-     * @param array            $context Exception context
-     * @param \Exception       $previous  Previous exception (if any)
+     * @param array $context Exception context
+     * @param Throwable|null $previous Previous exception (if any)
      */
     public function __construct(
         $message,
         CommandInterface $command,
         array $context = [],
-        ?\Exception $previous = null
+        ?Throwable $previous = null
     ) {
-        $this->data = isset($context['body']) ? $context['body'] : [];
+        $this->data = $context['body'] ?? [];
         $this->command = $command;
-        $this->response = isset($context['response']) ? $context['response'] : null;
-        $this->request = isset($context['request']) ? $context['request'] : null;
-        $this->requestId = isset($context['request_id'])
-            ? $context['request_id']
-            : null;
-        $this->errorType = isset($context['type']) ? $context['type'] : null;
-        $this->errorCode = isset($context['code']) ? $context['code'] : null;
-        $this->errorShape = isset($context['error_shape']) ? $context['error_shape'] : null;
+        $this->response = $context['response'] ?? null;
+        $this->request = $context['request'] ?? null;
+        $this->requestId = $context['request_id'] ?? null;
+        $this->errorType = $context['type'] ?? null;
+        $this->errorCode = $context['code'] ?? null;
+        $this->errorShape = $context['error_shape'] ?? null;
         $this->connectionError = !empty($context['connection_error']);
-        $this->result = isset($context['result']) ? $context['result'] : null;
-        $this->transferInfo = isset($context['transfer_stats'])
-            ? $context['transfer_stats']
-            : [];
-        $this->errorMessage = isset($context['message'])
-            ? $context['message']
-            : null;
+        $this->result = $context['result'] ?? null;
+        $this->transferInfo = $context['transfer_stats'] ?? [];
+        $this->errorMessage = $context['message'] ?? null;
         $this->monitoringEvents = [];
         $this->maxRetriesExceeded = false;
         parent::__construct($message, 0, $previous);
@@ -220,9 +215,7 @@ public function getTransferInfo($name = null)
             return $this->transferInfo;
         }
 
-        return isset($this->transferInfo[$name])
-            ? $this->transferInfo[$name]
-            : null;
+        return $this->transferInfo[$name] ?? null;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/Exception/AwsExceptionTest.php b/tests/Exception/AwsExceptionTest.php
index 8c68af75e4..4f36415cdf 100644
--- a/tests/Exception/AwsExceptionTest.php
+++ b/tests/Exception/AwsExceptionTest.php
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class AwsExceptionTest extends TestCase
 {
     use UsesServiceTrait;
 
-    public function testProvidesContextShortcuts()
+    public function testProvidesContextShortcuts(): void
     {
         $ctx = [
             'request_id' => '10',
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ public function testProvidesContextShortcuts()
         $this->assertNull($e->getResult());
     }
 
-    public function testReturnsStatusCode()
+    public function testReturnsStatusCode(): void
     {
         $ctx = ['response' => new Response(400)];
         $command = new Command('foo');
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public function testReturnsStatusCode()
         $this->assertSame(400, $e->getStatusCode());
     }
 
-    public function testSetsMaxRetriesExceeded()
+    public function testSetsMaxRetriesExceeded(): void
     {
         $command = new Command('foo');
         $e = new AwsException('Foo', $command);
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public function testSetsMaxRetriesExceeded()
         $this->assertTrue($e->isMaxRetriesExceeded());
     }
 
-    public function testProvidesResult()
+    public function testProvidesResult(): void
     {
         $command = new Command('foo');
         $result = new Result();
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public function testProvidesResult()
         $this->assertSame($result, $e->getResult());
     }
 
-    public function testProvidesResponse()
+    public function testProvidesResponse(): void
     {
         $command = new Command('foo');
         $response = new Response();
@@ -70,28 +70,28 @@ public function testProvidesResponse()
         $this->assertSame($response, $e->getResponse());
     }
 
-    public function testProvidesErrorMessage()
+    public function testProvidesErrorMessage(): void
     {
         $command = new Command('foo');
         $e = new AwsException('Foo', $command, ['message' => "test error message"]);
         $this->assertSame("test error message", $e->getAwsErrorMessage());
     }
 
-    public function testProvidesFalseConnectionErrorFlag()
+    public function testProvidesFalseConnectionErrorFlag(): void
     {
         $command = new Command('foo');
         $e = new AwsException('Foo', $command, ['connection_error' => false]);
         $this->assertFalse($e->isConnectionError());
     }
 
-    public function testProvidesTrueConnectionErrorFlag()
+    public function testProvidesTrueConnectionErrorFlag(): void
     {
         $command = new Command('foo');
         $e = new AwsException('Foo', $command, ['connection_error' => true]);
         $this->assertTrue($e->isConnectionError());
     }
 
-    public function testProvidesRequest()
+    public function testProvidesRequest(): void
     {
         $command = new Command('foo');
         $request = new Request('GET', 'http://www.foo.com');
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ public function testProvidesRequest()
         $this->assertSame($request, $e->getRequest());
     }
 
-    public function testProvidesExceptionToStringWithNoPrevious()
+    public function testProvidesExceptionToStringWithNoPrevious(): void
     {
         $command = new Command('foo');
         $e = new AwsException('Foo', $command);
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ public function testProvidesExceptionToStringWithNoPrevious()
         $this->assertStringStartsWith($exceptionString, $e->__toString());
     }
 
-    public function testProvidesExceptionToStringWithPreviousLast()
+    public function testProvidesExceptionToStringWithPreviousLast(): void
     {
         $prev = new \Exception("Last! '.");
         $command = new Command('foo');
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ public function testProvidesExceptionToStringWithPreviousLast()
         );
     }
 
-    public function testHasData()
+    public function testHasData(): void
     {
         $e = new AwsException(
             'foo-message',
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ public function testHasData()
         $this->assertSame('b', $e->search('a'));
     }
 
-    public function testProvidesErrorShape()
+    public function testProvidesErrorShape(): void
     {
         $command = new Command('foo');
         $response = new Response();
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ public function testProvidesErrorShape()
         $this->assertSame($errorShape->toArray(), $e->getAwsErrorShape()->toArray());
     }
 
-    public function testCanIndirectlyModifyLikeAnArray()
+    public function testCanIndirectlyModifyLikeAnArray(): void
     {
         $e = new AwsException(
             'foo-message',
@@ -179,4 +179,84 @@ public function testCanIndirectlyModifyLikeAnArray()
         $q = 100;
         $this->assertSame(0, $e['qux']);
     }
+
+    public function testAcceptsExceptionAsPrevious(): void
+    {
+        $previous = new \Exception('Previous exception');
+        $command = new Command('foo');
+        $e = new AwsException('Foo', $command, [], $previous);
+
+        $this->assertSame($previous, $e->getPrevious());
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(\Throwable::class, $e->getPrevious());
+    }
+
+    public function testAcceptsErrorAsPrevious(): void
+    {
+        $previous = new \Error('Previous error');
+        $command = new Command('foo');
+        $e = new AwsException('Foo', $command, [], $previous);
+
+        $this->assertSame($previous, $e->getPrevious());
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(\Throwable::class, $e->getPrevious());
+    }
+
+    public function testAcceptsCustomErrorAsPrevious(): void
+    {
+        $previous = new class extends \Error {
+            public function __construct() {
+                parent::__construct('Custom error');
+            }
+        };
+
+        $command = new Command('foo');
+        $e = new AwsException('Foo', $command, [], $previous);
+
+        $this->assertSame($previous, $e->getPrevious());
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(\Throwable::class, $e->getPrevious());
+    }
+
+    public function testAcceptsNullAsPrevious(): void
+    {
+        $command = new Command('foo');
+        $e = new AwsException('Foo', $command, [], null);
+
+        $this->assertNull($e->getPrevious());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @dataProvider previousThrowableProvider
+     */
+    public function testAcceptsVariousThrowableTypes(\Throwable $previous): void
+    {
+        $command = new Command('foo');
+        $e = new AwsException('Foo', $command, [], $previous);
+
+        $this->assertSame($previous, $e->getPrevious());
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(\Throwable::class, $e->getPrevious());
+    }
+
+    public function previousThrowableProvider(): array
+    {
+        return [
+            'standard exception' => [new \Exception('Standard exception')],
+            'runtime exception' => [new \RuntimeException('Runtime exception')],
+            'error' => [new \Error('Error')],
+            'type error' => [new \TypeError('Type error')],
+            'arithmetic error' => [new \ArithmeticError('Arithmetic error')],
+            'division by zero error' => [new \DivisionByZeroError('Division by zero')]
+        ];
+    }
+
+    public function testExceptionMessageWithErrorAsPrevious(): void
+    {
+        $previous = new \Error('Previous error');
+        $command = new Command('foo');
+        $e = new AwsException('Foo', $command, [], $previous);
+
+        $exceptionString = $e->__toString();
+
+        $this->assertStringContainsString('Foo', $exceptionString);
+        $this->assertStringContainsString('Previous error', $exceptionString);
+        $this->assertStringContainsString('Previous error', $e->__toString());
+    }
 }