diff --git a/include/boost/python/detail/translate_exception.hpp b/include/boost/python/detail/translate_exception.hpp
index 62f931a5..ced11ebb 100644
--- a/include/boost/python/detail/translate_exception.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/detail/translate_exception.hpp
@@ -22,9 +22,20 @@ namespace boost { namespace python { namespace detail {
 template <class ExceptionType, class Translate>
 struct translate_exception
 {
+// workaround for broken gcc that ships with SuSE 9.0 and SuSE 9.1
+# if defined(__linux__) && defined(__GNUC__) \
+    && BOOST_WORKAROUND(__GNUC__, == 3) \
+    && BOOST_WORKAROUND(__GNUC_MINOR__, == 3) \
+    && (BOOST_WORKAROUND(__GNUC_PATCHLEVEL__, == 1) \
+        || BOOST_WORKAROUND(__GNUC_PATCHLEVEL__, == 3))
+    typedef typename remove_reference<
+        typename add_const<ExceptionType>::type
+    >::type exception_non_ref;
+# else
     typedef typename add_reference<
         typename add_const<ExceptionType>::type
     >::type exception_cref;
+# endif
     
     inline bool operator()(
         exception_handler const& handler
@@ -35,7 +46,16 @@ struct translate_exception
         {
             return handler(f);
         }
+// workaround for broken gcc that ships with SuSE 9.0 and SuSE 9.1
+# if defined(__linux__) && defined(__GNUC__) \
+    && BOOST_WORKAROUND(__GNUC__, == 3) \
+    && BOOST_WORKAROUND(__GNUC_MINOR__, == 3) \
+    && (BOOST_WORKAROUND(__GNUC_PATCHLEVEL__, == 1) \
+        || BOOST_WORKAROUND(__GNUC_PATCHLEVEL__, == 3))
+        catch(exception_non_ref& e)
+# else
         catch(exception_cref e)
+# endif
         {
             translate(e);
             return true;