diff --git a/shared_modules/m1.cpp b/shared_modules/m1.cpp
index ce3a43e1..a752a128 100644
--- a/shared_modules/m1.cpp
+++ b/shared_modules/m1.cpp
@@ -17,12 +17,25 @@ char const * test(Shared const & m)
 
 extern "C" void initm1()
 {
-    py::module_builder m1("m1");
-    
+    try {
+        py::module_builder m1("m1");
 
-    py::class_builder<M1> m1_class(m1, "M1");
-    m1_class.def(py::constructor<>());
-    m1_class.declare_base(py::type<Shared>());
-    
-    m1.def(&test, "test");
+
+        py::class_builder<M1> m1_class(m1, "M1");
+        m1_class.def(py::constructor<>());
+        
+        try {
+            m1_class.declare_base(py::type<Shared>());
+        }
+        catch(std::runtime_error & )
+        {
+            throw std::runtime_error("You must load module `shared' before module `m1'");
+        }
+
+        m1.def(&test, "test");
+    }
+    catch(...)
+    {
+        py::handle_exception();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/shared_modules/m2.cpp b/shared_modules/m2.cpp
index be881fd1..693dfd7b 100644
--- a/shared_modules/m2.cpp
+++ b/shared_modules/m2.cpp
@@ -11,9 +11,21 @@ namespace py = boost::python;
 
 extern "C" void initm2()
 {
-    py::module_builder m2("m2");
-    
-    py::class_builder<M2> m2_class(m2, "M2");
-    m2_class.def(py::constructor<>());
-    m2_class.declare_base(py::type<Shared>());
+    try {
+        py::module_builder m2("m2");
+
+        py::class_builder<M2> m2_class(m2, "M2");
+        m2_class.def(py::constructor<>());
+        try {
+            m2_class.declare_base(py::type<Shared>());
+        }
+        catch(std::runtime_error & )
+        {
+            throw std::runtime_error("You must load module `shared' before module `m2'");
+        }
+    }
+    catch(...)
+    {
+        py::handle_exception();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/shared_modules/shared.cpp b/shared_modules/shared.cpp
index 02b045da..9f01f777 100644
--- a/shared_modules/shared.cpp
+++ b/shared_modules/shared.cpp
@@ -11,9 +11,15 @@ char const * test(Shared const & m)
 
 extern "C" void initshared()
 {
-    py::module_builder shared("shared");
-    py::class_builder<Shared> shared_class(shared, "Shared");
-    shared_class.def(py::constructor<>());
-    shared_class.def(&Shared::name, "name");
-    shared.def(&test, "test");
+    try {
+        py::module_builder shared("shared");
+        py::class_builder<Shared> shared_class(shared, "Shared");
+        shared_class.def(py::constructor<>());
+        shared_class.def(&Shared::name, "name");
+        shared.def(&test, "test");
+    }
+    catch(...)
+    {
+        py::handle_exception();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/shared_modules/shared_modules.py b/shared_modules/shared_modules.py
index 3f9d0a51..da17e4ba 100644
--- a/shared_modules/shared_modules.py
+++ b/shared_modules/shared_modules.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 r'''
     >>> import shared
-    >>> import m2
     >>> import m1
+    >>> import m2
     >>> ls = shared.Shared()
     >>> ls.name()
     'Shared'