diff --git a/py/log/consumer.py b/py/log/consumer.py
index 65b693b8f..c6eaa9ad4 100644
--- a/py/log/consumer.py
+++ b/py/log/consumer.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class Syslog:
     for priority in "LOG_EMERG LOG_ALERT LOG_CRIT LOG_ERR LOG_WARNING LOG_NOTICE LOG_INFO LOG_DEBUG".split():
         try:
             exec("%s = py.std.syslog.%s" % (priority, priority))
-        except ImportError:
+        except AttributeError:
             pass
     
     def __init__(self, priority = None):
diff --git a/py/misc/std.py b/py/misc/std.py
index 041b769f8..bef7ae8cc 100644
--- a/py/misc/std.py
+++ b/py/misc/std.py
@@ -2,11 +2,18 @@
 import sys
 
 class Std(object):
-    """ lazily import standard modules """
+    """ makes all standard python modules available as a lazily 
+        computed attribute. 
+    """ 
+
     def __init__(self):
         self.__dict__ = sys.modules
 
     def __getattr__(self, name):
-        return __import__(name)
+        try:
+            m = __import__(name)
+        except ImportError:
+            raise AttributeError("py.std: could not import %s" % name)
+        return m
 
 std = Std()
diff --git a/py/misc/testing/test_std.py b/py/misc/testing/test_std.py
index dcee51b18..143556a05 100644
--- a/py/misc/testing/test_std.py
+++ b/py/misc/testing/test_std.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ def test_os():
     assert py.std.os is os
 
 def test_import_error_converts_to_attributeerror():
-    py.test.raises(ImportError, "py.std.xyzalskdj")
+    py.test.raises(AttributeError, "py.std.xyzalskdj")
 
 def test_std_gets_it():
     for x in py.std.sys.modules: