diff --git a/modules/io/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/modules/io/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 9ac4ba1342db1995749b5cce02a1c89fa278b536..64a31041525e12f4c1c0bc2ba906284b1a424a5e 100644
--- a/modules/io/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/modules/io/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ set(OST_IO_UNIT_TESTS
 )
 if (ENABLE_IMG)
   list(APPEND OST_IO_UNIT_TESTS test_io_img.cc)
+  list(APPEND OST_IO_UNIT_TESTS test_exceptions.cc)
 endif()
 ost_unittest(MODULE io
              SOURCES "${OST_IO_UNIT_TESTS}"
diff --git a/modules/io/tests/test_exceptions.cc b/modules/io/tests/test_exceptions.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..2ed51ce3e61239424f4d3ce8b9ce2f77a3825b24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/io/tests/test_exceptions.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// This file is part of the OpenStructure project <www.openstructure.org>
+//
+// Copyright (C) 2008-2011 by the OpenStructure authors
+//
+// This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
+// the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free
+// Software Foundation; either version 3.0 of the License, or (at your option)
+// any later version.
+// This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+// ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
+// FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more
+// details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+// along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+// 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+/*
+  Author: Andreas Schenk
+ */
+
+#define BOOST_TEST_DYN_LINK
+#include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
+#include <boost/test/auto_unit_test.hpp>
+
+#include <ost/io/load_map.hh>
+#include <ost/img/image.hh>
+#include <ost/io/io_exception.hh>
+
+using namespace ost;
+using namespace ost::io;
+
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE( io );
+
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(exception) 
+{
+  try {
+      BOOST_CHECK_THROW(ost::img::ImageHandle loadedimage=LoadImage("nonexistent.mrc"),IOException);
+  }catch(...){
+    BOOST_ERROR( "Failed to catch IOException." );
+  }
+  ost::img::ImageHandle ih=ost::img::CreateImage();
+  try {
+      BOOST_CHECK_THROW(SaveImage(ih,"nonexistent.ABC"),IOUnknownFormatException);
+  }catch(...){
+    BOOST_ERROR( "Failed to catch IOUnknownFormatException." );
+  }
+}
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END();