diff --git a/pyfpdb/Exceptions.py b/pyfpdb/Exceptions.py
index f3d75e89..eaf5d798 100644
--- a/pyfpdb/Exceptions.py
+++ b/pyfpdb/Exceptions.py
@@ -17,5 +17,8 @@ class FpdbParseError(FpdbError):
 class FpdbDatabaseError(FpdbError):
     pass
 
+class FpdbMySQLFailedError(FpdbDatabaseError):
+    pass
+
 class DuplicateError(FpdbError):
     pass
diff --git a/pyfpdb/fpdb.py b/pyfpdb/fpdb.py
index 4703d96d..5d8d7191 100755
--- a/pyfpdb/fpdb.py
+++ b/pyfpdb/fpdb.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ import SQL
 import Database
 import FpdbSQLQueries
 import Configuration
-from Exceptions import *
+import Exceptions
 
 VERSION = "0.11"
 
@@ -453,7 +453,12 @@ class fpdb:
             self.db.disconnect()
 
         self.sql = SQL.Sql(type = self.settings['db-type'], db_server = self.settings['db-server'])
-        self.db = Database.Database(self.config, sql = self.sql)
+        try:
+            self.db = Database.Database(self.config, sql = self.sql)
+        except Exceptions.FpdbMySQLFailedError:
+            self.warning_box("Unable to connect to MySQL! Is the MySQL server running?!", "FPDB ERROR")
+            exit()
+            
 
         if self.db.fdb.wrongDbVersion:
             diaDbVersionWarning = gtk.Dialog(title="Strong Warning - Invalid database version", parent=None, flags=0, buttons=(gtk.STOCK_OK,gtk.RESPONSE_OK))
diff --git a/pyfpdb/fpdb_db.py b/pyfpdb/fpdb_db.py
index 428aa173..17fecc2c 100644
--- a/pyfpdb/fpdb_db.py
+++ b/pyfpdb/fpdb_db.py
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ class fpdb_db:
             try:
                 self.db = MySQLdb.connect(host = host, user = user, passwd = password, db = database, use_unicode=True)
             except:
-                raise FpdbError("MySQL connection failed")
+                raise FpdbMySQLFailedError("MySQL connection failed")
         elif backend==fpdb_db.PGSQL:
             import psycopg2
             import psycopg2.extensions