diff --git a/development/scons/scons_manifest.py b/development/scons/scons_manifest.py
index 51f1ff2fb2..ca5317b55a 100644
--- a/development/scons/scons_manifest.py
+++ b/development/scons/scons_manifest.py
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ src_support_header_files = Split('''
     docstream.h
     docstring.h
     environment.h
+    ExceptionMessage.h
     filefilterlist.h
     filename.h
     filetools.h
diff --git a/src/lyx_main.C b/src/lyx_main.C
index b0a6b1713a..97f71100ff 100644
--- a/src/lyx_main.C
+++ b/src/lyx_main.C
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
 #include "support/filetools.h"
 #include "support/lyxlib.h"
 #include "support/convert.h"
+#include "support/ExceptionMessage.h"
 #include "support/os.h"
 #include "support/package.h"
 #include "support/path.h"
@@ -395,9 +396,17 @@ int LyX::exec(int & argc, char * argv[])
 	// we need to parse for "-dbg" and "-help"
 	easyParse(argc, argv);
 
-	support::init_package(to_utf8(from_local8bit(argv[0])),
+	try { support::init_package(to_utf8(from_local8bit(argv[0])),
 	                      cl_system_support, cl_user_support,
 	                      support::top_build_dir_is_one_level_up);
+	} catch (support::ExceptionMessage const & message) {
+		if (message.type_ == support::ErrorException) {
+			Alert::error(message.title_, message.details_);
+			exit(1);
+		} else if (message.type_ == support::WarningException) {
+			Alert::warning(message.title_, message.details_);
+		}
+	}
 
 	if (!use_gui) {
 		// FIXME: create a ConsoleApplication
diff --git a/src/support/ExceptionMessage.h b/src/support/ExceptionMessage.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dc597c6547
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/support/ExceptionMessage.h
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+// -*- C++ -*-
+/**
+ * \file ExceptionMessage.h
+ * This file is part of LyX, the document processor.
+ * Licence details can be found in the file COPYING.
+ *
+ * \author Abdelrazak Younes
+ *
+ * Full author contact details are available in file CREDITS.
+ *
+ * A store of the paths to the various different directoies used
+ * by LyX. These paths differ markedly from one OS to another,
+ * following the local Windows, MacOS X or Posix conventions.
+ */
+#ifndef LYX_MESSAGE_H
+#define LYX_MESSAGE_H
+
+#include "support/docstring.h"
+
+#include <exception>
+
+namespace lyx {
+namespace support {
+
+
+enum ExceptionType {
+	ErrorException,
+	WarningException
+};
+
+
+class ExceptionMessage: public std::exception {
+public:
+	ExceptionMessage(ExceptionType type, docstring const & title,
+		docstring const & details)
+		: exception((to_utf8(title) + "\n" + to_utf8(details)).c_str()),
+	type_(type), title_(title), details_(details) {}
+
+	virtual ~ExceptionMessage() {}
+
+	ExceptionType type_;
+	docstring title_;
+	docstring details_;
+};
+
+} // namespace support
+} // namespace lyx
+
+#endif // LYX_MESSAGE_H
diff --git a/src/support/Makefile.am b/src/support/Makefile.am
index 3ad9d9fc5f..bb8e7a45c1 100644
--- a/src/support/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/support/Makefile.am
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ libsupport_la_SOURCES = \
 	docstring.h \
 	environment.h \
 	environment.C \
+	ExceptionMessage.h \
 	filefilterlist.C \
 	filefilterlist.h \
 	filename.C \
diff --git a/src/support/os_win32.C b/src/support/os_win32.C
index daa977b73f..b5545b85e6 100644
--- a/src/support/os_win32.C
+++ b/src/support/os_win32.C
@@ -18,10 +18,12 @@
 #include "support/os_win32.h"
 #include "support/lstrings.h"
 #include "support/filetools.h"
+#include "support/ExceptionMessage.h"
 #include "support/package.h"
 #include "support/path.h"
 
 #include "debug.h"
+#include "gettext.h"
 
 #include <boost/assert.hpp>
 
@@ -324,36 +326,21 @@ void windows_style_tex_paths(bool use_windows_paths)
 }
 
 
-namespace {
-
-void bail_out()
-{
-#ifndef CXX_GLOBAL_CSTD
-	using std::exit;
-#endif
-	exit(1);
-}
-
-} // namespace anon
-
-
 GetFolderPath::GetFolderPath()
 	: folder_module_(0),
 	  folder_path_func_(0)
 {
 	folder_module_ = LoadLibrary("shfolder.dll");
 	if (!folder_module_) {
-		lyxerr << "Unable to load shfolder.dll\nPlease install."
-		       << std::endl;
-		bail_out();
+		throw ExceptionMessage(ErrorException, _("System file not found"),
+			_("Unable to load shfolder.dll\nPlease install."));
 	}
 
 	folder_path_func_ = reinterpret_cast<function_pointer>(::GetProcAddress(folder_module_, "SHGetFolderPathA"));
 	if (folder_path_func_ == 0) {
-		lyxerr << "Unable to find SHGetFolderPathA in shfolder.dll\n"
-			  "Don't know how to proceed. Sorry."
-		       << std::endl;
-		bail_out();
+		throw ExceptionMessage(ErrorException, _("System function not found"),
+			_("Unable to find SHGetFolderPathA in shfolder.dll\n"
+			  "Don't know how to proceed. Sorry."));
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/support/package.C.in b/src/support/package.C.in
index 6edd7abde4..efe19c6272 100644
--- a/src/support/package.C.in
+++ b/src/support/package.C.in
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "support/environment.h"
 #include "support/filetools.h"
 #include "support/lstrings.h"
+#include "support/ExceptionMessage.h"
 #include "support/os.h"
 
 #if defined (USE_WINDOWS_PACKAGING)
@@ -369,15 +370,6 @@ string const get_temp_dir()
 }
 
 
-void bail_out()
-{
-#ifndef CXX_GLOBAL_CSTD
-	using std::exit;
-#endif
-	exit(1);
-}
-
-
 // Extracts the absolute path from the foo of "-sysdir foo" or "-userdir foo"
 string const abs_path_from_command_line(string const & command_line)
 {
@@ -440,11 +432,10 @@ string const abs_path_from_binary_name(string const & exe)
 	string const abs_binary = get_binary_path(exe);
 	if (abs_binary.empty()) {
 		// FIXME UNICODE
-		lyxerr << lyx::to_utf8(bformat(_("Unable to determine the path to the "
-						 "LyX binary from the command line %1$s"),
-						 lyx::from_utf8(exe)))
-		       << std::endl;
-		bail_out();
+		throw ExceptionMessage(ErrorException,
+			_("LyX binary not found"),
+			bformat(_("Unable to determine the path to the LyX binary from the command line %1$s"),
+				lyx::from_utf8(exe)));
 	}
 	return abs_binary;
 }
@@ -562,17 +553,16 @@ get_system_support_dir(string const & abs_binary,
 	}
 
 	// FIXME UNICODE
-	lyxerr << lyx::to_utf8(bformat(_("Unable to determine the system directory "
+	throw ExceptionMessage(ErrorException, _("No system directory"),
+		bformat(_("Unable to determine the system directory "
 					 "having searched\n"
 					 "\t%1$s\n"
 					 "Use the '-sysdir' command line parameter or "
 					 "set the environment variable LYX_DIR_15x to "
 					 "the LyX system directory containing the file "
 					 "`chkconfig.ltx'."),
-			  lyx::from_utf8(searched_dirs_str)))
-	       << std::endl;
+			  lyx::from_utf8(searched_dirs_str)));
 
-	bail_out();
 	// Keep the compiler happy.
 	return string();
 }
@@ -648,11 +638,10 @@ bool check_command_line_dir(string const & dir,
 	FileName const abs_path = fileSearch(dir, file);
 	if (abs_path.empty()) {
 		// FIXME UNICODE
-		lyxerr << lyx::to_utf8(bformat(_("Invalid %1$s switch.\n"
-						 "Directory %2$s does not contain %3$s."),
-				  lyx::from_utf8(command_line_switch), lyx::from_utf8(dir),
-				  lyx::from_utf8(file)))
-		       << std::endl;
+		throw ExceptionMessage(WarningException, _("File not found"), bformat(
+			_("Invalid %1$s switch.\nDirectory %2$s does not contain %3$s."),
+			lyx::from_utf8(command_line_switch), lyx::from_utf8(dir),
+			lyx::from_utf8(file)));
 	}
 
 	return !abs_path.empty();
@@ -676,10 +665,11 @@ bool check_env_var_dir(string const & dir,
 	FileName const abs_path = fileSearch(dir, file);
 	if (abs_path.empty()) {
 		// FIXME UNICODE
-		lyxerr << lyx::to_utf8(bformat(_("Invalid %1$s environment variable.\n"
-						 "Directory %2$s does not contain %3$s."),
-				  lyx::from_utf8(env_var), lyx::from_utf8(dir), lyx::from_utf8(file)))
-		       << std::endl;
+		throw ExceptionMessage(WarningException, _("File not found"), bformat(
+			_("Invalid %1$s environment variable.\n"
+				"Directory %2$s does not contain %3$s."),
+			lyx::from_utf8(env_var), lyx::from_utf8(dir),
+			lyx::from_utf8(file)));
 	}
 
 	return !abs_path.empty();
@@ -703,8 +693,8 @@ bool check_env_var_dir(string const & dir,
 		docstring const fmt =
 			_("Invalid %1$s environment variable.\n%2$s is not a directory.");
 
-		lyxerr << lyx::to_utf8(bformat(fmt, lyx::from_utf8(env_var), lyx::from_utf8(dir)))
-		       << std::endl;
+		throw ExceptionMessage(WarningException, _("Directory not found"), bformat(
+			fmt, lyx::from_utf8(env_var), lyx::from_utf8(dir)));
 	}
 
 	return success;
diff --git a/src/tex2lyx/tex2lyx.C b/src/tex2lyx/tex2lyx.C
index ac24bc5aa5..2baf0e8550 100644
--- a/src/tex2lyx/tex2lyx.C
+++ b/src/tex2lyx/tex2lyx.C
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "support/fs_extras.h"
 #include "support/lstrings.h"
 #include "support/lyxlib.h"
+#include "support/ExceptionMessage.h"
 #include "support/os.h"
 #include "support/package.h"
 #include "support/unicode.h"
@@ -518,9 +519,16 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv[])
 	}
 
 	lyx::support::os::init(argc, argv);
-	support::init_package(to_utf8(from_local8bit(argv[0])),
+
+	try { support::init_package(to_utf8(from_local8bit(argv[0])),
 		cl_system_support, cl_user_support,
 		support::top_build_dir_is_two_levels_up);
+	} catch (support::ExceptionMessage const & message) {
+		cerr << to_utf8(message.title_) << ':\n'
+			<< to_utf8(message.details_) << endl;
+		if (message.type_ == support::ErrorException)
+			exit(1);
+	}
 
 	// Now every known option is parsed. Look for input and output
 	// file name (the latter is optional).