diff --git a/xbob/io/base/main.cpp b/xbob/io/base/main.cpp
index 0d2c460e70528324a21a1d6c240afbd50b6f1b1b..b00c088718efdab595ba2eff916019af8fb6cae2 100644
--- a/xbob/io/base/main.cpp
+++ b/xbob/io/base/main.cpp
@@ -167,8 +167,12 @@ static PyObject* create_module (void) {
 
   if (PyModule_AddObject(m, "_C_API", c_api_object) < 0) return 0;
 
-  /* imports xbob.blitz C-API + dependencies */
-  if (import_xbob_blitz() < 0) return 0;
+  /* imports dependencies */
+  if (import_xbob_blitz() < 0) {
+    PyErr_Print();
+    PyErr_Format(PyExc_ImportError, "cannot import `%s'", XBOB_EXT_MODULE_NAME);
+    return 0;
+  }
 
   Py_INCREF(m);
   return m;
diff --git a/xbob/io/base/version.cpp b/xbob/io/base/version.cpp
index 977d8a68f997add0373d66d5da387bcb824bb7c4..7602399c2758f15617a95b86a8f4b8c2fe6e2075 100644
--- a/xbob/io/base/version.cpp
+++ b/xbob/io/base/version.cpp
@@ -938,8 +938,12 @@ static PyObject* create_module (void) {
     return 0;
   if (PyModule_AddObject(m, "externals", build_version_dictionary()) < 0) return 0;
 
-  /* imports xbob.blitz C-API + dependencies */
-  if (import_xbob_blitz() < 0) return 0;
+  /* imports dependencies */
+  if (import_xbob_blitz() < 0) {
+    PyErr_Print();
+    PyErr_Format(PyExc_ImportError, "cannot import `%s'", XBOB_EXT_MODULE_NAME);
+    return 0;
+  }
 
   Py_INCREF(m);
   return m;