diff --git a/api/mraa/aio.hpp b/api/mraa/aio.hpp
index 63a2cf6..27c6a64 100644
--- a/api/mraa/aio.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/aio.hpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#include <stdexcept>
 #include "aio.h"
 
 namespace mraa {
@@ -45,6 +46,9 @@ class Aio {
          */
         Aio(unsigned int pin) {
             m_aio = mraa_aio_init(pin);
+            if (m_aio == NULL) {
+                throw std::invalid_argument("Invalid AIO pin specified - do you have an ADC?");
+            }
         }
         /**
          * Aio destructor
diff --git a/api/mraa/gpio.hpp b/api/mraa/gpio.hpp
index 82a3a47..3ce3c49 100644
--- a/api/mraa/gpio.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/gpio.hpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "gpio.h"
+#include <stdexcept>
 
 namespace mraa {
 
@@ -80,12 +81,20 @@ class Gpio {
          * you so this may not always work as expected.
          */
         Gpio(int pin, bool owner=true, bool raw=false) {
-            if (raw)
+            if (raw) {
                 m_gpio = mraa_gpio_init_raw(pin);
-            else
+            }
+            else {
                 m_gpio = mraa_gpio_init(pin);
-            if (!owner)
+            }
+
+            if (m_gpio == NULL) {
+                throw std::invalid_argument("Invalid GPIO pin specified");
+            }
+
+            if (!owner) {
                 mraa_gpio_owner(m_gpio, 0);
+            }
         }
         /**
          * Gpio object destructor, this will only unexport the gpio if we where
diff --git a/api/mraa/i2c.hpp b/api/mraa/i2c.hpp
index dcd3897..2adfd89 100644
--- a/api/mraa/i2c.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/i2c.hpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "i2c.h"
+#include <stdexcept>
 
 namespace mraa {
 
@@ -48,10 +49,15 @@ class I2c {
          * @param raw Whether to disable pinmapper for your board
          */
         I2c(int bus, bool raw=false) {
-            if (raw)
+            if (raw) {
                 m_i2c = mraa_i2c_init_raw(bus);
-            else
+            }
+            else {
                 m_i2c = mraa_i2c_init(bus);
+            }
+            if (m_i2c == NULL) {
+		throw std::invalid_argument("Invalid i2c bus");
+            }
         }
         /**
          * Closes the I2c Bus used. This does not guarrantee the bus will not
diff --git a/api/mraa/pwm.hpp b/api/mraa/pwm.hpp
index 7259c0f..a627e41 100644
--- a/api/mraa/pwm.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/pwm.hpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "pwm.h"
+#include <stdexcept>
 
 namespace mraa {
 
@@ -47,12 +48,20 @@ class Pwm {
          * if the pinmapper exported it
          */
         Pwm(int pin, int chipid=-1, bool owner = true) {
-            if (chipid == -1)
+            if (chipid == -1) {
                 m_pwm = mraa_pwm_init(pin);
-            else
+            }
+            else {
                 m_pwm = mraa_pwm_init_raw(pin, chipid);
-            if (!owner)
+            }
+
+            if (m_pwm == NULL) {
+                throw std::invalid_argument("Error initialising PWM on pin");
+            }
+
+            if (!owner) {
                 mraa_pwm_owner(m_pwm, 0);
+            }
         }
         /**
          * Pwm destructor
diff --git a/api/mraa/spi.hpp b/api/mraa/spi.hpp
index 64dc00c..6153051 100644
--- a/api/mraa/spi.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/spi.hpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "spi.h"
+#include <stdexcept>
 
 namespace mraa {
 
@@ -44,6 +45,10 @@ class Spi {
          */
         Spi(int bus) {
             m_spi = mraa_spi_init(bus);
+
+            if (m_spi == NULL) {
+                throw std::invalid_argument("Error initialising SPI bus");
+            }
         }
         /**
          * Closes spi bus
diff --git a/api/mraa/uart.hpp b/api/mraa/uart.hpp
index f70d7e6..7bf807a 100644
--- a/api/mraa/uart.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/uart.hpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "uart.h"
+#include <stdexcept>
 
 namespace mraa {
 
@@ -43,6 +44,10 @@ class Uart {
          */
         Uart(int uart) {
             m_uart = mraa_uart_init(uart);
+
+            if (m_uart == NULL) {
+                throw std::invalid_argument("Error initialising UART");
+            }
         }
         /**
          * Uart destructor
diff --git a/examples/python/aio.py b/examples/python/aio.py
index cc9e604..9be21f3 100644
--- a/examples/python/aio.py
+++ b/examples/python/aio.py
@@ -25,5 +25,9 @@
 import mraa
 
 print (mraa.getVersion())
-x = mraa.Aio(0)
-print (x.read())
+
+try:
+    x = mraa.Aio(0)
+    print (x.read())
+except:
+    print ("Are you sure you have an ADC?")
diff --git a/src/mraa.i b/src/mraa.i
index 5928d23..6ffacca 100644
--- a/src/mraa.i
+++ b/src/mraa.i
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 %include stdint.i
 %include std_string.i
+%include exception.i
 
 #ifdef DOXYGEN
     %include common_hpp_doc.i
@@ -26,6 +27,16 @@
     mraa_init();
 %}
 
+%exception {
+    try {
+        $action
+    } catch(const std::invalid_argument& e) {
+        SWIG_exception(SWIG_ValueError, e.what());
+    } catch(...) {
+        SWIG_exception(SWIG_RuntimeError, "Unknown exception");
+    }
+}
+
 %typemap(in) uint8_t = char;
 %typemap(in) unsigned char* = char*;
 %apply (char *STRING, size_t LENGTH) { (char *data, size_t length) };