diff --git a/Examples/python/exception/example.i b/Examples/python/exception/example.i
index 08672c3a8..817c5221c 100644
--- a/Examples/python/exception/example.i
+++ b/Examples/python/exception/example.i
@@ -10,3 +10,12 @@
 /* Let's just grab the original header file here */
 %include "example.h"
 
+%inline %{
+// The -builtin SWIG option results in SWIGPYTHON_BUILTIN being defined
+#ifdef SWIGPYTHON_BUILTIN
+bool is_python_builtin() { return true; }
+#else
+bool is_python_builtin() { return false; }
+#endif
+%}
+
diff --git a/Examples/python/exception/runme.py b/Examples/python/exception/runme.py
index 718707861..9e9241194 100644
--- a/Examples/python/exception/runme.py
+++ b/Examples/python/exception/runme.py
@@ -20,10 +20,17 @@ try:
 except RuntimeError,e:
       print e.args[0]
 
-try:
-      t.hosed()
-except example.Exc,e:
-      print e.code, e.msg
+if not example.is_python_builtin():
+  try:
+        t.hosed()
+  except example.Exc,e:
+        print e.code, e.msg
+else:
+  try:
+        t.hosed()
+  except BaseException,e:
+        # Throwing builtin classes as exceptions not supported (-builtin option)
+        print e
 
 for i in range(1,4):
       try:
diff --git a/Examples/python/exceptproxy/example.i b/Examples/python/exceptproxy/example.i
index 4a1e0bae9..0a46afbb6 100644
--- a/Examples/python/exceptproxy/example.i
+++ b/Examples/python/exceptproxy/example.i
@@ -109,6 +109,12 @@
 %template(doubleQueue) Queue<double>;
 
 
-
-
+%inline %{
+// The -builtin SWIG option results in SWIGPYTHON_BUILTIN being defined
+#ifdef SWIGPYTHON_BUILTIN
+bool is_python_builtin() { return true; }
+#else
+bool is_python_builtin() { return false; }
+#endif
+%}
 
diff --git a/Examples/python/exceptproxy/runme.py b/Examples/python/exceptproxy/runme.py
index a2ae55584..07e4b0a7f 100644
--- a/Examples/python/exceptproxy/runme.py
+++ b/Examples/python/exceptproxy/runme.py
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 # file: runme.py
 import example
 
+if example.is_python_builtin():
+  print "Skipping example: -builtin option does not support %exceptionclass"
+  exit(0)
+
 q = example.intQueue(10)
 
 print "Inserting items into intQueue"
 
+print type(example.FullError)
+
 try:
       for i in range(0,100):
             q.enqueue(i)