diff --git a/Examples/python/import_packages/Makefile b/Examples/python/import_packages/Makefile
index f428d6f5c..a70c97e8b 100644
--- a/Examples/python/import_packages/Makefile
+++ b/Examples/python/import_packages/Makefile
@@ -18,22 +18,22 @@ import_packages_subdirs = \
 check: build
 	if test "x$(SRCDIR)" != x; then \
 		for file in `cd $(SRCDIR) && find . -type f -name "*.py"`; do \
-			mkdir -p `dirname $$file`; \
+			mkdir -p `dirname $$file` \
 			cp "${SRCDIR}$$file" "$$file" || exit 1; \
 		done; \
 	fi; \
 	for s in $(import_packages_subdirs); do \
-		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) check); \
+		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) check) || exit 1; \
 	done
 
 build:
 	for s in $(import_packages_subdirs); do \
-		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) SWIGOPT='$(SWIGOPT)' LIBS='$(LIBS)' build); \
+		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) SWIGOPT='$(SWIGOPT)' LIBS='$(LIBS)' build) || exit 1; \
 	done
 
 static:
 	for s in $(import_packages_subdirs); do \
-		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) SWIGOPT='$(SWIGOPT)' LIBS='$(LIBS)' static); \
+		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) SWIGOPT='$(SWIGOPT)' LIBS='$(LIBS)' static) || exit 1; \
 	done
 
 clean:
@@ -44,5 +44,5 @@ clean:
 		done; \
 	fi; \
 	for s in $(import_packages_subdirs); do \
-		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) clean); \
+		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) clean) || exit 1; \
 	done
diff --git a/Examples/python/import_packages/from_init1/runme.py b/Examples/python/import_packages/from_init1/runme.py
index dda397487..424e9ca44 100644
--- a/Examples/python/import_packages/from_init1/runme.py
+++ b/Examples/python/import_packages/from_init1/runme.py
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ import os.path
 testname = os.path.basename(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 print "Testing " + testname + " - %module(package=...) + python 'import' in __init__.py"
 
+if sys.version_info < (2, 5):
+    print "  Skipping test as Python version is < 2.5 and does not support relative import syntax: 'from . import x'"
+    sys.exit(0)
+
 if sys.version_info < (3, 0):
     import py2.pkg2
     print "  Finished importing py2.pkg2"
diff --git a/Examples/python/import_packages/from_init2/runme.py b/Examples/python/import_packages/from_init2/runme.py
index dda397487..424e9ca44 100644
--- a/Examples/python/import_packages/from_init2/runme.py
+++ b/Examples/python/import_packages/from_init2/runme.py
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ import os.path
 testname = os.path.basename(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 print "Testing " + testname + " - %module(package=...) + python 'import' in __init__.py"
 
+if sys.version_info < (2, 5):
+    print "  Skipping test as Python version is < 2.5 and does not support relative import syntax: 'from . import x'"
+    sys.exit(0)
+
 if sys.version_info < (3, 0):
     import py2.pkg2
     print "  Finished importing py2.pkg2"
diff --git a/Examples/python/import_packages/from_init3/runme.py b/Examples/python/import_packages/from_init3/runme.py
index dda397487..424e9ca44 100644
--- a/Examples/python/import_packages/from_init3/runme.py
+++ b/Examples/python/import_packages/from_init3/runme.py
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ import os.path
 testname = os.path.basename(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 print "Testing " + testname + " - %module(package=...) + python 'import' in __init__.py"
 
+if sys.version_info < (2, 5):
+    print "  Skipping test as Python version is < 2.5 and does not support relative import syntax: 'from . import x'"
+    sys.exit(0)
+
 if sys.version_info < (3, 0):
     import py2.pkg2
     print "  Finished importing py2.pkg2"
diff --git a/Examples/python/import_packages/relativeimport1/runme.py b/Examples/python/import_packages/relativeimport1/runme.py
index 997476b1d..5b1b5f45a 100644
--- a/Examples/python/import_packages/relativeimport1/runme.py
+++ b/Examples/python/import_packages/relativeimport1/runme.py
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ import os.path
 testname = os.path.basename(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 print "Testing " + testname + " - %module(package=...) with -relativeimport"
 
+if sys.version_info < (2, 5):
+    print "  Skipping test as Python version is < 2.5 and does not support relative import syntax: 'from . import x'"
+    sys.exit(0)
+
 if sys.version_info < (3, 0):
     import py2.pkg2.bar
     print "  Finished importing py2.pkg2.bar"
diff --git a/Examples/python/import_packages/relativeimport2/runme.py b/Examples/python/import_packages/relativeimport2/runme.py
index 9789afc18..9d1a05ec8 100644
--- a/Examples/python/import_packages/relativeimport2/runme.py
+++ b/Examples/python/import_packages/relativeimport2/runme.py
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ import os.path
 testname = os.path.basename(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 print "Testing " + testname + " - %module(package=...) + python 'import' in __init__.py"
 
+if sys.version_info < (2, 5):
+    print "  Skipping test as Python version is < 2.5 and does not support relative import syntax: 'from . import x'"
+    sys.exit(0)
+
 if sys.version_info < (3, 0):
     import py2.pkg2.bar
     print "  Finished importing py2.pkg2.bar"
diff --git a/Examples/python/import_packages/relativeimport3/runme.py b/Examples/python/import_packages/relativeimport3/runme.py
index 997476b1d..5b1b5f45a 100644
--- a/Examples/python/import_packages/relativeimport3/runme.py
+++ b/Examples/python/import_packages/relativeimport3/runme.py
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ import os.path
 testname = os.path.basename(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
 print "Testing " + testname + " - %module(package=...) with -relativeimport"
 
+if sys.version_info < (2, 5):
+    print "  Skipping test as Python version is < 2.5 and does not support relative import syntax: 'from . import x'"
+    sys.exit(0)
+
 if sys.version_info < (3, 0):
     import py2.pkg2.bar
     print "  Finished importing py2.pkg2.bar"
diff --git a/Examples/python/import_packages/split_modules/Makefile b/Examples/python/import_packages/split_modules/Makefile
index 65d635bb7..9eaaabd32 100644
--- a/Examples/python/import_packages/split_modules/Makefile
+++ b/Examples/python/import_packages/split_modules/Makefile
@@ -6,21 +6,21 @@ subdirs = vanilla vanilla_split
 
 check: build
 	for s in $(subdirs); do \
-		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) check); \
+		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) check) || exit 1; \
 	done
 
 build:
 	for s in $(subdirs); do \
-		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) SWIGOPT='$(SWIGOPT)' LIBS='$(LIBS)' build); \
+		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) SWIGOPT='$(SWIGOPT)' LIBS='$(LIBS)' build) || exit 1; \
 	done
 
 static:
 	for s in $(subdirs); do \
-		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) SWIGOPT='$(SWIGOPT)' LIBS='$(LIBS)' static); \
+		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) SWIGOPT='$(SWIGOPT)' LIBS='$(LIBS)' static) || exit 1; \
 	done
 
 clean:
 	$(MAKE) -f $(TOP)/Makefile SRCDIR='$(SRCDIR)' python_clean
 	for s in $(subdirs); do \
-		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) clean); \
+		(cd $$s && $(MAKE) clean) || exit 1; \
 	done