diff --git a/Source/Modules/perl5.cxx b/Source/Modules/perl5.cxx
index 58b61d4e2..de0674769 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/perl5.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/perl5.cxx
@@ -851,6 +851,7 @@ public:
 	   tab4, "MAGIC_PPERL\n",
 	   NIL);
 
+    int addfail = 0;
     if ((tm = Swig_typemap_lookup_new("varout",n,name,0))) {
       SwigType *t = Getattr(n,"type");
       Replaceall(tm,"$target","sv");
@@ -862,13 +863,19 @@ public:
 	Replaceall(tm, "$shadow", "0");
       }
       /* Printf(getf->code,"%s\n", tm);*/
-      emit_action_code(n, getf, tm);
+      addfail = emit_action_code(n, getf, tm);
     } else {
       Swig_warning(WARN_TYPEMAP_VAROUT_UNDEF, input_file, line_number,
 		   "Unable to read variable of type %s\n", SwigType_str(t,0));
       return SWIG_NOWRAP;
     }
-    Printf(getf->code,"    return 1;\n}\n");
+    Printf(getf->code,"    return 1;\n");
+    if (addfail) {
+      Append(getf->code,"fail:\n");
+      Append(getf->code,"  return 0;\n");
+    }
+    Append(getf->code,"}\n");
+
 
     Replaceall(getf->code,"$symname",iname);
     Wrapper_print(getf,magic);
diff --git a/Source/Modules/ruby.cxx b/Source/Modules/ruby.cxx
index 216049601..dfe93f970 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/ruby.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/ruby.cxx
@@ -1433,17 +1433,24 @@ public:
     Wrapper_add_local(getf,"_val","VALUE _val");
 
     tm = Swig_typemap_lookup_new("varout",n, name, 0);
+    int addfail = 0;
     if (tm) {
       Replaceall(tm,"$result","_val");
       Replaceall(tm,"$target","_val");
       Replaceall(tm,"$source",name);
       /* Printv(getf->code,tm, NIL); */
-      emit_action_code(n, getf, tm);
+      addfail = emit_action_code(n, getf, tm);
     } else {
       Swig_warning(WARN_TYPEMAP_VAROUT_UNDEF, input_file, line_number,
 		   "Unable to read variable of type %s\n", SwigType_str(t,0));
     }
-    Printv(getf->code, tab4, "return _val;\n}\n", NIL);
+    Printv(getf->code, tab4, "return _val;\n", NIL);
+    if (addfail) {
+      Append(getf->code,"fail:\n");
+      Append(getf->code,"  return Qnil;\n");
+    }
+    Append(getf->code,"}\n");
+
     Wrapper_print(getf,f_wrappers);
 
     if (!is_assignable(n)) {
diff --git a/Source/Modules/tcl8.cxx b/Source/Modules/tcl8.cxx
index cb87f1158..bb84c7eaa 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/tcl8.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/tcl8.cxx
@@ -578,18 +578,22 @@ public:
     getname = Swig_name_get(iname);
     Printv(getf->def,"SWIGINTERN char *",getname,"(ClientData clientData SWIGUNUSED, Tcl_Interp *interp, char *name1, char *name2, int flags) {",NIL);
     Wrapper_add_local(getf,"value", "Tcl_Obj *value = 0");
-
+    int addfail = 0;
     if ((tm = Swig_typemap_lookup_new("varout",n,name,0))) {
       Replaceall(tm,"$source", name);
       Replaceall(tm,"$target","value");
       Replaceall(tm,"$result", "value");
       /* Printf(getf->code, "%s\n",tm); */
-      emit_action_code(n, getf, tm);
+      addfail = emit_action_code(n, getf, tm);
       Printf(getf->code, "if (value) {\n");
       Printf(getf->code, "Tcl_SetVar2(interp,name1,name2,Tcl_GetStringFromObj(value,NULL), flags);\n");
       Printf(getf->code, "Tcl_DecrRefCount(value);\n");
       Printf(getf->code, "}\n");
       Printf(getf->code, "return NULL;\n");
+      if (addfail) {
+	Append(getf->code,"fail:\n");
+	Printf(getf->code,"return \"%s\";\n", iname);
+      }
       Printf(getf->code,"}\n");
       Wrapper_print(getf,f_wrappers);
     } else {