diff --git a/Lib/java/std_string.i b/Lib/java/std_string.i
index 31aef1338..7237cdda8 100644
--- a/Lib/java/std_string.i
+++ b/Lib/java/std_string.i
@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ class string;
 
 %typemap(typecheck) string = char *;
 
+%typemap(throws) string %{
+  SWIG_JavaThrowException(jenv, SWIG_JavaRuntimeException, $1.c_str());
+  return $null;
+%}
+
 // const string &
 %typemap(jni) const string & "jstring"
 %typemap(jtype) const string & "String"
@@ -94,6 +99,11 @@ class string;
 
 %typemap(typecheck) const string & = char *;
 
+%typemap(throws) const string & %{
+  SWIG_JavaThrowException(jenv, SWIG_JavaRuntimeException, $1.c_str());
+  return $null;
+%}
+
 }
 
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------