diff --git a/classes.py b/classes.py
index 13616d8..d948a59 100644
--- a/classes.py
+++ b/classes.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from collections import defaultdict, deque
 try:
     import ircmatch
 except ImportError:
-    raise ImportError("Please install the ircmatch library and try again.")
+    raise ImportError("PyLink requires ircmatch to function; please install it and try again.")
 
 from . import world, utils, structures, __version__
 from .log import *
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ class Irc():
         # This is a stub to alias error to reply
         self.reply("Error: %s" % text, notice=notice, source=source, private=private,
             force_privmsg_in_private=force_privmsg_in_private, loopback=loopback)
-        
+
     def toLower(self, text):
         """Returns a lowercase representation of text based on the IRC object's
         casemapping (rfc1459 or ascii)."""
diff --git a/conf.py b/conf.py
index 0beb721..50f6e0a 100644
--- a/conf.py
+++ b/conf.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ It provides simple checks for validating and loading YAML-format configurations
 try:
     import yaml
 except ImportError:
-    raise ImportError("Please install PyYAML and try again.")
+    raise ImportError("PyLink requires PyYAML to function; please install it and try again.")
 
 import sys
 import os.path
diff --git a/coremods/login.py b/coremods/login.py
index 9fc810e..1673ddc 100644
--- a/coremods/login.py
+++ b/coremods/login.py
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@ login.py - Implement core login abstraction.
 
 from pylinkirc import conf, utils, world
 from pylinkirc.log import log
-from passlib.context import CryptContext
+
+try:
+    from passlib.context import CryptContext
+except ImportError:
+    raise ImportError("PyLink requires passlib to function; please install it and try again.")
 
 pwd_context = CryptContext(["sha512_crypt", "sha256_crypt"],
                            all__vary_rounds=0.1,