diff --git a/doc/pyOpenSSL.tex b/doc/pyOpenSSL.tex
index 3729060..5e16ee1 100644
--- a/doc/pyOpenSSL.tex
+++ b/doc/pyOpenSSL.tex
@@ -593,6 +593,12 @@
 \var{string}, measured in bytes. For more information, see e.g. \rfc{1750}.
 \end{funcdesc}
 
+\begin{funcdesc}{bytes}{num_bytes}
+Get some random bytes from the PRNG as a string.
+
+This is a wrapper for the C function \function{RAND_bytes}.
+\end{funcdesc}
+
 \begin{funcdesc}{cleanup}{}
 Erase the memory used by the PRNG.
 
@@ -636,6 +642,16 @@
 file can then be used with \function{load_file} to seed the PRNG again.
 \end{funcdesc}
 
+\begin{excdesc}{Error}
+If the current RAND method supports any errors, this is raised when needed.  
+The default method does not raise this when the entropy pool is depleted.
+
+Whenever this exception is raised directly, it has a list of error messages
+from the OpenSSL error queue, where each item is a tuple \code{(\var{lib},
+\var{function}, \var{reason})}. Here \var{lib}, \var{function} and \var{reason}
+are all strings, describing where and what the problem is. See \manpage{err}{3}
+for more information.
+\end{excdesc}
 
 
 % % % SSL module
diff --git a/src/crypto/crypto.c b/src/crypto/crypto.c
index 2240df0..7a4228d 100644
--- a/src/crypto/crypto.c
+++ b/src/crypto/crypto.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@
 
     if (pkey == NULL)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@
     if (ret == 0)
     {
         BIO_free(bio);
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@
 
     if (cert == NULL)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@
     if (ret == 0)
     {
         BIO_free(bio);
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@
 
     if (req == NULL)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@
     if (ret == 0)
     {
         BIO_free(bio);
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@
      */
     if (pkcs7 == NULL)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@
     if ((p12 = d2i_PKCS12_bio(bio, NULL)) == NULL)
     {
       BIO_free(bio);
-      exception_from_error_queue();
+      exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
       return NULL;
     }
     BIO_free(bio);
diff --git a/src/crypto/crypto.h b/src/crypto/crypto.h
index 2322720..5d0bf27 100644
--- a/src/crypto/crypto.h
+++ b/src/crypto/crypto.h
@@ -27,15 +27,6 @@
 
 extern PyObject *crypto_Error;
 
-#ifdef exception_from_error_queue
-#  undef exception_from_error_queue
-#endif
-#define exception_from_error_queue()    do { \
-    PyObject *errlist = error_queue_to_list(); \
-    PyErr_SetObject(crypto_Error, errlist); \
-    Py_DECREF(errlist); \
-} while (0)
-
 #define crypto_X509_New_NUM             0
 #define crypto_X509_New_RETURN          crypto_X509Obj *
 #define crypto_X509_New_PROTO           (X509 *, int)
diff --git a/src/crypto/netscape_spki.c b/src/crypto/netscape_spki.c
index d4255f0..4fa9d8d 100644
--- a/src/crypto/netscape_spki.c
+++ b/src/crypto/netscape_spki.c
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
         spki = NETSCAPE_SPKI_new();
     if (spki == NULL)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
     return (PyObject *)crypto_NetscapeSPKI_New(spki, 1);
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
 
     if (!NETSCAPE_SPKI_sign(self->netscape_spki, pkey->pkey, digest))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@
 
     if ((answer = NETSCAPE_SPKI_verify(self->netscape_spki, pkey->pkey)) < 0)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@
 
     if ((pkey = NETSCAPE_SPKI_get_pubkey(self->netscape_spki)) == NULL)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@
 
     if (!NETSCAPE_SPKI_set_pubkey(self->netscape_spki, pkey->pkey))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/crypto/pkcs12.c b/src/crypto/pkcs12.c
index 71ebcdd..28ea2fe 100644
--- a/src/crypto/pkcs12.c
+++ b/src/crypto/pkcs12.c
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@
     /* parse the PKCS12 lump */
     if (!(cacerts && PKCS12_parse(p12, passphrase, &pkey, &cert, &cacerts)))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/crypto/pkey.c b/src/crypto/pkey.c
index 6632abe..583a2a1 100644
--- a/src/crypto/pkey.c
+++ b/src/crypto/pkey.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
  */
 #define FAIL() \
 do {                                    \
-    exception_from_error_queue();       \
+    exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error); \
     return NULL;                        \
 } while (0)
     
diff --git a/src/crypto/x509.c b/src/crypto/x509.c
index 119c048..e089d40 100644
--- a/src/crypto/x509.c
+++ b/src/crypto/x509.c
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@
 
     if (bignum == NULL) {
         if (ASN1_INTEGER_set(X509_get_serialNumber(self->x509), small_serial)) {
-            exception_from_error_queue();
+            exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
             goto err;
         }
     } else {
@@ -144,11 +144,11 @@
         BN_free(bignum);
         bignum = NULL;
         if (asn1_i == NULL) {
-            exception_from_error_queue();
+            exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
             goto err;
         }
         if (!X509_set_serialNumber(self->x509, asn1_i)) {
-            exception_from_error_queue();
+            exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
             goto err;
         }
         ASN1_INTEGER_free(asn1_i);
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@
 
     if (!X509_set_issuer_name(self->x509, issuer->x509_name))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@
 
     if (!X509_set_subject_name(self->x509, subject->x509_name))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@
 
     if ((pkey = X509_get_pubkey(self->x509)) == NULL)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@
 
     if (!X509_set_pubkey(self->x509, pkey->pkey))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@
 	} else {
 		ASN1_TIME_to_generalizedtime(timestamp, &gt_timestamp);
 		if (gt_timestamp == NULL) {
-			exception_from_error_queue();
+			exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
 			return NULL;
 		} else {
 			py_timestamp = PyString_FromString((char *)gt_timestamp->data);
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@
 
     if (!X509_sign(self->x509, pkey->pkey, digest))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@
 
     if (!X509_digest(self->x509,digest,fp,&len))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
     }
     tmp = malloc(3*len+1);
     memset(tmp, 0, 3*len+1);
@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@
         if (!X509_add_ext(self->x509, ext->x509_extension, -1))
         {
             Py_DECREF(seq);
-            exception_from_error_queue();
+            exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
             return NULL;
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/crypto/x509ext.c b/src/crypto/x509ext.c
index cd169d2..e7ab5e1 100644
--- a/src/crypto/x509ext.c
+++ b/src/crypto/x509ext.c
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@
     return self;
 
   nconf_error:
-    exception_from_error_queue();
+    exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
 
   critical_malloc_error:
     Py_XDECREF(self);
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@
     if (!X509V3_EXT_print(bio, self->x509_extension, 0, 0))
     {
         BIO_free(bio);
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/crypto/x509name.c b/src/crypto/x509name.c
index 5d49430..6d08470 100644
--- a/src/crypto/x509name.c
+++ b/src/crypto/x509name.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
     data = X509_NAME_ENTRY_get_data(entry);
     if ((len = ASN1_STRING_to_UTF8((unsigned char **)utf8string, data)) < 0)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return -1;
     }
 
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@
 				    (unsigned char *)utf8string,
 				    -1, -1, 0))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return -1;
     }
     return 0;
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@
 
     if (X509_NAME_oneline(self->x509_name, tmpbuf, 512) == NULL)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
     else
diff --git a/src/crypto/x509req.c b/src/crypto/x509req.c
index a1325e9..07bd44b 100644
--- a/src/crypto/x509req.c
+++ b/src/crypto/x509req.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
     if ((name = X509_REQ_get_subject_name(self->x509_req)) == NULL)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
     if ((pyname = crypto_X509Name_New(name, 0)) != NULL) {
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
 
     if ((pkey = X509_REQ_get_pubkey(self->x509_req)) == NULL)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
 
     if (!X509_REQ_set_pubkey(self->x509_req, pkey->pkey))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@
 
     if (!X509_REQ_sign(self->x509_req, pkey->pkey, digest))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@
 
     if ((answer = X509_REQ_verify(self->x509_req, key->pkey)) < 0)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@
     /* Make a STACK_OF(X509_EXTENSION) from sequence */
     if ((exts = sk_X509_EXTENSION_new_null()) == NULL)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@
     if (!X509_REQ_add_extensions(self->x509_req, exts))
     {
         sk_X509_EXTENSION_free(exts);
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/crypto/x509store.c b/src/crypto/x509store.c
index 9f46029..16af3b0 100644
--- a/src/crypto/x509store.c
+++ b/src/crypto/x509store.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 
     if (!X509_STORE_add_cert(self->x509_store, cert->x509))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(crypto_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/rand/rand.c b/src/rand/rand.c
index cdb83bb..e922e08 100644
--- a/src/rand/rand.c
+++ b/src/rand/rand.c
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@
 #  endif
 #endif
 #include <openssl/rand.h>
+#include "../util.h"
+
+PyObject *rand_Error;
 
 static char rand_doc[] = "\n\
 PRNG management routines, thin wrappers.\n\
@@ -201,7 +204,8 @@
     int num_bytes;
     static char *kwlist[] = {"num_bytes", NULL};
     char *buf;
-    PyObject *obj;
+    unsigned int rc;
+    PyObject *obj = NULL;
 
     if (!PyArg_ParseTupleAndKeywords(args, keywds, "i:bytes", kwlist, &num_bytes))
         return NULL;
@@ -212,8 +216,13 @@
     buf = malloc(num_bytes);
     if (buf == NULL)   /* out of memory  */
         return NULL;
-    RAND_bytes(buf, num_bytes);
-    obj = PyString_FromStringAndSize(buf, num_bytes);
+    rc = RAND_bytes((unsigned char *) buf, num_bytes);
+    if(rc != 1) {  /* if unsuccessful */
+        exception_from_error_queue(rand_Error);
+        goto done;
+    }
+    obj = PyString_FromStringAndSize(buf, (unsigned) num_bytes);
+ done:
     free(buf);
     return obj;
 }
@@ -251,5 +260,13 @@
 
     if ((module = Py_InitModule3("rand", rand_methods, rand_doc)) == NULL)
         return;
+
+    rand_Error = PyErr_NewException("OpenSSL.rand.Error", NULL, NULL);
+    if (rand_Error == NULL)
+        goto error;
+    if (PyModule_AddObject(module, "Error", rand_Error) != 0)
+        goto error;
+ error:
+    ;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ssl/connection.c b/src/ssl/connection.c
index a5fdc51..e10989b 100755
--- a/src/ssl/connection.c
+++ b/src/ssl/connection.c
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@
          * the code which triggered the error also kindly pushed something onto
          * the error stack.
          */
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(ssl_Error);
     }
 }
 
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@
         case SSL_ERROR_SSL:
             ;
         default:
-	    exception_from_error_queue();
+	    exception_from_error_queue(ssl_Error);
             break;
     }
 }
@@ -788,7 +788,7 @@
 
     if (ret < 0)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(ssl_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
     else if (ret > 0)
diff --git a/src/ssl/context.c b/src/ssl/context.c
index ae669d0..df7411f 100644
--- a/src/ssl/context.c
+++ b/src/ssl/context.c
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@
 
     if (!SSL_CTX_load_verify_locations(self->ctx, cafile, capath))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(ssl_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
     else
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@
      * -exarkun
      */
     if (!SSL_CTX_set_default_verify_paths(self->ctx)) {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(ssl_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
     Py_INCREF(Py_None);
@@ -388,14 +388,14 @@
     }
     if (!(cert_original = X509_dup(cert->x509)))
     {
-        /* exception_from_error_queue(); */
+        /* exception_from_error_queue(ssl_Error); */
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError, "X509_dup failed");
         return NULL;
     }
     if (!SSL_CTX_add_extra_chain_cert(self->ctx, cert_original))
     {
         X509_free(cert_original);
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(ssl_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
     else
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@
 
     if (!SSL_CTX_use_certificate_chain_file(self->ctx, certfile))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(ssl_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
     else
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@
 
     if (!SSL_CTX_use_certificate_file(self->ctx, certfile, filetype))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(ssl_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
     else
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@
     
     if (!SSL_CTX_use_certificate(self->ctx, cert->x509))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(ssl_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
     else
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@
 
     if (!ret)
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(ssl_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
     else
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@
 
     if (!SSL_CTX_use_PrivateKey(self->ctx, pkey->pkey))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(ssl_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
     else
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@
 
     if (!SSL_CTX_check_private_key(self->ctx))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(ssl_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
     else
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@
 
     if (!SSL_CTX_set_session_id_context(self->ctx, buf, len))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(ssl_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
     else
@@ -779,7 +779,7 @@
 
     if (!SSL_CTX_set_cipher_list(self->ctx, cipher_list))
     {
-        exception_from_error_queue();
+        exception_from_error_queue(ssl_Error);
         return NULL;
     }
     else
diff --git a/src/ssl/ssl.h b/src/ssl/ssl.h
index 9cf0186..ba7ba8b 100644
--- a/src/ssl/ssl.h
+++ b/src/ssl/ssl.h
@@ -27,15 +27,6 @@
                 *ssl_WantX509LookupError, /* ...                     */
                 *ssl_SysCallError;        /* Uses (errno,errstr)     */
 
-#ifdef exception_from_error_queue
-#  undef exception_from_error_queue
-#endif
-#define exception_from_error_queue()    do { \
-    PyObject *errlist = error_queue_to_list(); \
-    PyErr_SetObject(ssl_Error, errlist); \
-    Py_DECREF(errlist); \
-} while (0)
-
 #define ssl_Context_New_NUM       0
 #define ssl_Context_New_RETURN    ssl_ContextObj *
 #define ssl_Context_New_PROTO     (int method)
diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index aa9d238..b1faad5 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@
     return errlist;
 }
 
+void exception_from_error_queue(PyObject *the_Error)
+{ 
+    PyObject *errlist = error_queue_to_list();
+    PyErr_SetObject(the_Error, errlist);
+    Py_DECREF(errlist);
+} 
+
 /*
  * Flush OpenSSL's error queue and ignore the result
  *
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index 1774956..d9dc7d2 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "pymemcompat.h"
 
 extern  PyObject *error_queue_to_list(void);
+extern void exception_from_error_queue(PyObject *the_Error);
 extern  void      flush_error_queue(void);
 
 /*