diff --git a/runtime.c b/runtime.c
index dccc07fe..6243933a 100644
--- a/runtime.c
+++ b/runtime.c
@@ -706,24 +706,30 @@ object Cyc_default_exception_handler(void *data, object _, int argc,
 {
   object err = args[0];
   int is_msg = 1;
-  fprintf(stderr, "Error: ");
 
-  if ((err == NULL) || is_value_type(err) || type_of(err) != pair_tag) {
+  if ((err == NULL) || is_value_type(err) || type_of(err) != pair_tag || type_of(car(err)) != symbol_tag) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "Error: ");
     Cyc_display(data, err, stderr);
   } else {
-    // Error is list of form (type arg1 ... argn)
-    err = cdr(err);             // skip type field
-    for (; (err != NULL); err = cdr(err)) {     // output with no enclosing parens
-      if (is_msg && is_object_type(car(err)) && type_of(car(err)) == string_tag) {
-        is_msg = 0;
-        Cyc_display(data, car(err), stderr);
-        if (cdr(err)) {
-          fprintf(stderr, ": ");
+    if (strncmp(((symbol) car(err))->desc, "error", 5) == 0) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "Error: ");
+      // Error is list of form (type arg1 ... argn)
+      err = cdr(err);             // skip type field
+      for (; (err != NULL); err = cdr(err)) {     // output with no enclosing parens
+        if (is_msg && is_object_type(car(err)) && type_of(car(err)) == string_tag) {
+          is_msg = 0;
+          Cyc_display(data, car(err), stderr);
+          if (cdr(err)) {
+            fprintf(stderr, ": ");
+          }
+        } else {
+          Cyc_write(data, car(err), stderr);
+          fprintf(stderr, " ");
         }
-      } else {
-        Cyc_write(data, car(err), stderr);
-        fprintf(stderr, " ");
       }
+    } else {
+      fprintf(stderr, "Error: ");
+      Cyc_display(data, cdr(err), stderr);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/scheme/base.sld b/scheme/base.sld
index 93cda120..a57279e2 100644
--- a/scheme/base.sld
+++ b/scheme/base.sld
@@ -1251,13 +1251,16 @@
     (define error-object-message car)
     (define error-object-irritants cdr)
     (define (error msg . args)
-      (raise (cons msg args)))
+      (raise-error (cons msg args)))
     (define (raise obj)
       ((Cyc-current-exception-handler) 
-        (cons 'raised (if (pair? obj) obj (list obj)))))
+        (cons 'raised obj)))
     (define (raise-continuable obj)
       ((Cyc-current-exception-handler) 
-        (cons 'continuable (if (pair? obj) obj (list obj)))))
+        (cons 'continuable obj)))
+    (define (raise-error obj)
+      ((Cyc-current-exception-handler) 
+        (cons 'error obj)))
     ;; A simpler exception handler based on the one from Bigloo:
     ;; https://www-sop.inria.fr/indes/fp/Bigloo/doc/bigloo-17.html#g20889
     ;(define (with-handler handler body)
diff --git a/scheme/repl.sld b/scheme/repl.sld
index 6643ae60..49a9d147 100644
--- a/scheme/repl.sld
+++ b/scheme/repl.sld
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@
     (define (repl)
       (with-handler
         (lambda (obj)
-          (display "Error: ")
           (cond
             ((error-object? obj)
+             (display "Error: ")
              (display (error-object-message obj))
              (if (not (null? (error-object-irritants obj)))
                  (display ": "))
@@ -31,18 +31,8 @@
                  (write o)
                  (display " "))
                (error-object-irritants obj)))
-            ((pair? obj)
-             (when (string? (car obj))
-               (display (car obj))
-               (if (not (null? (cdr obj)))
-                   (display ": "))
-               (set! obj (cdr obj)))
-             (for-each
-               (lambda (o)
-                 (write o)
-                 (display " "))
-               obj))
             (else
+              (display "Error: ")
               (display obj)))
           (newline)
           (repl))
diff --git a/tests/base.scm b/tests/base.scm
index 28ff2539..c1e5f702 100644
--- a/tests/base.scm
+++ b/tests/base.scm
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
   (scheme base)
   (scheme eval)
   (scheme inexact)
+  (scheme write)
   (cyclone test))
 
 
@@ -172,5 +173,45 @@
   (test #f (memq 0.0 (list m)))
 )
 
+(test-group
+  "exception handling"
+  (define (capture-output thunk)
+    (let ((output-string (open-output-string)))
+      (parameterize ((current-output-port output-string))
+        (thunk))
+      (let ((result (get-output-string output-string)))
+       (close-output-port output-string)
+       result)))
+  (test
+    "should be a number65"
+    (capture-output
+      (lambda ()
+        (with-exception-handler
+          (lambda (con)
+            (cond
+              ((string? con)
+               (display con))
+              (else
+               (display "a warning has been issued")))
+            42)
+          (lambda ()
+            (display
+              (+ (raise-continuable "should be a number")
+                 23)))))))
+  (test
+    "condition: an-error"
+    (capture-output
+      (lambda ()
+        (call-with-current-continuation
+          (lambda (k)
+            (with-exception-handler
+              (lambda (x)
+                (display "condition: ")
+                (write x)
+                (k "exception"))
+              (lambda ()
+                (+ 1 (raise 'an-error)))))))))
+)
+
 (test-exit)