diff --git a/src/filters/rclchm b/src/filters/rclchm
index a60c6a07..4301293e 100755
--- a/src/filters/rclchm
+++ b/src/filters/rclchm
@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@ try:
     from chm import chm,chmlib
 except:
     print "RECFILTERROR HELPERNOTFOUND python:chm"
-    exit(1);
+    sys.exit(1);
 
 try:
     from HTMLParser import HTMLParser
 except:
     print "RECFILTERROR HELPERNOTFOUND python:HTMLParser"
-    exit(1);
+    sys.exit(1);
 
 class ChmTopicsParser(HTMLParser):
     """Parse the chm's Topic file which is basically
diff --git a/src/filters/rclexecm.py b/src/filters/rclexecm.py
index dca20b89..43518642 100644
--- a/src/filters/rclexecm.py
+++ b/src/filters/rclexecm.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class RclExecM:
     def rclog(self, s, doexit = 0, exitvalue = 1):
         print >> sys.stderr, "RCLMFILT:", self.myname, ":", s
         if doexit:
-            exit(exitvalue)
+            sys.exit(exitvalue)
     # Our worker sometimes knows the mime types of the data it sends
     def setmimetype(self, mt):
         self.mimetype = mt
diff --git a/src/filters/rclics b/src/filters/rclics
index cbe80721..e0fee210 100755
--- a/src/filters/rclics
+++ b/src/filters/rclics
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
 import rclexecm
+import sys
+
 try:
     from icalendar import Calendar, Event
 except:
     print "RECFILTERROR HELPERNOTFOUND python:icalendar"
-    exit(1);
+    sys.exit(1);
 
 class IcalExtractor:
     def __init__(self, em):
diff --git a/src/internfile/mh_execm.cpp b/src/internfile/mh_execm.cpp
index 8d3f0f35..086c8d0b 100644
--- a/src/internfile/mh_execm.cpp
+++ b/src/internfile/mh_execm.cpp
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ bool MimeHandlerExecMultiple::startCmd()
     m_cmd.putenv(m_forPreview ? "RECOLL_FILTER_FORPREVIEW=yes" :
 		"RECOLL_FILTER_FORPREVIEW=no");
     if (m_cmd.startExec(cmd, myparams, 1, 1) < 0) {
+        m_reason = string("RECFILTERROR HELPERNOTFOUND ") + cmd;
         missingHelper = true;
         return false;
     }
@@ -90,6 +91,15 @@ bool MimeHandlerExecMultiple::readDataElement(string& name, string &data)
         return true;
     }
 
+    // Filters will sometimes abort before entering the real protocol, ie if
+    // a module can't be loaded. Check the special filter error first word:
+    if (ibuf.find("RECFILTERROR ") == 0) {
+        m_reason = ibuf;
+        if (ibuf.find("HELPERNOTFOUND") != string::npos)
+            missingHelper = true;
+        return false;
+    }
+
     // We're expecting something like Name: len\n
     list<string> tokens;
     stringToTokens(ibuf, tokens);
diff --git a/src/internfile/mh_execm.h b/src/internfile/mh_execm.h
index dcf3b62a..352df812 100644
--- a/src/internfile/mh_execm.h
+++ b/src/internfile/mh_execm.h
@@ -68,14 +68,14 @@ class MimeHandlerExecMultiple : public MimeHandlerExec {
     {}
     // No resources to clean up, the ExecCmd destructor does it.
     virtual ~MimeHandlerExecMultiple() {}
-    virtual bool next_document();
-    virtual void clear() {
-	MimeHandlerExec::clear(); 
-    }
     virtual bool set_document_file(const string &file_path) {
         m_filefirst = true;
         return MimeHandlerExec::set_document_file(file_path);
     }
+    virtual bool next_document();
+
+    // skip_to and clear inherited from MimeHandlerExec
+
 private:
     bool startCmd();
     bool readDataElement(string& name, string& data);