diff --git a/easybuild/tools/utilities.py b/easybuild/tools/utilities.py
index 91a0d90601..77c330a5e5 100644
--- a/easybuild/tools/utilities.py
+++ b/easybuild/tools/utilities.py
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ def error(*args, **kwargs):
                     msg += " (provided by Python package %s, available from %s)" % (pkgname, url)
                 elif url:
                     msg += " (available from %s)" % url
-                raise ImportError(msg)
+                raise EasyBuildError("ImportError: %s", msg)
             return error
 
     return wrap
diff --git a/test/framework/general.py b/test/framework/general.py
index 8e84533226..8161dbd107 100644
--- a/test/framework/general.py
+++ b/test/framework/general.py
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 import vsc
 
 import easybuild.framework
+from easybuild.tools.build_log import EasyBuildError
 from easybuild.tools.filetools import read_file
 from easybuild.tools.utilities import only_if_module_is_available
 
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ def bar():
             pass
 
         err_pat = "required module 'nosuchmoduleoutthere' is not available.*package nosuchpkg.*pypi/nosuchpkg"
-        self.assertErrorRegex(ImportError, err_pat, bar)
+        self.assertErrorRegex(EasyBuildError, err_pat, bar)
 
         class Foo():
             @only_if_module_is_available('thisdoesnotexist', url='http://example.com')
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ def foobar(self):
                 pass
 
         err_pat = r"required module 'thisdoesnotexist' is not available \(available from http://example.com\)"
-        self.assertErrorRegex(ImportError, err_pat, Foo().foobar)
+        self.assertErrorRegex(EasyBuildError, err_pat, Foo().foobar)
 
 
 def suite():