diff --git a/Lib/pydoc.py b/Lib/pydoc.py
index d69369d4196eaa..185f09e603df2e 100755
--- a/Lib/pydoc.py
+++ b/Lib/pydoc.py
@@ -1790,7 +1790,11 @@ def doc(thing, title='Python Library Documentation: %s', forceload=0,
                 raise
             print(exc)
     else:
-        output.write(render_doc(thing, title, forceload, plaintext))
+        try:
+            s = render_doc(thing, title, forceload, plaintext)
+        except ImportError as exc:
+            s = str(exc)
+        output.write(s)
 
 def writedoc(thing, forceload=0):
     """Write HTML documentation to a file in the current directory."""
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py b/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py
index cefc71cb5a7f54..115ffd3c29d4d6 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py
@@ -631,6 +631,13 @@ def test_builtin_on_metaclasses(self):
         # Testing that the subclasses section does not appear
         self.assertNotIn('Built-in subclasses', text)
 
+    def test_fail_help_output_redirect(self):
+        with StringIO() as buf:
+            helper = pydoc.Helper(output=buf)
+            helper.help("abd")
+            expected = missing_pattern % "abd"
+            self.assertEqual(expected, buf.getvalue().strip().replace('\n', os.linesep))
+
     @unittest.skipIf(hasattr(sys, 'gettrace') and sys.gettrace(),
                      'trace function introduces __locals__ unexpectedly')
     @requires_docstrings
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2023-07-01-16-40-54.gh-issue-102541.C1ahtk.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2023-07-01-16-40-54.gh-issue-102541.C1ahtk.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..efaf5db10f3e1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2023-07-01-16-40-54.gh-issue-102541.C1ahtk.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Make pydoc.doc catch bad module ImportError when output stream is not None.