diff --git a/gramps/gen/display/name.py b/gramps/gen/display/name.py
index 13ffa0de7..004e315e4 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/display/name.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/display/name.py
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ Specific symbols for parts of a name are defined:
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 from ..ggettext import sgettext as _
 import re
+import logging
+LOG = logging.getLogger(".gramps.gen")
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
@@ -1047,8 +1049,17 @@ def fn(%s):
         else:
             return p + str + s
     return cleanup_name("%s" %% (%s))""" % (args, new_fmt, ",".join(param))
-        exec(s)
-
-        return locals()['fn']
+        try:
+            exec(s)
+            return locals()['fn']
+        except:
+            LOG.error("\n" + 'Wrong name format string %s' % new_fmt
+                       +"\n" + ("ERROR, Edit Name format in Preferences->Display to correct")
+                       +"\n" + _('Wrong name format string %s') % new_fmt
+                       +"\n" + ("ERROR, Edit Name format in Preferences->Display to correct")
+                     )
+            def errfn(*arg):
+                return _("ERROR, Edit Name format in Preferences")
+            return errfn
 
 displayer = NameDisplay()
diff --git a/gramps/grampsapp.py b/gramps/grampsapp.py
index 7ac4981b8..ac91e6122 100644
--- a/gramps/grampsapp.py
+++ b/gramps/grampsapp.py
@@ -187,6 +187,16 @@ if not sys.version_info >= MIN_PYTHON_VERSION :
              'v3': MIN_PYTHON_VERSION[2]})
     sys.exit(1)
 
+if sys.version_info[0] >= 3:
+    #check if bsddb3 is installed
+    try:
+        import bsddb3
+    except ImportError:
+        logging.warning(_("\nYou don't have the python bsddb3 package installed."
+            " This package is needed to start Gramps.\n\n"
+             "Gramps will terminate now."))
+        sys.exit(1)
+    
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
 # gramps libraries
diff --git a/gramps/gui/grampsgui.py b/gramps/gui/grampsgui.py
index 01204a5e6..4c75d3326 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/grampsgui.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/grampsgui.py
@@ -51,7 +51,14 @@ except (ImportError, ValueError):
              "pygobject version 3.3.2 or later.\n\n"
              "Gramps will terminate now.")))
     sys.exit(0)
-    
+
+try:
+    import cairo
+except ImportError:
+    print((_("\ncairo python support not installed. Install cairo for your "
+             "version of python\n\n"
+             "Gramps will terminate now.")))
+    sys.exit(0)
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
 # Miscellaneous initialization