diff --git a/misc/pysymbols/isasymbols/__init__.py b/misc/pysymbols/isasymbols/__init__.py
index e068ced9c..e6d9f8d53 100644
--- a/misc/pysymbols/isasymbols/__init__.py
+++ b/misc/pysymbols/isasymbols/__init__.py
@@ -11,5 +11,5 @@
 # @TAG(NICTA_BSD)
 #
 
-from .isasymbols import IsaSymbolsException, Symbol, make_translator, \
-    Translator
+from .exception import IsaSymbolsException
+from .isasymbols import Symbol, make_translator, Translator
diff --git a/misc/pysymbols/isasymbols/exception.py b/misc/pysymbols/isasymbols/exception.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a7bb4706e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/pysymbols/isasymbols/exception.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+#
+# Copyright 2016, NICTA
+#
+# This software may be distributed and modified according to the terms of
+# the BSD 2-Clause license. Note that NO WARRANTY is provided.
+# See "LICENSE_BSD2.txt" for details.
+#
+# @TAG(NICTA_BSD)
+#
+
+class IsaSymbolsException(Exception):
+    pass
diff --git a/misc/pysymbols/isasymbols/isasymbols.py b/misc/pysymbols/isasymbols/isasymbols.py
index 0cb209876..45184b692 100644
--- a/misc/pysymbols/isasymbols/isasymbols.py
+++ b/misc/pysymbols/isasymbols/isasymbols.py
@@ -12,9 +12,7 @@
 #
 
 import codecs, collections, numbers, re, types
-
-class IsaSymbolsException(Exception):
-    pass
+from .exception import IsaSymbolsException
 
 class Symbol(object):
     def __init__(self, ascii_text, code_point, group=None, font=None,