diff --git a/code/ObjExporter.cpp b/code/ObjExporter.cpp
index 6cc1063d2..bbf26ce56 100644
--- a/code/ObjExporter.cpp
+++ b/code/ObjExporter.cpp
@@ -59,10 +59,16 @@ void ExportSceneObj(const char* pFile,IOSystem* pIOSystem, const aiScene* pScene
 	// we're still here - export successfully completed. Write both the main OBJ file and the material script
 	{
 		boost::scoped_ptr<IOStream> outfile (pIOSystem->Open(pFile,"wt"));
+		if(outfile == NULL) {
+		throw DeadlyExportError("could not open output .obj file: " + std::string(pFile));
+		} 
 		outfile->Write( exporter.mOutput.str().c_str(), static_cast<size_t>(exporter.mOutput.tellp()),1);
 	}
 	{
 		boost::scoped_ptr<IOStream> outfile (pIOSystem->Open(exporter.GetMaterialLibFileName(),"wt"));
+		if(outfile == NULL) {
+			throw DeadlyExportError("could not open output .mtl file: " + std::string(exporter.GetMaterialLibFileName()));
+		} 
 		outfile->Write( exporter.mOutputMat.str().c_str(), static_cast<size_t>(exporter.mOutputMat.tellp()),1);
 	}
 }