diff --git a/bin/osv/orm.py b/bin/osv/orm.py
index 0178c2d078a..6b478a3af9b 100644
--- a/bin/osv/orm.py
+++ b/bin/osv/orm.py
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@
 
 import time
 import types
-from xml import dom, xpath
 import string
 import netsvc
 import re
@@ -58,6 +57,14 @@ import pickle
 import fields
 import tools
 
+import sys
+try:
+    from xml import dom, xpath
+except ImportError:
+    sys.stderr.write("ERROR: Import xpath module\n")
+    sys.stderr.write("ERROR: Try to install the old python-xml package\n")
+    sys.exit(2)
+
 from tools.config import config
 
 regex_order = re.compile('^([a-zA-Z0-9_]+( desc)?( asc)?,?)+$', re.I)
diff --git a/bin/tools/convert.py b/bin/tools/convert.py
index 427467b909d..12b73f63a9a 100644
--- a/bin/tools/convert.py
+++ b/bin/tools/convert.py
@@ -41,7 +41,13 @@ import netsvc
 from config import config
 import logging
 
-from lxml import etree
+import sys
+try:
+    from lxml import etree
+except:
+    sys.stderr.write("ERROR: pythonic binding for the libxml2 and libxslt libraries is missing\n")
+    sys.stderr.write("ERROR: Try to install python-lxml package\n")
+    sys.exit(2)
 import pickle