diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/cgiserver.py b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/cgiserver.py
index 63517cb48..96c3e6354 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/cgiserver.py
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/cgiserver.py
@@ -89,8 +89,9 @@ class Handler(cgi.DebugHandler):
             eh = ExceptionHandler130(self.debug)
         else:
             eh = ExceptionHandler111(self.debug)
-        req.set_header('Content-Type', eh.mimetype)
-        req.write(eh.getcontent())
+        response = eh.getresponse(reqparams)
+        req.set_header('Content-Type', response.content_type)
+        req.write(response.content)
 
 def lowerparams(params):
     reqparams = {}
diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/common.py b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/common.py
index 543ed6463..6abee362d 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/common.py
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/common.py
@@ -21,8 +21,13 @@
 
 from exceptions import OGCException, ServerConfigurationError
 from mapnik import Map, Color, Envelope, render, rawdata, Image, Projection
-from PIL.Image import fromstring
+from PIL.Image import fromstring, new
+from PIL.ImageDraw import Draw
 from StringIO import StringIO
+from copy import deepcopy
+from traceback import print_tb
+from sys import exc_info
+from lxml import etree as ElementTree
 import re
 # from elementtree import ElementTree
 # ElementTree._namespace_map.update({'http://www.opengis.net/wms': 'wms',
@@ -208,7 +213,7 @@ class WMSBaseServiceHandler(BaseServiceHandler):
             try:
                 layer = maplayers[layername]
             except KeyError:
-                raise OGCException('Layer not defined: %s.' % layername, 'LayerNotDefined')
+                raise OGCException('Layer "%s" not defined.' % layername, 'LayerNotDefined')
             for stylename in layer.styles:
                 if stylename in mapstyles.keys():
                     m.append_style(stylename, mapstyles[stylename])
@@ -222,5 +227,46 @@ class WMSBaseServiceHandler(BaseServiceHandler):
         fh = StringIO()
         im2.save(fh, PIL_TYPE_MAPPING[params['format']])
         fh.seek(0)
-        response = Response(params['format'], fh.read())
-        return response
\ No newline at end of file
+        return Response(params['format'], fh.read())
+
+class BaseExceptionHandler:
+    
+    def __init__(self, debug):
+        self.debug = debug
+    
+    def getresponse(self, params):
+        code = ''
+        message = ''
+        excinfo = exc_info()
+        if self.debug:
+            fh = StringIO()
+            print_tb(excinfo[2], None, fh)
+            fh.seek(0)
+            message = '\n' + fh.read() + '\n' + str(excinfo[0]) + ': ' + ', '.join(excinfo[1].args) + '\n'
+            fh.close()
+        elif len(excinfo[1].args) > 0:
+            message = excinfo[1].args[0]
+        if isinstance(excinfo[1], OGCException) and len(excinfo[1].args) > 1:
+            code = excinfo[1].args[1]
+        exceptions = params.get('exceptions', None)
+        if not exceptions:
+            exceptions = self.defaulthandler
+        return self.handlers[exceptions](self, code, message, params)
+    
+    def xmlhandler(self, code, message, params):
+        ogcexcetree = deepcopy(self.xmltemplate)
+        e = ogcexcetree.find(self.xpath)
+        e.text = message
+        if code:
+            e.set('code', code)
+        return Response(self.xmlmimetype, ElementTree.tostring(ogcexcetree))
+
+    def inimagehandler(self, code, message, params):
+        im = new('L', (int(params['width']), int(params['height'])))
+        draw = Draw(im)
+        for count, line in enumerate(message.strip().split('\n')):
+            draw.text((12,15*(count+1)), line, fill='#FFFFFF')
+        fh = StringIO()
+        im.save(fh, PIL_TYPE_MAPPING[params['format']])
+        fh.seek(0)
+        return Response(params['format'], fh.read())
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/exceptions.py b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/exceptions.py
index 877710af7..215de33fd 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/exceptions.py
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/exceptions.py
@@ -19,34 +19,8 @@
 #
 # $Id$
 
-from copy import deepcopy
-from lxml import etree as ElementTree
-from StringIO import StringIO
-from traceback import print_tb
-from sys import exc_info
-
 class OGCException(Exception):
     pass
 
 class ServerConfigurationError(Exception):
-    pass
-
-class BaseExceptionHandler:
-    
-    def __init__(self, debug):
-        self.debug = debug
-    
-    def getcontent(self):
-        excinfo = exc_info()
-        ogcexcetree = deepcopy(self.xmltemplate)
-        e = ogcexcetree.find(self.xpath)
-        if self.debug:
-            fh = StringIO()
-            print_tb(excinfo[2], None, fh)
-            fh.seek(0)
-            e.text = '\n' + fh.read() + '\n' + str(excinfo[0]) + ': ' + ', '.join(excinfo[1].args) + '\n'
-        elif len(excinfo[1].args) > 0:
-            e.text = excinfo[1].args[0]
-        if isinstance(excinfo[1], OGCException) and len(excinfo[1].args) > 1:
-            e.set('code', excinfo[1].args[1])
-        return ElementTree.tostring(ogcexcetree)
\ No newline at end of file
+    pass
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms111.py b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms111.py
index 156c35097..f310effd6 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms111.py
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms111.py
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@
 # $Id$
 
 from common import ParameterDefinition, Response, Version, ListFactory, \
-                   ColorFactory, CRSFactory, WMSBaseServiceHandler, CRS
-from exceptions import OGCException, ServerConfigurationError, BaseExceptionHandler
+                   ColorFactory, CRSFactory, WMSBaseServiceHandler, CRS, \
+                   BaseExceptionHandler
+from exceptions import OGCException, ServerConfigurationError
 from lxml import etree as ElementTree
 
 class ServiceHandler(WMSBaseServiceHandler):
@@ -38,10 +39,10 @@ class ServiceHandler(WMSBaseServiceHandler):
             'bbox': ParameterDefinition(True, ListFactory(float)),
             'width': ParameterDefinition(True, int),
             'height': ParameterDefinition(True, int),
-            'format': ParameterDefinition(True, str, allowedvalues=('image/png','image/jpeg','image/gif')),
-            'transparent': ParameterDefinition(False, str, 'FALSE', ('TRUE','FALSE')),
+            'format': ParameterDefinition(True, str, allowedvalues=('image/png', 'image/jpeg', 'image/gif')),
+            'transparent': ParameterDefinition(False, str, 'FALSE', ('TRUE', 'FALSE')),
             'bgcolor': ParameterDefinition(False, ColorFactory, ColorFactory('0xFFFFFF')),
-            'exceptions': ParameterDefinition(False, str, 'application/vnd.ogc.se_xml', ('application/vnd.ogc.se_xml',))
+            'exceptions': ParameterDefinition(False, str, 'application/vnd.ogc.se_xml', ('application/vnd.ogc.se_xml', 'application/vnd.ogc.se_inimage'))
         }
     }
 
@@ -92,6 +93,7 @@ class ServiceHandler(WMSBaseServiceHandler):
         </Request>
         <Exception>
           <Format>application/vnd.ogc.se_xml</Format>
+          <Format>application/vnd.ogc.se_inimage</Format>
         </Exception>
         <Layer>
           <Title>A Mapnik WMS Server</Title>
@@ -179,7 +181,7 @@ class ServiceHandler(WMSBaseServiceHandler):
 
 class ExceptionHandler(BaseExceptionHandler):
     
-    mimetype = "application/vnd.ogc.se_xml"
+    xmlmimetype = "application/vnd.ogc.se_xml"
     
     xmltemplate = ElementTree.fromstring("""<?xml version='1.0' encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
     <!DOCTYPE ServiceExceptionReport SYSTEM "http://www.digitalearth.gov/wmt/xml/exception_1_1_1.dtd">
@@ -188,4 +190,9 @@ class ExceptionHandler(BaseExceptionHandler):
     </ServiceExceptionReport>
     """)
     
-    xpath = 'ServiceException'
\ No newline at end of file
+    xpath = 'ServiceException'
+
+    handlers = {'application/vnd.ogc.se_xml': BaseExceptionHandler.xmlhandler,
+                'application/vnd.ogc.se_inimage': BaseExceptionHandler.inimagehandler}
+    
+    defaulthandler = 'application/vnd.ogc.se_xml'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms130.py b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms130.py
index 53e4769f9..eb10395bf 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms130.py
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms130.py
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@
 # $Id$
 
 from common import ParameterDefinition, Response, Version, ListFactory, \
-                   ColorFactory, CRSFactory, CRS, WMSBaseServiceHandler
-from exceptions import OGCException, ServerConfigurationError, BaseExceptionHandler
+                   ColorFactory, CRSFactory, CRS, WMSBaseServiceHandler, \
+                   BaseExceptionHandler
+from exceptions import OGCException, ServerConfigurationError
 from lxml import etree as ElementTree
 
 class ServiceHandler(WMSBaseServiceHandler):
@@ -39,10 +40,10 @@ class ServiceHandler(WMSBaseServiceHandler):
             'bbox': ParameterDefinition(True, ListFactory(float)),
             'width': ParameterDefinition(True, int),
             'height': ParameterDefinition(True, int),
-            'format': ParameterDefinition(True, str, allowedvalues=('image/gif','image/png','image/jpeg')),
-            'transparent': ParameterDefinition(False, str, 'FALSE', ('TRUE','FALSE')),
+            'format': ParameterDefinition(True, str, allowedvalues=('image/gif','image/png', 'image/jpeg')),
+            'transparent': ParameterDefinition(False, str, 'FALSE', ('TRUE', 'FALSE')),
             'bgcolor': ParameterDefinition(False, ColorFactory, ColorFactory('0xFFFFFF')),
-            'exceptions': ParameterDefinition(False, str, 'XML', ('XML',)),
+            'exceptions': ParameterDefinition(False, str, 'XML', ('XML', 'INIMAGE')),
         }
     }
 
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ class ServiceHandler(WMSBaseServiceHandler):
         </Request>
         <Exception>
           <Format>XML</Format>
+          <Format>INIMAGE</Format>
         </Exception>
         <Layer>
           <Title>A Mapnik WMS Server</Title>
@@ -196,7 +198,7 @@ class ServiceHandler(WMSBaseServiceHandler):
 
 class ExceptionHandler(BaseExceptionHandler):
     
-    mimetype = "text/xml"
+    xmlmimetype = "text/xml"
     
     xmltemplate = ElementTree.fromstring("""<?xml version='1.0' encoding="UTF-8"?>
     <ServiceExceptionReport version="1.3.0"
@@ -207,4 +209,9 @@ class ExceptionHandler(BaseExceptionHandler):
     </ServiceExceptionReport>
     """)
     
-    xpath = '{http://www.opengis.net/ogc}ServiceException'
\ No newline at end of file
+    xpath = '{http://www.opengis.net/ogc}ServiceException'
+    
+    handlers = {'XML': BaseExceptionHandler.xmlhandler,
+                'INIMAGE': BaseExceptionHandler.inimagehandler}
+    
+    defaulthandler = 'XML'
\ No newline at end of file