diff --git a/src/upm.i b/src/upm.i
index 28cc4268..3f0ff031 100644
--- a/src/upm.i
+++ b/src/upm.i
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 %include "std_string.i"
 %include "stdint.i"
+%include "upm_exception.i"
 
 %typemap(out) mraa_result_t = int;
 
diff --git a/src/upm_exception.i b/src/upm_exception.i
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bc9ebdb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/upm_exception.i
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+/* Standardized exception handling for UPM 
+ *
+ * catch blocks should be listed in order from most specific to least
+ * specific.
+ */
+
+%include "exception.i"
+
+%exception { 
+    try {
+      $action
+    } catch (std::invalid_argument& e) {
+      std::string s1("UPM Invalid Argument: "), s2(e.what());
+      s1 = s1 + s2;
+      SWIG_exception(SWIG_ValueError, s1.c_str());
+
+    } catch (std::domain_error& e) {
+      std::string s1("UPM Domain Error: "), s2(e.what());
+      s1 = s1 + s2;
+      SWIG_exception(SWIG_ValueError, s1.c_str() );
+
+    } catch (std::overflow_error& e) {
+      std::string s1("UPM Overflow Error: "), s2(e.what());
+      s1 = s1 + s2;
+      SWIG_exception(SWIG_OverflowError, s1.c_str() );
+
+    } catch (std::out_of_range& e) {
+      std::string s1("UPM Out of Range: "), s2(e.what());
+      s1 = s1 + s2;
+      SWIG_exception(SWIG_IndexError, s1.c_str() );
+
+    } catch (std::length_error& e) {
+      std::string s1("UPM Length Error: "), s2(e.what());
+      s1 = s1 + s2;
+      SWIG_exception(SWIG_IndexError, s1.c_str() );
+
+    } catch (std::logic_error& e) {
+      std::string s1("UPM Logic Error: "), s2(e.what());
+      s1 = s1 + s2;
+      SWIG_exception(SWIG_RuntimeError, s1.c_str() );
+
+    } catch (std::bad_alloc& e) {
+      /* for an allocation exception, don't try to create a string... */
+      SWIG_exception(SWIG_MemoryError, e.what() );
+
+    } catch (std::runtime_error& e) {
+      /* catch other std::runtime_error exceptions here */
+      std::string s1("UPM Runtime Error: "), s2(e.what());
+      s1 = s1 + s2;
+      SWIG_exception(SWIG_RuntimeError, s1.c_str());
+
+    } catch (std::exception& e) {
+      /* catch other std::exceptions here */
+      std::string s1("UPM Error: "), s2(e.what());
+      s1 = s1 + s2;
+      SWIG_exception(SWIG_SystemError, s1.c_str() );
+
+    } catch (...) {
+      /* catch everything else */
+      SWIG_exception(SWIG_UnknownError, "UPM Unknown exception" );
+
+    }
+
+}
+