diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/__init__.py b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/__init__.py
index 3aa1dd5ba..37e2b4f28 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/__init__.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/__init__.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ Dumping 'prep' table...
 """
 
 #
-# $Id: __init__.py,v 1.9 1999-12-29 13:06:08 Just Exp $
+# $Id: __init__.py,v 1.10 2000-01-03 22:58:42 Just Exp $
 #
 
 __version__ = "1.0a6"
@@ -205,7 +205,10 @@ class TTFont:
 			else:
 				print report
 			xmltag = tag2xmltag(tag)
-			writer.begintag(xmltag)
+			if hasattr(table, "ERROR"):
+				writer.begintag(xmltag, ERROR="decompilation error")
+			else:
+				writer.begintag(xmltag)
 			writer.newline()
 			if tag == "glyf":
 				table.toXML(writer, self, progress)
@@ -289,6 +292,7 @@ class TTFont:
 			return self.tables[tag]
 		except KeyError:
 			if self.reader is not None:
+				import traceback
 				if self.verbose:
 					debugmsg("reading '%s' table from disk" % tag)
 				data = self.reader[tag]
@@ -297,7 +301,18 @@ class TTFont:
 				self.tables[tag] = table
 				if self.verbose:
 					debugmsg("decompiling '%s' table" % tag)
-				table.decompile(data, self)
+				try:
+					table.decompile(data, self)
+				except:
+					print "An exception accurred during the decompilation of the '%s' table" % tag
+					from tables.DefaultTable import DefaultTable
+					import StringIO
+					file = StringIO.StringIO()
+					traceback.print_exc(file=file)
+					table = DefaultTable(tag)
+					table.ERROR = file.getvalue()
+					self.tables[tag] = table
+					table.decompile(data, self)
 				return table
 			else:
 				raise KeyError, "'%s' table not found" % tag
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/DefaultTable.py b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/DefaultTable.py
index 745f237fc..e960ff3fa 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/DefaultTable.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/DefaultTable.py
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ class DefaultTable:
 		return self.data
 	
 	def toXML(self, writer, ttFont):
+		if hasattr(self, "ERROR"):
+			writer.comment("An error occurred during the decompilation of this table")
+			writer.newline()
+			writer.comment(self.ERROR)
+			writer.newline()
 		writer.begintag("hexdata")
 		writer.newline()
 		writer.dumphex(self.compile(ttFont))
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/xmlImport.py b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/xmlImport.py
index 8f1e34451..8b5409310 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/xmlImport.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/xmlImport.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from fontTools import ttLib
 from fontTools.misc.textTools import safeEval
+from fontTools.ttLib.tables.DefaultTable import DefaultTable
 import types
 import string
 import Numeric, array
@@ -131,8 +132,8 @@ class XMLApplication(xmlproc.Application):
 				self.progress.set(pos / 100)
 				self.lastpos = pos
 		stack = self.locator.stack
-		stacksize = len(stack)
-		if not stacksize:
+		stackSize = len(stack)
+		if not stackSize:
 			if name <> "ttFont":
 				raise xml_parse_error, "illegal root tag: %s" % name
 			sfntVersion = attrs.get("sfntVersion", "\000\001\000\000")
@@ -140,7 +141,7 @@ class XMLApplication(xmlproc.Application):
 				sfntVersion = safeEval('"' + sfntVersion + '"')
 			self.ttFont.sfntVersion = sfntVersion
 			self.content_stack.append([])
-		elif stacksize == 1:
+		elif stackSize == 1:
 			msg = "Parsing '%s' table..." % ttLib.xmltag2tag(name)
 			if self.progress:
 				self.progress.setlabel(msg)
@@ -149,17 +150,19 @@ class XMLApplication(xmlproc.Application):
 			else:
 				print msg
 			tag = ttLib.xmltag2tag(name)
-			tableclass = ttLib.getTableClass(tag)
-			if tableclass is None:
-				from fontTools.ttLib.tables.DefaultTable import DefaultTable
-				tableclass = DefaultTable
+			if attrs.has_key("ERROR"):
+				tableClass = DefaultTable
+			else:
+				tableClass = ttLib.getTableClass(tag)
+				if tableClass is None:
+					tableClass = DefaultTable
 			if self.ttFont.has_key(tag):
 				self.current_table = self.ttFont[tag]
 			else:
-				self.current_table = tableclass(tag)
+				self.current_table = tableClass(tag)
 				self.ttFont[tag] = self.current_table
 			self.content_stack.append([])
-		elif stacksize == 2:
+		elif stackSize == 2:
 			self.content_stack.append([])
 			self.root = (name, attrs, self.content_stack[-1])
 		else:
@@ -174,10 +177,10 @@ class XMLApplication(xmlproc.Application):
 	def handle_end_tag(self, name):
 		del self.content_stack[-1]
 		stack = self.locator.stack
-		stacksize = len(stack)
-		if stacksize == 1:
+		stackSize = len(stack)
+		if stackSize == 1:
 			self.root = None
-		elif stacksize == 2:
+		elif stackSize == 2:
 			self.current_table.fromXML(self.root, self.ttFont)
 			self.root = None