diff --git a/src/Gui/ApplicationPy.cpp b/src/Gui/ApplicationPy.cpp
index 56f24915424b..14b90174c48d 100644
--- a/src/Gui/ApplicationPy.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/ApplicationPy.cpp
@@ -656,6 +656,7 @@ PyObject* Application::sAddPreferencePage(PyObject * /*self*/, PyObject *args,Py
     PyErr_Clear();
 
     PyObject* dlg;
+    // old style classes
     if (PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O!s", &PyClass_Type, &dlg, &grp)) {
         // add to the preferences dialog
         new PrefPagePyProducer(Py::Object(dlg), grp);
@@ -663,6 +664,16 @@ PyObject* Application::sAddPreferencePage(PyObject * /*self*/, PyObject *args,Py
         Py_INCREF(Py_None);
         return Py_None;
     }
+    PyErr_Clear();
+
+    // new style classes
+    if (PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O!s", &PyType_Type, &dlg, &grp)) {
+        // add to the preferences dialog
+        new PrefPagePyProducer(Py::Object(dlg), grp);
+
+        Py_INCREF(Py_None);
+        return Py_None;
+    }
 
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/Gui/WidgetFactory.cpp b/src/Gui/WidgetFactory.cpp
index a5836c0b1750..5280e1356b37 100644
--- a/src/Gui/WidgetFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/WidgetFactory.cpp
@@ -361,9 +361,9 @@ Gui::Dialog::PreferencePage* WidgetFactoryInst::createPreferencePage (const char
     // this widget class is not registered
     if (!w) {
 #ifdef FC_DEBUG
-        Base::Console().Warning("\"%s\" is not registered\n", sName);
+        Base::Console().Warning("Cannot create an instance of \"%s\"\n", sName);
 #else
-        Base::Console().Log("\"%s\" is not registered\n", sName);
+        Base::Console().Log("Cannot create an instance of \"%s\"\n", sName);
 #endif
         return 0;
     }
@@ -770,10 +770,21 @@ PrefPagePyProducer::~PrefPagePyProducer ()
 void* PrefPagePyProducer::Produce () const
 {
     Base::PyGILStateLocker lock;
-    Py::Callable method(type);
-    Py::Tuple args;
-    Py::Object page = method.apply(args);
-    return new Gui::Dialog::PreferencePagePython(page);
+    try {
+        Py::Callable method(type);
+        Py::Tuple args;
+        Py::Object page = method.apply(args);
+        QWidget* widget = new Gui::Dialog::PreferencePagePython(page);
+        if (!widget->layout()) {
+            delete widget;
+            widget = 0;
+        }
+        return widget;
+    }
+    catch (Py::Exception& e) {
+        e.clear();
+        return 0;
+    }
 }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------
@@ -784,20 +795,25 @@ PreferencePagePython::PreferencePagePython(const Py::Object& p, QWidget* parent)
   : PreferencePage(parent), page(p)
 {
     Base::PyGILStateLocker lock;
-    if (page.hasAttr(std::string("form"))) {
-        Py::Object widget(page.getAttr(std::string("form")));
-
-        Gui::PythonWrapper wrap;
-        if (wrap.loadCoreModule()) {
-            QObject* object = wrap.toQObject(widget);
-            if (object) {
-                QWidget* form = qobject_cast<QWidget*>(object);
-                if (form) {
-                    this->setWindowTitle(form->windowTitle());
-                    QVBoxLayout *layout = new QVBoxLayout;
-                    layout->addWidget(form);
-                    setLayout(layout);
-                }
+    Gui::PythonWrapper wrap;
+    if (wrap.loadCoreModule()) {
+
+        // old style class must have a form attribute while
+        // new style classes can be the widget itself
+        Py::Object widget;
+        if (page.hasAttr(std::string("form")))
+            widget = page.getAttr(std::string("form"));
+        else
+            widget = page;
+
+        QObject* object = wrap.toQObject(widget);
+        if (object) {
+            QWidget* form = qobject_cast<QWidget*>(object);
+            if (form) {
+                this->setWindowTitle(form->windowTitle());
+                QVBoxLayout *layout = new QVBoxLayout;
+                layout->addWidget(form);
+                setLayout(layout);
             }
         }
     }