diff --git a/lib/rspec/matchers/built_in/base_matcher.rb b/lib/rspec/matchers/built_in/base_matcher.rb
index 24ed6e503..1cb441022 100644
--- a/lib/rspec/matchers/built_in/base_matcher.rb
+++ b/lib/rspec/matchers/built_in/base_matcher.rb
@@ -24,13 +24,14 @@ def matches?(actual)
           @actual = actual
         end
 
-        def match_unless_raises(exception=Exception)
+        def match_unless_raises(*exceptions)
+          exceptions.unshift Exception if exceptions.empty?
           begin
             yield
-            true
-          rescue exception => @rescued_exception
-            false
+          rescue *exceptions => @rescued_exception
+            return false
           end
+          true
         end
 
         def failure_message_for_should
diff --git a/spec/rspec/matchers/base_matcher_spec.rb b/spec/rspec/matchers/base_matcher_spec.rb
index 5a9e5ad1b..3759fb042 100644
--- a/spec/rspec/matchers/base_matcher_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/rspec/matchers/base_matcher_spec.rb
@@ -15,11 +15,17 @@ module RSpec::Matchers::BuiltIn
         matcher.match_unless_raises { raise }.should be_false
       end
 
-      it "returns false if the submitted error is raised" do
+      it "returns false if the only submitted error is raised" do
         matcher.match_unless_raises(RuntimeError){ raise "foo" }.should be_false
       end
 
-      it "re-raises any error other than the one specified" do
+      it "returns false if any of several errors submitted is raised" do
+        matcher.match_unless_raises(RuntimeError, ArgumentError, NameError) { raise "foo" }.should be_false
+        matcher.match_unless_raises(RuntimeError, ArgumentError, NameError) { raise ArgumentError.new('') }.should be_false
+        matcher.match_unless_raises(RuntimeError, ArgumentError, NameError) { raise NameError.new('') }.should be_false
+      end
+
+      it "re-raises any error other than one of those specified" do
         expect do
           matcher.match_unless_raises(ArgumentError){ raise "foo" }
         end.to raise_error