diff --git a/buildandrun b/buildandrun
index d3b4e42..41a636a 100755
--- a/buildandrun
+++ b/buildandrun
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ def main():
     os.putenv('PYTHONPATH', libdir)
 
     rc = subprocess.call( ['python',] + args )
-
+    if rc == -11:
+        logging.error('Segmentation fault in test process. Test failed.')
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/cheetah/Tests/NameMapper.py b/cheetah/Tests/NameMapper.py
index ac42244..c44fb4c 100644
--- a/cheetah/Tests/NameMapper.py
+++ b/cheetah/Tests/NameMapper.py
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ def meth3(self):
         except:
             raise
 
+class DummyClassGetAttrRaises(object):
+    def __getattr__(self, name):
+        raise ValueError
+
 
 def dummyFunc(arg="Scooby"):
     return arg
@@ -67,6 +71,7 @@ def funcThatRaises():
     'aClass': DummyClass,    
     'aFunc': dummyFunc,
     'anObj': DummyClass(),
+    'anObjThatRaises': DummyClassGetAttrRaises(),
     'aMeth': DummyClass().meth1,
     'none': None,  
     'emptyString': '',
@@ -419,6 +424,14 @@ def test60(self):
         for i in range(10):
             self.get('aDict.nestedDict.funcThatRaises', False)    
 
+    def test61(self):
+        """Accessing attribute where __getattr__ raises shouldn't segfault if something follows it"""
+
+        def test(self=self):
+            self.get('anObjThatRaises.willraise.anything')
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, test)
+
+
 class VFS(VFN):
     _searchListLength = 1
     
diff --git a/cheetah/c/_namemapper.c b/cheetah/c/_namemapper.c
index a41571b..a114658 100644
--- a/cheetah/c/_namemapper.c
+++ b/cheetah/c/_namemapper.c
@@ -188,14 +188,15 @@ static PyObject *PyNamemapper_valueForName(PyObject *obj, char *nameChunks[], in
           nextVal = PyObject_GetAttrString(currentVal, currentKey);
           exc = PyErr_Occurred();
           if (exc != NULL) {
-            // if exception == AttributeError
+            // if exception == AttributeError, report our own exception
             if (PyErr_ExceptionMatches(PyExc_AttributeError)) {
                 setNotFoundException(currentKey, currentVal);
-                if (i > 0) {
-                    Py_DECREF(currentVal);
-                }
-                return NULL;
             }
+            // any exceptions results in failure
+            if (i > 0) {
+                Py_DECREF(currentVal);
+            }
+            return NULL;
           }
         }
         if (i > 0) {