diff --git a/pelican/tools/pelican_import.py b/pelican/tools/pelican_import.py
index 57c4fc22..a4d64c67 100755
--- a/pelican/tools/pelican_import.py
+++ b/pelican/tools/pelican_import.py
@@ -13,7 +13,12 @@ from pelican.utils import slugify
 
 def wp2fields(xml):
     """Opens a wordpress XML file, and yield pelican fields"""
-    from BeautifulSoup import BeautifulStoneSoup
+    try:
+        from BeautifulSoup import BeautifulStoneSoup
+    except ImportError:
+        error = 'Missing dependency ' + \
+                '"BeautifulSoup" required to import Wordpress files.'
+        sys.exit(error)
 
     xmlfile = open(xml, encoding='utf-8').read()
     soup = BeautifulStoneSoup(xmlfile)
@@ -40,7 +45,13 @@ def wp2fields(xml):
 
 def dc2fields(file):
     """Opens a Dotclear export file, and yield pelican fields"""
-    from BeautifulSoup import BeautifulStoneSoup
+    try:
+        from BeautifulSoup import BeautifulStoneSoup
+    except ImportError:
+        error = 'Missing dependency ' + \
+                '"BeautifulSoup" required to import Dotclear files.'
+        sys.exit(error)
+
 
     in_cat = False
     in_post = False