diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/CheckConfiguration.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/CheckConfiguration.java
index d7b48d083..5d1b92e7e 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/CheckConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/CheckConfiguration.java
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.StringTokenizer;
 
 import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api.Check;
+import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api.CheckstyleException;
+
 import org.apache.commons.beanutils.BeanUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.beanutils.ConvertUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.beanutils.converters.BooleanConverter;
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Checker.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Checker.java
index df416a8aa..5a2209ebc 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Checker.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Checker.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 package com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle;
 
+import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api.CheckstyleException;
 import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api.FileSetCheck;
 import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api.LocalizedMessage;
 import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api.MessageDispatcher;
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConfigurationLoader.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConfigurationLoader.java
index 947982bb1..62e6cc106 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConfigurationLoader.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConfigurationLoader.java
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ import org.xml.sax.SAXException;
 import org.xml.sax.XMLReader;
 import org.xml.sax.helpers.DefaultHandler;
 
+import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api.CheckstyleException;
+
 // TODO: Fix the loader so it doesn't validate the document
 /**
  * Describe class <code>ConfigurationLoader</code> here.
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/DefaultConfiguration.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/DefaultConfiguration.java
index 9c77e49b2..c88a2dbe2 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/DefaultConfiguration.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/DefaultConfiguration.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Set;
 
+import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api.CheckstyleException;
 import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api.Configuration;
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Main.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Main.java
index 01c6045f9..a4199964e 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Main.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/Main.java
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ import org.apache.commons.cli.Options;
 import org.apache.commons.cli.ParseException;
 import org.apache.commons.cli.PosixParser;
 
+import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api.CheckstyleException;
+
 /**
  * Wrapper command line program for the Checker.
  * @author <a href="mailto:oliver@puppycrawl.com">Oliver Burn</a>
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/AutomaticBean.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/AutomaticBean.java
index 871d8a8c0..118247022 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/AutomaticBean.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/AutomaticBean.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api;
 
 import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
 
-import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.CheckstyleException;
 import org.apache.commons.beanutils.BeanUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.beanutils.ConvertUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.beanutils.converters.BooleanConverter;
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/CheckstyleException.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/CheckstyleException.java
similarity index 90%
rename from src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/CheckstyleException.java
rename to src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/CheckstyleException.java
index fdaa9b808..d4dccb15b 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/CheckstyleException.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/CheckstyleException.java
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 // License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
 // Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-package com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle;
+package com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api;
 
 /**
  * Represents an error condition within Checkstyle.
@@ -24,14 +24,14 @@ package com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle;
  * @author <a href="mailto:checkstyle@puppycrawl.com">Oliver Burn</a>
  * @version 1.0
  */
-class CheckstyleException extends Exception
+public class CheckstyleException extends Exception
 {
     /**
      * Creates a new <code>CheckstyleException</code> instance.
      *
      * @param aMessage a <code>String</code> value
      */
-    CheckstyleException(String aMessage)
+    public CheckstyleException(String aMessage)
     {
         super(aMessage);
     }
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/Configurable.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/Configurable.java
index bd0933f57..0a41bc103 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/Configurable.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/Configurable.java
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 package com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api;
 
-import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.CheckstyleException;
-
 /**
  * A component that can be configured.
  * The general idea of Configuration/Configurable was taken from
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/Configuration.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/Configuration.java
index d7050704c..c9ec023f9 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/Configuration.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/Configuration.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api;
 
 import java.io.Serializable;
 
-import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.CheckstyleException;
 
 /**
  * A Configuration is used to configure a Configurable component.
diff --git a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/Contextualizable.java b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/Contextualizable.java
index 9e543c906..b50912b51 100644
--- a/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/Contextualizable.java
+++ b/src/checkstyle/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/api/Contextualizable.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 package com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api;
 
-import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.CheckstyleException;
 
 /**
  * A Component that needs context information from it's container to work.
diff --git a/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConfigurationLoaderTest.java b/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConfigurationLoaderTest.java
index b7101ec0f..5d273a635 100644
--- a/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConfigurationLoaderTest.java
+++ b/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConfigurationLoaderTest.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle;
 
 import java.util.Properties;
 
+import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api.CheckstyleException;
 import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.checks.AvoidStarImport;
 import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.checks.RightCurlyCheck;
 import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.checks.RightCurlyOption;
diff --git a/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConstantNameCheckTest.java b/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConstantNameCheckTest.java
index 7c86ac0fd..a54951b87 100644
--- a/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConstantNameCheckTest.java
+++ b/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/ConstantNameCheckTest.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle;
 
+import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api.CheckstyleException;
 import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.checks.ConstantNameCheck;
 
 public class ConstantNameCheckTest
diff --git a/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/HeaderCheckTest.java b/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/HeaderCheckTest.java
index b669cbf66..0988e571e 100644
--- a/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/HeaderCheckTest.java
+++ b/src/tests/com/puppycrawl/tools/checkstyle/HeaderCheckTest.java
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ package com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle;
 
 import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.checks.HeaderCheck;
 import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.checks.RegexpHeaderCheck;
-import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.CheckstyleException;
+import com.puppycrawl.tools.checkstyle.api.CheckstyleException;
 
 public class HeaderCheckTest extends BaseCheckTestCase
 {