diff --git a/Lib/test/test_traceback.py b/Lib/test/test_traceback.py
index 29a120f5327..269c6283c18 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_traceback.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_traceback.py
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ class TracebackCases(unittest.TestCase):
     def syntax_error_without_caret(self):
         # XXX why doesn't compile raise the same traceback?
         import test.badsyntax_nocaret
+    
+    def syntax_error_bad_indentation(self):
+        compile("def spam():\n  print 1\n print 2", "?", "exec")
 
     def test_caret(self):
         err = self.get_exception_format(self.syntax_error_with_caret,
@@ -40,6 +43,13 @@ class TracebackCases(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assert_(len(err) == 3)
         self.assert_(err[1].strip() == "[x for x in x] = x")
 
+    def test_bad_indentation(self):
+        err = self.get_exception_format(self.syntax_error_bad_indentation,
+                                        IndentationError)
+        self.assert_(len(err) == 4)
+        self.assert_("^" in err[2])
+        self.assert_(err[1].strip() == "print 2")
+
     def test_bug737473(self):
         import sys, os, tempfile, time
 
diff --git a/Lib/traceback.py b/Lib/traceback.py
index d4a40114ea1..4047ca5711b 100644
--- a/Lib/traceback.py
+++ b/Lib/traceback.py
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ def format_exception_only(etype, value):
     if value is None:
         list.append(str(stype) + '\n')
     else:
-        if etype is SyntaxError:
+        if issubclass(etype, SyntaxError):
             try:
                 msg, (filename, lineno, offset, line) = value
             except: