diff --git a/Lib/pyclbr.py b/Lib/pyclbr.py
index 97f74f1b28c..b8f71ae6b64 100644
--- a/Lib/pyclbr.py
+++ b/Lib/pyclbr.py
@@ -128,6 +128,8 @@ def _readmodule(module, path, inpackage=None):
         parent = _readmodule(package, path, inpackage)
         if inpackage is not None:
             package = "%s.%s" % (inpackage, package)
+        if not '__path__' in parent:
+            raise ImportError('No package named {}'.format(package))
         return _readmodule(submodule, parent['__path__'], package)
 
     # Search the path for the module
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_pyclbr.py b/Lib/test/test_pyclbr.py
index 6aa96d53ea4..7bdc555cd27 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_pyclbr.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pyclbr.py
@@ -188,6 +188,11 @@ class PyclbrTest(TestCase):
         cm('email.parser')
         cm('test.test_pyclbr')
 
+    def test_issue_14798(self):
+        # test ImportError is raised when the first part of a dotted name is
+        # not a package
+        self.assertRaises(ImportError, pyclbr.readmodule_ex, 'asyncore.foo')
+
 
 def test_main():
     run_unittest(PyclbrTest)
diff --git a/Misc/ACKS b/Misc/ACKS
index 18c304ebfcf..ca1f5dcadf0 100644
--- a/Misc/ACKS
+++ b/Misc/ACKS
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ Lars Marius Garshol
 Dan Gass
 Andrew Gaul
 Stephen M. Gava
+Xavier de Gaye
 Harry Henry Gebel
 Marius Gedminas
 Thomas Gellekum
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 4908f39c2bd..088d1e4e9e0 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #14798: Fix the functions in pyclbr to raise an ImportError
+  when the first part of a dotted name is not a package. Patch by
+  Xavier de Gaye.
+
 - Issue #14832: fixed the order of the argument references in the error
   message produced by unittest's assertItemsEqual.