diff --git a/classpath/TestExceptions.java b/classpath/TestExceptions.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c37e685879
--- /dev/null
+++ b/classpath/TestExceptions.java
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+public class TestExceptions {
+
+  private static void evenMoreDangerous() {
+    throw new RuntimeException("chaos! panic! overwhelming anxiety!");
+  }
+
+  private static void moreDangerous() {
+    evenMoreDangerous();
+  }
+
+  private static void dangerous() {
+    moreDangerous();
+  }
+
+  public static void main(String[] args) {
+    dangerous();
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/classpath/java/lang/Error.java b/classpath/java/lang/Error.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dfce541509
--- /dev/null
+++ b/classpath/java/lang/Error.java
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package java.lang;
+
+public class Error extends Throwable {
+  public Error(String message, Throwable cause) {
+    super(message, cause);
+  }
+
+  public Error(String message) {
+    this(message, null);
+  }
+
+  public Error(Throwable cause) {
+    this(null, cause);
+  }
+
+  public Error() {
+    this(null, null);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/classpath/java/lang/Exception.java b/classpath/java/lang/Exception.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5b4f1d47b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/classpath/java/lang/Exception.java
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package java.lang;
+
+public class Exception extends Throwable {
+  public Exception(String message, Throwable cause) {
+    super(message, cause);
+  }
+
+  public Exception(String message) {
+    this(message, null);
+  }
+
+  public Exception(Throwable cause) {
+    this(null, cause);
+  }
+
+  public Exception() {
+    this(null, null);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/classpath/java/lang/RuntimeException.java b/classpath/java/lang/RuntimeException.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e0930b8c62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/classpath/java/lang/RuntimeException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package java.lang;
+
+public class RuntimeException extends Exception {
+  public RuntimeException(String message, Throwable cause) {
+    super(message, cause);
+  }
+
+  public RuntimeException(String message) {
+    this(message, null);
+  }
+
+  public RuntimeException(Throwable cause) {
+    this(null, cause);
+  }
+
+  public RuntimeException() {
+    this(null, null);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/classpath/java/lang/StackTraceElement.java b/classpath/java/lang/StackTraceElement.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..73bf1b38b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/classpath/java/lang/StackTraceElement.java
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+package java.lang;
+
+public class StackTraceElement {
+  private Object method;
+  private int ip;
+
+  private StackTraceElement() { }
+}
diff --git a/classpath/java/lang/Throwable.java b/classpath/java/lang/Throwable.java
index d4330f7bf4..8660e7e5b9 100644
--- a/classpath/java/lang/Throwable.java
+++ b/classpath/java/lang/Throwable.java
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ public class Throwable {
 
   public Throwable(String message, Throwable cause) {
     this.message = message;
-    this.trace = trace(1);
+    this.trace = trace(0);
     this.cause = cause;
   }
 
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 97ca7c1b11..63603eae5c 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ stress-cflags = -DDEBUG_MEMORY -DDEBUG_MEMORY_MAJOR
 
 cpp-objects = $(foreach x,$(1),$(patsubst $(2)/%.cpp,$(bld)/%.o,$(x)))
 asm-objects = $(foreach x,$(1),$(patsubst $(2)/%.S,$(bld)/%.o,$(x)))
+java-classes = $(foreach x,$(1),$(patsubst $(2)/%.java,$(bld)/%.class,$(x)))
 
 stdcpp-sources = $(src)/stdc++.cpp
 stdcpp-objects = $(call cpp-objects,$(stdcpp-sources),$(src))
@@ -122,10 +123,14 @@ fast-objects = \
 fast-executable = $(bld)/fast-vm
 fast-cflags = $(fast) $(cflags)
 
+classpath-sources = $(shell find %(classpath)/java -name '*.java')
+classpath-classes = $(call java-classes,$(classpath-sources),$(classpath))
+
 input = $(bld)/classes/TestExceptions.class
-# input-depends = \
-# 	$(bld)/classes/java/lang/System.class \
-# 	$(jni-library)
+input-depends = \
+	$(bld)/classes/java/lang/System.class \
+	$(bld)/classes/java/lang/Throwable.class \
+	$(jni-library)
 
 gen-run-arg = $(shell echo $(1) | sed -e 's:$(bld)/classes/\(.*\)\.class:\1:')
 args = -cp $(bld)/classes -hs 67108864 $(call gen-run-arg,$(input))
diff --git a/src/vm.cpp b/src/vm.cpp
index 39ef725e96..d27680a068 100644
--- a/src/vm.cpp
+++ b/src/vm.cpp
@@ -2532,7 +2532,7 @@ run(Thread* t)
   if (UNLIKELY(exception)) goto throw_;
 
  loop:
-  //fprintf(stderr, "ip: %d; instruction: 0x%x\n", ip, codeBody(t, code, ip));
+//   fprintf(stderr, "ip: %d; instruction: 0x%x\n", ip, codeBody(t, code, ip));
 
   switch (codeBody(t, code, ip++)) {
   case aaload: {
@@ -3713,8 +3713,7 @@ run(Thread* t)
   } goto loop;
 
   case putfield: {
-    object instance = pop(t);
-    if (LIKELY(instance)) {
+    if (LIKELY(stack[sp - 2])) {
       uint8_t index1 = codeBody(t, code, ip++);
       uint8_t index2 = codeBody(t, code, ip++);
       uint16_t index = (index1 << 8) | index2;
@@ -3723,6 +3722,7 @@ run(Thread* t)
       if (UNLIKELY(exception)) goto throw_;
       
       object value = pop(t);
+      object instance = pop(t);
       setField(t, instance, field, value);
     } else {
       exception = makeNullPointerException(t);