diff --git a/plugins/inventory/zabbix.ini b/plugins/inventory/zabbix.ini
index 7dd02430f8..618c2b9fe8 100644
--- a/plugins/inventory/zabbix.ini
+++ b/plugins/inventory/zabbix.ini
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 [zabbix]
 
 # Server location
-server = http://192.168.0.1/zabbix
+server = http://zabbix.example.com/zabbix
 
 # Login
-username = 
-password = 
+username = admin
+password = zabbix
diff --git a/plugins/inventory/zabbix.py b/plugins/inventory/zabbix.py
index f3f3652aad..a161c63aea 100755
--- a/plugins/inventory/zabbix.py
+++ b/plugins/inventory/zabbix.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/python
+#!/usr/bin/env python
 
 # (c) 2013, Greg Buehler
 #
@@ -20,16 +20,26 @@
 ######################################################################
 
 """
-Zabbix external inventory script. Returns hosts and hostgroups from Zabbix.
+Zabbix Server external inventory script. 
+========================================
 
+Returns hosts and hostgroups from Zabbix Server.
 
+Configuration is read from `zabbix.ini`.
+
+Tested with Zabbix Server 2.0.6.
 """
 
 import os, sys
 import json
 import argparse
 import ConfigParser
-from zabbix_api import ZabbixAPI
+
+try:
+    from zabbix_api import ZabbixAPI
+except:
+    print "Error: Zabbix API library must be installed: pip install zabbix-api."
+    sys.exit(1)
 
 try:
     import json
@@ -97,8 +107,12 @@ class ZabbixInventory(object):
         self.read_cli()
 
         if self.zabbix_server and self.zabbix_username:
-            api = ZabbixAPI(server=self.zabbix_server)
-            api.login(user=self.zabbix_username, password=self.zabbix_password)
+            try:
+                api = ZabbixAPI(server=self.zabbix_server)
+                api.login(user=self.zabbix_username, password=self.zabbix_password)
+            except BaseException, e:
+                print "Error: Could not login to Zabbix server. Check your zabbix.ini."
+                sys.exit(1)
 
             if self.options.host:
                 data = self.get_host(api, self.options.host)
@@ -107,7 +121,13 @@ class ZabbixInventory(object):
             elif self.options.list:
                 data = self.get_list(api)
                 print json.dumps(data, indent=2)
-        else:
-            print "Configuration of server and credentials is required"
 
-ZabbixInventory()
\ No newline at end of file
+            else:
+                print "usage: --list  ..OR.. --host <hostname>"
+                sys.exit(1)
+
+        else:
+            print "Error: Configuration of server and credentials are required. See zabbix.ini."
+            sys.exit(1)
+
+ZabbixInventory()