diff --git a/library/database/mysql_db b/library/database/mysql_db
index 0d11abacf7..03934ed682 100644
--- a/library/database/mysql_db
+++ b/library/database/mysql_db
@@ -319,7 +319,10 @@ def main():
     changed = False
     if db_exists(cursor, db):
         if state == "absent":
-            changed = db_delete(cursor, db)
+            try:
+                changed = db_delete(cursor, db)
+            except Exception, e:
+                module.fail_json(msg="error deleting database: " + str(e))
         elif state == "dump":
             rc, stdout, stderr = db_dump(module, login_host, login_user, 
                                         login_password, db, target, 
@@ -340,7 +343,10 @@ def main():
                 module.exit_json(changed=True, db=db, msg=stdout)
     else:
         if state == "present":
-            changed = db_create(cursor, db, encoding, collation)
+            try:
+                changed = db_create(cursor, db, encoding, collation)
+            except Exception, e:
+                module.fail_json(msg="error creating database: " + str(e))
 
     module.exit_json(changed=changed, db=db)