diff --git a/bin/test.py b/bin/test.py
index 4a73b28..11786d0 100755
--- a/bin/test.py
+++ b/bin/test.py
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ phis = get_phis_3D(X, R.points)
 print "phi values (should all be positive): ", phis, sum(phis)
 if [i for i in phis if i < 0.0]:
   print "problems"
-  sys.exit(1)
 
 r = run_baker_3D(X, R, S)
 
@@ -40,7 +39,5 @@ print 'final', r['final']
 
 if abs(r['final'] - exact) <= abs(r['qlin'] - exact):
   print "win"
-  sys.exit(0)
 else:
   print "failure"
-  sys.exit(2)
diff --git a/lib/baker/baker.py b/lib/baker/baker.py
index 84fe422..6f4c4cc 100644
--- a/lib/baker/baker.py
+++ b/lib/baker/baker.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def get_phis(X, R):
               ])
   try:
     phi = np.linalg.solve(A,b)
-  except LinAlgError as e:
+  except np.linalg.LinAlgError as e:
     print >> sys.stderr, "warning: get_phis: calculation of phis yielded a linearly dependant system", e
     raise smberror('get_phis')
     phi = np.dot(np.linalg.pinv(A), b)
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ def get_phis_3D(X, r):
               ])
   try:
     phi = np.linalg.solve(A,b)
-  except LinAlgError as e:
+  except np.linalg.LinAlgError as e:
     print >> sys.stderr, "warning: get_phis_3D: calculation of phis yielded a linearly dependant system", e
     phi = np.dot(np.linalg.pinv(A), b)
 
@@ -113,8 +113,14 @@ def run_baker(X, R, S):
 
   # calculate values only for the simplex triangle
   phi, qlin = qlinear(X, R)
+
   if [i for i in phi if i <= 0.0]:
-    print "failure"
+    s = "this is not a containing simplex:\n"
+    s += "  X: %s\n" % X
+    s += "  R: %s\n" % R
+    s += "  phi: %s, sum(%0.4e)\n" % (phi, sum(phi))
+    print >> sys.stderr, s
+    raise smberror("not containing simplex")
 
   if len(S.points) == 0:
     answer = {
@@ -152,7 +158,7 @@ def run_baker(X, R, S):
   # baker solve eq 10
   try:
     (a, b, c) = np.linalg.solve(A,b)
-  except LinAlgError as e:
+  except np.linalg.LinAlgError as e:
     print >> sys.stderr, "warning: run_baker: linear calculation went bad, resorting to np.linalg.pinv", e
     (a, b, c) = np.dot(np.linalg.pinv(A), b)
 
@@ -187,6 +193,14 @@ def run_baker_3D(X, R, S):
   # calculate values only for the triangle
   phi, qlin = qlinear_3D(X, R)
 
+  if [i for i in phi if i <= 0.0]:
+    s = "this is not a containing simplex:\n"
+    s += "  X: %s\n" % X
+    s += "  R: %s\n" % R
+    s += "  phi: %s, sum(%0.4e)\n" % (phi, sum(phi))
+    print >> sys.stderr, s
+    raise smberror("not containing simplex")
+
   if len(S.points) == 0:
     answer = {
                'a': None,
diff --git a/test/baker.test.py b/test/baker.test.py
index be0c934..7808f4d 100755
--- a/test/baker.test.py
+++ b/test/baker.test.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ class TestSequenceFunctions(unittest.TestCase):
                         [-1,-1], # 8
                       ]
     self.q = [1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
-    self.X = [1.5, 10.25]
+    self.X = [0.5, 0.25]
     self.accuracy = 8
 
   def testImports(self):