diff --git a/rend2d/servers/sdl_driver.cpp b/rend2d/servers/sdl_driver.cpp
index cc102e661..89c1c79c2 100644
--- a/rend2d/servers/sdl_driver.cpp
+++ b/rend2d/servers/sdl_driver.cpp
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 #include <SDL.h>
 #include <SDL_image.h>
-#include "../../tools/str_exception.hpp"
+#include <stdexcept>
 #include <assert.h>
 
 using namespace Mangle::Rend2D;
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ int SDL_Sprite::height() { return surface->h; }
 SDLDriver::SDLDriver() : display(NULL), realDisp(NULL), softDouble(false)
 {
   if (SDL_InitSubSystem( SDL_INIT_VIDEO ) == -1)
-    throw str_exception("Error initializing SDL video");
+    throw std::runtime_error("Error initializing SDL video");
 }
 SDLDriver::~SDLDriver()
 {
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ void SDLDriver::setVideoMode(int width, int height, int bpp, bool fullscreen)
   // Create the surface and check it
   realDisp = SDL_SetVideoMode(width, height, bpp, flags);
   if(realDisp == NULL)
-    throw str_exception("Failed setting SDL video mode");
+    throw std::runtime_error("Failed setting SDL video mode");
 
   // Code for software double buffering. I haven't found this to be
   // any speed advantage at all in windowed mode (it's slower, as one
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ Sprite* SDLDriver::loadImage(const std::string &file)
   SDL_Surface *surf = IMG_Load(file.c_str());
   surf = convertImage(surf);
   if(surf == NULL)
-    throw str_exception("SDL failed to load image file '" + file + "'");
+    throw std::runtime_error("SDL failed to load image file '" + file + "'");
   return spriteFromSDL(surf);
 }
 
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ Sprite* SDLDriver::loadImage(SDL_RWops *src, bool autoFree)
   SDL_Surface *surf = IMG_Load_RW(src, autoFree);
   surf = convertImage(surf);
   if(surf == NULL)
-    throw str_exception("SDL failed to load image");
+    throw std::runtime_error("SDL failed to load image");
   return spriteFromSDL(surf);
 }
 
diff --git a/sound/filters/source_splicer.hpp b/sound/filters/source_splicer.hpp
index 9fd49d126..9c7623086 100644
--- a/sound/filters/source_splicer.hpp
+++ b/sound/filters/source_splicer.hpp
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #define MANGLE_SOUND_SOURCE_SPLICE_H
 
 #include "../source.hpp"
-#include "../../tools/str_exception.hpp"
+#include <stdexcept>
 #include <string>
 #include <list>
 #include <assert.h>
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ namespace Mangle
         if(catchAll)
           return catchAll->load(file);
 
-        throw str_exception("No handler for sound file " + file);
+        throw std::runtime_error("No handler for sound file " + file);
       }
 
       SampleSourcePtr load(Stream::StreamPtr input) { assert(0); }
diff --git a/sound/outputs/openal_out.cpp b/sound/outputs/openal_out.cpp
index 666dbe255..dd2da29b3 100644
--- a/sound/outputs/openal_out.cpp
+++ b/sound/outputs/openal_out.cpp
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 #include "openal_out.hpp"
 #include <assert.h>
+#include <stdexcept>
 
 #include "../../stream/filters/buffer_stream.hpp"
-#include "../../tools/str_exception.hpp"
 
 #include "al.h"
 #include "alc.h"
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ static char tmp_buffer[BSIZE];
 const int STREAM_BUF_NUM = 4;
 
 static void fail(const std::string &msg)
-{ throw str_exception("OpenAL exception: " + msg); }
+{ throw std::runtime_error("OpenAL exception: " + msg); }
 
 /*
   Check for AL error. Since we're always calling this with string
diff --git a/sound/sources/audiere_source.cpp b/sound/sources/audiere_source.cpp
index 1f11272b0..9b97165be 100644
--- a/sound/sources/audiere_source.cpp
+++ b/sound/sources/audiere_source.cpp
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 #include "audiere_source.hpp"
 
 #include "../../stream/clients/audiere_file.hpp"
-#include "../../tools/str_exception.hpp"
+
+#include <stdexcept>
 
 using namespace Mangle::Stream;
 
 static void fail(const std::string &msg)
-{ throw str_exception("Audiere exception: " + msg); }
+{ throw std::runtime_error("Audiere exception: " + msg); }
 
 using namespace audiere;
 using namespace Mangle::Sound;
diff --git a/sound/sources/ffmpeg_source.cpp b/sound/sources/ffmpeg_source.cpp
index 2633515d8..fdc2ff954 100644
--- a/sound/sources/ffmpeg_source.cpp
+++ b/sound/sources/ffmpeg_source.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "ffmpeg_source.hpp"
 
-#include "../../tools/str_exception.hpp"
+#include <stdexcept>
 
 using namespace Mangle::Sound;
 
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ using namespace Mangle::Sound;
 static uint8_t outBuf[AVCODEC_MAX_AUDIO_FRAME_SIZE];
 
 static void fail(const std::string &msg)
-{ throw str_exception("FFMpeg exception: " + msg); }
+{ throw std::runtime_error("FFMpeg exception: " + msg); }
 
 // --- Loader ---
 
diff --git a/sound/sources/libsndfile.cpp b/sound/sources/libsndfile.cpp
index 9ac7ee465..b69a2d436 100644
--- a/sound/sources/libsndfile.cpp
+++ b/sound/sources/libsndfile.cpp
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 #include "libsndfile.hpp"
 
-#include "../../tools/str_exception.hpp"
+#include <stdexcept>
 #include <sndfile.h>
 
 using namespace Mangle::Stream;
 
 static void fail(const std::string &msg)
-{ throw str_exception("Mangle::libsndfile: " + msg); }
+{ throw std::runtime_error("Mangle::libsndfile: " + msg); }
 
 using namespace Mangle::Sound;
 
diff --git a/sound/sources/mpg123_source.cpp b/sound/sources/mpg123_source.cpp
index b0eeb77bb..24d6ecce1 100644
--- a/sound/sources/mpg123_source.cpp
+++ b/sound/sources/mpg123_source.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "mpg123_source.hpp"
 
-#include "../../tools/str_exception.hpp"
+#include <stdexcept>
 
 #include <mpg123.h>
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ using namespace Mangle::Stream;
  */
 
 static void fail(const std::string &msg)
-{ throw str_exception("Mangle::Mpg123 exception: " + msg); }
+{ throw std::runtime_error("Mangle::Mpg123 exception: " + msg); }
 
 static void checkError(int err, void *mh = NULL)
 {
diff --git a/sound/sources/wav_source.cpp b/sound/sources/wav_source.cpp
index 8e3e8558c..a46b3d27e 100644
--- a/sound/sources/wav_source.cpp
+++ b/sound/sources/wav_source.cpp
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 #include "wav_source.hpp"
 
-#include "../../tools/str_exception.hpp"
 #include "../../stream/servers/file_stream.hpp"
 
+#include <stdexcept>
+
 using namespace Mangle::Stream;
 using namespace Mangle::Sound;
 
 static void fail(const std::string &msg)
-{ throw str_exception("Mangle::Wav exception: " + msg); }
+{ throw std::runtime_error("Mangle::Wav exception: " + msg); }
 
 void WavSource::getInfo(int32_t *pRate, int32_t *pChannels, int32_t *pBits)
 {
diff --git a/stream/servers/file_stream.hpp b/stream/servers/file_stream.hpp
index c789d2022..314a49642 100644
--- a/stream/servers/file_stream.hpp
+++ b/stream/servers/file_stream.hpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "std_stream.hpp"
 #include <fstream>
+#include <stdexcept>
 
 namespace Mangle {
 namespace Stream {
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ class FileStream : public StdStream
       file.open(name.c_str(), std::ios::binary);
 
       if(file.fail())
-        throw str_exception("FileStream: failed to open file " + name);
+        throw std::runtime_error("FileStream: failed to open file " + name);
     }
   ~FileStream() { file.close(); }
 };
diff --git a/stream/servers/outfile_stream.hpp b/stream/servers/outfile_stream.hpp
index 2946ff853..8d953d904 100644
--- a/stream/servers/outfile_stream.hpp
+++ b/stream/servers/outfile_stream.hpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class OutFileStream : public StdOStream
       file.open(name.c_str(), mode);
 
       if(file.fail())
-        throw str_exception("OutFileStream: failed to open file " + name);
+        throw std::runtime_error("OutFileStream: failed to open file " + name);
     }
   ~OutFileStream() { file.close(); }
 };
diff --git a/stream/servers/std_ostream.hpp b/stream/servers/std_ostream.hpp
index f655477ff..797622631 100644
--- a/stream/servers/std_ostream.hpp
+++ b/stream/servers/std_ostream.hpp
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "../stream.hpp"
 #include <iostream>
-#include "../../tools/str_exception.hpp"
+#include <stdexcept>
 
 namespace Mangle {
 namespace Stream {
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class StdOStream : public Stream
   std::ostream *inf;
 
   static void fail(const std::string &msg)
-    { throw str_exception("StdOStream: " + msg); }
+  { throw std::runtime_error("StdOStream: " + msg); }
 
  public:
  StdOStream(std::ostream *_inf)
diff --git a/stream/servers/std_stream.hpp b/stream/servers/std_stream.hpp
index 971c95415..68aca621b 100644
--- a/stream/servers/std_stream.hpp
+++ b/stream/servers/std_stream.hpp
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "../stream.hpp"
 #include <iostream>
-#include "../../tools/str_exception.hpp"
+#include <stdexcept>
 
 namespace Mangle {
 namespace Stream {
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class StdStream : public Stream
   std::istream *inf;
 
   static void fail(const std::string &msg)
-    { throw str_exception("StdStream: " + msg); }
+  { throw std::runtime_error("StdStream: " + msg); }
 
  public:
  StdStream(std::istream *_inf)
diff --git a/tools/str_exception.hpp b/tools/str_exception.hpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 269501055..000000000
--- a/tools/str_exception.hpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef __STR_EXCEPTION_H
-#define __STR_EXCEPTION_H
-
-#include <exception>
-#include <string>
-
-/** @brief A simple exception that takes and holds a string
-
-    Usage:
-
-      throw str_exception("message");
-
- */
-class str_exception : public std::exception
-{
-  std::string msg;
-
- public:
-
-  str_exception(const std::string &m) : msg(m) {}
-  ~str_exception() throw() {}
-  const char* what() const throw() { return msg.c_str(); }
-};
-
-#endif