diff --git a/terminatorlib/config.py b/terminatorlib/config.py
index 4ab74b9b..14eb4e22 100755
--- a/terminatorlib/config.py
+++ b/terminatorlib/config.py
@@ -34,7 +34,11 @@ up, set a default for it first."""
 import os, platform, sys, re
 import pwd
 import gtk, pango
-import gio
+
+try:
+  import gio
+except ImportError:
+  pass
 
 # set this to true to enable debugging output
 # These should be moved somewhere better.
@@ -209,9 +213,12 @@ class TerminatorConfValuestoreRC (TerminatorConfValuestore):
     dbg(" VS_RCFile: config file located at %s" % self.rcfilename)
     self.call_parser(True)
 
-    monfile = gio.File(self.rcfilename)
-    monmon = monfile.monitor_file()
-    monmon.connect("changed", self.file_changed)
+    try:
+      monfile = gio.File(self.rcfilename)
+      monmon = monfile.monitor_file()
+      monmon.connect("changed", self.file_changed)
+    except NameError:
+      dbg ("gio module not found, config file monitoring disabled")
 
   def set_reconfigure_callback (self, function):
     dbg (" VS_RCFile: setting callback to: %s"%function)
diff --git a/terminatorlib/keybindings.py b/terminatorlib/keybindings.py
index af915a26..e7dc7b35 100644
--- a/terminatorlib/keybindings.py
+++ b/terminatorlib/keybindings.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 
 import re, gtk
 import terminatorlib.config
+from terminatorlib.config import err
 
 class KeymapError(Exception):
   def __init__(self, value):