diff --git a/artiq/devices/runtime_exceptions.py b/artiq/devices/runtime_exceptions.py
index d01ef5bbf..c9b631010 100644
--- a/artiq/devices/runtime_exceptions.py
+++ b/artiq/devices/runtime_exceptions.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-class RuntimeException(Exception):
-    pass
+from artiq.language.core import RuntimeException
 
 
+# Must be kept in sync with soc/runtime/exceptions.h
+
 class OutOfMemory(RuntimeException):
     eid = 0
 
diff --git a/artiq/language/core.py b/artiq/language/core.py
index 05755a1fb..eabc04a96 100644
--- a/artiq/language/core.py
+++ b/artiq/language/core.py
@@ -346,4 +346,12 @@ def EncodedException(eid):
         return EncodedException
 
 
+class RuntimeException(Exception):
+    """Base class for all exceptions used by the device runtime.
+    Those exceptions are defined in ``artiq.devices.runtime_exceptions``.
+
+    """
+    pass
+
+
 first_user_eid = 1024