diff --git a/artiq/compiler/embedding.py b/artiq/compiler/embedding.py
index fb185a39b..571023349 100644
--- a/artiq/compiler/embedding.py
+++ b/artiq/compiler/embedding.py
@@ -124,8 +124,13 @@ class ASTSynthesizer:
                 instance_type, constructor_type = self.type_map[typ]
             else:
                 if issubclass(typ, BaseException):
-                    instance_type = builtins.TException("{}.{}".format(typ.__module__, typ.__qualname__),
-                                                        id=self.object_map.store(typ))
+                    if hasattr(typ, 'artiq_builtin'):
+                        exception_id = 0
+                    else:
+                        exception_id = self.object_map.store(typ)
+                    instance_type = builtins.TException("{}.{}".format(typ.__module__,
+                                                                       typ.__qualname__),
+                                                        id=exception_id)
                     constructor_type = types.TExceptionConstructor(instance_type)
                 else:
                     instance_type = types.TInstance("{}.{}".format(typ.__module__, typ.__qualname__),
diff --git a/artiq/coredevice/comm_generic.py b/artiq/coredevice/comm_generic.py
index 8d8dccf87..b97d13a4d 100644
--- a/artiq/coredevice/comm_generic.py
+++ b/artiq/coredevice/comm_generic.py
@@ -472,7 +472,8 @@ class CommGeneric:
                 self._write_string(function)
             else:
                 exn_type = type(exn)
-                if exn_type in (ZeroDivisionError, ValueError, IndexError):
+                if exn_type in (ZeroDivisionError, ValueError, IndexError) or \
+                        hasattr(exn, 'artiq_builtin'):
                     self._write_string("0:{}".format(exn_type.__name__))
                 else:
                     exn_id = object_map.store(exn_type)
@@ -506,10 +507,10 @@ class CommGeneric:
                     [(filename, line, column, function, None)]
         exception = core_language.ARTIQException(name, message, params, traceback)
 
-        if hasattr(exceptions, exception.name):
-            python_exn_type = getattr(exceptions, exception.name)
+        print(exception.id, exception.name)
+        if exception.id == 0:
+            python_exn_type = getattr(exceptions, exception.name.split('.')[-1])
         else:
-            assert exception.id != 0
             python_exn_type = object_map.retrieve(exception.id)
 
         python_exn = python_exn_type(message.format(*params))
diff --git a/artiq/coredevice/exceptions.py b/artiq/coredevice/exceptions.py
index 46402a31f..b0dbf740f 100644
--- a/artiq/coredevice/exceptions.py
+++ b/artiq/coredevice/exceptions.py
@@ -9,10 +9,12 @@ IndexError = builtins.IndexError
 
 class InternalError(Exception):
     """Raised when the runtime encounters an internal error condition."""
+    artiq_builtin = True
 
 
 class CacheError(Exception):
     """Raised when putting a value into a cache row would violate memory safety."""
+    artiq_builtin = True
 
 
 class RTIOUnderflow(Exception):
@@ -21,6 +23,7 @@ class RTIOUnderflow(Exception):
 
     The offending event is discarded and the RTIO core keeps operating.
     """
+    artiq_builtin = True
 
 class RTIOSequenceError(Exception):
     """Raised when an event is submitted on a given channel with a timestamp
@@ -28,6 +31,7 @@ class RTIOSequenceError(Exception):
 
     The offending event is discarded and the RTIO core keeps operating.
     """
+    artiq_builtin = True
 
 class RTIOCollisionError(Exception):
     """Raised when an event is submitted on a given channel with the same
@@ -39,6 +43,7 @@ class RTIOCollisionError(Exception):
 
     The offending event is discarded and the RTIO core keeps operating.
     """
+    artiq_builtin = True
 
 class RTIOOverflow(Exception):
     """Raised when at least one event could not be registered into the RTIO
@@ -48,8 +53,10 @@ class RTIOOverflow(Exception):
     read attempt and discarding some events. Reading can be reattempted after
     the exception is caught, and events will be partially retrieved.
     """
+    artiq_builtin = True
 
 class DDSBatchError(Exception):
     """Raised when attempting to start a DDS batch while already in a batch,
     or when too many commands are batched.
     """
+    artiq_builtin = True
diff --git a/artiq/runtime/artiq_personality.h b/artiq/runtime/artiq_personality.h
index 9e7ddce3e..0ddf9e88f 100644
--- a/artiq/runtime/artiq_personality.h
+++ b/artiq/runtime/artiq_personality.h
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ void __artiq_reraise(void)
 #define artiq_raise_from_c(exnname, exnmsg, exnparam0, exnparam1, exnparam2) \
         do { \
           struct artiq_exception exn = { \
-            .name = exnname, \
+            .name = "0:artiq.coredevice.exceptions." exnname, \
             .message = exnmsg, \
             .param = { exnparam0, exnparam1, exnparam2 }, \
             .file = __FILE__, \