diff --git a/lib/geocoder.rb b/lib/geocoder.rb
index 2cd221ffdf7e758c3a04c6b8610a84d1f5d3951b..17280af29f46b56b7bbfba8c69bb61d2e94da670 100644
--- a/lib/geocoder.rb
+++ b/lib/geocoder.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ module Geocoder
   def search(*args)
     Lookup.search(*args)
   end
+
+  # exception classes
+  class Error < StandardError; end
+  class ConfigurationError < Error; end
 end
 
 
@@ -59,9 +63,3 @@ ActiveRecord::Base.class_eval do
   end
 end
 
-
-class GeocoderError < StandardError
-end
-
-class GeocoderConfigurationError < GeocoderError
-end
diff --git a/lib/geocoder/active_record.rb b/lib/geocoder/active_record.rb
index 8282e4b3b0c799995c792259b8ea615729439d34..597998ca5b94f11962fc357ae7cff619d8999d3d 100644
--- a/lib/geocoder/active_record.rb
+++ b/lib/geocoder/active_record.rb
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ module Geocoder
     def fetch_coordinates(save = false)
       address_method = self.class.geocoder_options[:user_address]
       unless address_method.is_a? Symbol
-        raise GeocoderConfigurationError,
+        raise Geocoder::ConfigurationError,
           "You are attempting to fetch coordinates but have not specified " +
           "a method which provides an address for the object."
       end
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ module Geocoder
       lat_attr = self.class.geocoder_options[:latitude]
       lon_attr = self.class.geocoder_options[:longitude]
       unless lat_attr.is_a?(Symbol) and lon_attr.is_a?(Symbol)
-        raise GeocoderConfigurationError,
+        raise Geocoder::ConfigurationError,
           "You are attempting to fetch an address but have not specified " +
           "attributes which provide coordinates for the object."
       end
diff --git a/test/geocoder_test.rb b/test/geocoder_test.rb
index 7b8c0ff5e1c192f9e324095eecd44a45635dbabc..312cbd30fb8ca0948d609201038407507dc7978f 100644
--- a/test/geocoder_test.rb
+++ b/test/geocoder_test.rb
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class GeocoderTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
   def test_exception_raised_for_unconfigured_geocoding
     l = Landmark.new("Mount Rushmore", 43.88, -103.46)
-    assert_raises GeocoderConfigurationError do
+    assert_raises Geocoder::ConfigurationError do
       l.fetch_coordinates
     end
   end