diff --git a/bundler/bundler.py b/bundler/bundler.py
index ebbe870..65b8cc0 100644
--- a/bundler/bundler.py
+++ b/bundler/bundler.py
@@ -68,6 +68,12 @@ def copy_plist(self):
         self.copy_path(path)
 
     def create_pango_setup(self):
+        if utils.has_pkgconfig_module("pango") and \
+                not utils.has_pkgconfig_variable("pango", "pango_module_version"):
+            # Newer pango (>= 1.38) no longer has modules, skip this
+            # step in that case.
+            return
+
         # Create a temporary pangorc file just for creating the
         # modules file with the right modules.
         module_version = utils.evaluate_pkgconfig_variables("${pkg:pango:pango_module_version}")
diff --git a/bundler/main.py b/bundler/main.py
index 6afc2b0..b9b2fc5 100644
--- a/bundler/main.py
+++ b/bundler/main.py
@@ -14,5 +14,7 @@ def main(argv):
 
     project = Project(argv[0])
     bundler = Bundler(project)
-
-    bundler.run()
+    try:
+        bundler.run()
+    except Exception as err:
+        print("Bundler encountered an error %s" % str(err))
diff --git a/bundler/utils.py b/bundler/utils.py
index 304aedf..76c83d1 100644
--- a/bundler/utils.py
+++ b/bundler/utils.py
@@ -15,6 +15,21 @@ def evaluate_environment_variables(string):
 
     return string
 
+def has_pkgconfig_module(module):
+    """Returns True if the pkg-config module exists"""
+    f = os.popen("pkg-config --exists " + module)
+    f.read().strip()
+    return f.close() is None
+
+def has_pkgconfig_variable(module, key):
+    """Returns True if the pkg-config variable exists for the given
+    module
+    """
+    f = os.popen("pkg-config --variable=" + key + " " + module)
+    status = bool(f.read().strip())
+    f.close()
+    return status
+
 def evaluate_pkgconfig_variables(string):
     p = re.compile("\${pkg:(.*?):(.*?)}")
     m = p.search(string)
@@ -24,6 +39,17 @@ def evaluate_pkgconfig_variables(string):
         f = os.popen("pkg-config --variable=" + key + " " + module)
         value = f.read().strip()
         if not value:
+            # pango 1.38 removed modules, try to give a helpful
+            # message in case something tries to reference the no
+            # longer existing variable (most likely from old bundle
+            # xml files) when using a newer pango build.
+            if module == "pango" and key == "pango_module_version":
+                if has_pkgconfig_module("pango"):
+                    raise Exception(
+                        "'%s' got removed in '%s' "
+                        "1.38. Remove any reference to pango "
+                        "modules in your bundle xml." % (
+                            key, module))
             raise Exception("pkg-config variable '%s %s' is undefined" % (key, module))
         string = p.sub(value, string, 1)
         m = p.search(string)