Index: Lib/unittest/loader.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/unittest/loader.py	(revision 77287)
+++ Lib/unittest/loader.py	(working copy)
@@ -85,20 +85,27 @@
         The method optionally resolves the names relative to a given module.
         """
         parts = name.split('.')
+        import_excp = None
         if module is None:
             parts_copy = parts[:]
             while parts_copy:
                 try:
                     module = __import__('.'.join(parts_copy))
                     break
-                except ImportError:
+                except ImportError, e:
+                    import_excp = e
                     del parts_copy[-1]
                     if not parts_copy:
                         raise
             parts = parts[1:]
         obj = module
         for part in parts:
-            parent, obj = obj, getattr(obj, part)
+            try:
+                parent, obj = obj, getattr(obj, part)
+            except AttributeError, e:
+                if import_excp:
+                      raise import_excp
+                raise
 
         if isinstance(obj, types.ModuleType):
             return self.loadTestsFromModule(obj)
Index: Lib/test/test_unittest.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/test/test_unittest.py	(revision 77287)
+++ Lib/test/test_unittest.py	(working copy)
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 from copy import deepcopy
 from cStringIO import StringIO
 import pickle
+from contextlib import contextmanager
 
 ### Support code
 ################################################################
@@ -350,11 +351,43 @@
 
         try:
             loader.loadTestsFromName('unittest.sdasfasfasdf')
-        except AttributeError, e:
-            self.assertEqual(str(e), "'module' object has no attribute 'sdasfasfasdf'")
+        except ImportError, e:
+            self.assertEqual(str(e), "No module named sdasfasfasdf")
         else:
-            self.fail("TestLoader.loadTestsFromName failed to raise AttributeError")
+            self.fail("TestLoader.loadTestsFromName failed to raise ImportError")
+	
+	# "The specifier is a name that resolves to a module which imports a non-existent
+	# module.
+	#
+    # What happens when a module is found but it has a bad import statement?
+    def test_loadTestsFromName__badimport(self):
 
+        @contextmanager
+        def newdirinpath(dir):
+            os.mkdir(dir)
+            sys.path.insert(0, dir)
+            yield
+            sys.path.pop(0)
+            test_support.rmtree(dir)
+
+        with newdirinpath(test_support.TESTFN), test_support.EnvironmentVarGuard() as env:
+            env['PYTHONPATH'] = test_support.TESTFN
+            fullmodname = os.path.join(test_support.TESTFN, 'foofoo')
+            sourcefn = fullmodname + os.extsep + "py"
+            f = open(sourcefn, 'w')
+            f.write('import barbar')
+            f.close()
+
+            loader = unittest.TestLoader()
+
+            try:
+                loader.loadTestsFromName('foofoo')
+            except ImportError, e:
+                self.assertEqual(str(e), "No module named barbar")
+            else:
+                self.fail("TestLoader.loadTestsFromName failed to raise ImportError")
+
+
     # "The specifier name is a ``dotted name'' that may resolve either to
     # a module, a test case class, a TestSuite instance, a test method
     # within a test case class, or a callable object which returns a
@@ -735,11 +768,42 @@
 
         try:
             loader.loadTestsFromNames(['unittest.sdasfasfasdf', 'unittest'])
-        except AttributeError, e:
-            self.assertEqual(str(e), "'module' object has no attribute 'sdasfasfasdf'")
+        except ImportError, e:
+            self.assertEqual(str(e), "No module named sdasfasfasdf")
         else:
-            self.fail("TestLoader.loadTestsFromNames failed to raise AttributeError")
+            self.fail("TestLoader.loadTestsFromNames failed to raise ImportError")
+			
+	# "The specifier is a name that resolves to a module which imports a non-existent
+	# module.
+	#
+    # What happens when a module is found but it has a bad import statement?
+    def test_loadTestsFromNames__badimport(self):
 
+        @contextmanager
+        def newdirinpath(dir):
+            os.mkdir(dir)
+            sys.path.insert(0, dir)
+            yield
+            sys.path.pop(0)
+            test_support.rmtree(dir)
+
+        with newdirinpath(test_support.TESTFN), test_support.EnvironmentVarGuard() as env:
+            env['PYTHONPATH'] = test_support.TESTFN
+            fullmodname = os.path.join(test_support.TESTFN, 'foofoo')
+            sourcefn = fullmodname + os.extsep + "py"
+            f = open(sourcefn, 'w')
+            f.write('import barbar')
+            f.close()
+
+            loader = unittest.TestLoader()
+
+            try:
+                loader.loadTestsFromNames(['foofoo', 'unittest'])
+            except ImportError, e:
+                self.assertEqual(str(e), "No module named barbar")
+            else:
+                self.fail("TestLoader.loadTestsFromName failed to raise ImportError")
+
     # "The specifier name is a ``dotted name'' that may resolve either to
     # a module, a test case class, a TestSuite instance, a test method
     # within a test case class, or a callable object which returns a