diff -r fea94f9cb5a0 Lib/test/test_codeccallbacks.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_codeccallbacks.py	Mon May 04 15:32:48 2015 +0300
+++ b/Lib/test/test_codeccallbacks.py	Mon May 04 16:08:10 2015 +0300
@@ -1046,6 +1046,24 @@ class CodecCallbackTest(unittest.TestCas
                 with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
                     data.decode(encoding, "test.replacing")
 
+    def test_fake_error_class(self):
+        handlers = [
+            codecs.strict_errors,
+            codecs.ignore_errors,
+            codecs.replace_errors,
+            codecs.backslashreplace_errors,
+            codecs.namereplace_errors,
+            codecs.xmlcharrefreplace_errors,
+            codecs.lookup_error('surrogateescape'),
+            codecs.lookup_error('surrogatepass'),
+        ]
+        for cls in UnicodeEncodeError, UnicodeDecodeError, UnicodeTranslateError:
+            class FakeUnicodeError(str):
+                __class__ = cls
+            for handler in handlers:
+                with self.subTest(handler=handler, error_class=cls):
+                    self.assertRaises(TypeError, handler, FakeUnicodeError())
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()
diff -r fea94f9cb5a0 Python/codecs.c
--- a/Python/codecs.c	Mon May 04 15:32:48 2015 +0300
+++ b/Python/codecs.c	Mon May 04 16:08:10 2015 +0300
@@ -662,18 +662,9 @@ PyObject *PyCodec_LookupError(const char
 
 static void wrong_exception_type(PyObject *exc)
 {
-    _Py_IDENTIFIER(__class__);
-    _Py_IDENTIFIER(__name__);
-    PyObject *type = _PyObject_GetAttrId(exc, &PyId___class__);
-    if (type != NULL) {
-        PyObject *name = _PyObject_GetAttrId(type, &PyId___name__);
-        Py_DECREF(type);
-        if (name != NULL) {
-            PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError,
-                         "don't know how to handle %S in error callback", name);
-            Py_DECREF(name);
-        }
-    }
+    PyErr_Format(PyExc_TypeError,
+                 "don't know how to handle %s in error callback",
+                 exc->ob_type->tp_name);
 }
 
 PyObject *PyCodec_StrictErrors(PyObject *exc)
@@ -689,15 +680,24 @@ PyObject *PyCodec_StrictErrors(PyObject 
 PyObject *PyCodec_IgnoreErrors(PyObject *exc)
 {
     Py_ssize_t end;
-    if (PyObject_IsInstance(exc, PyExc_UnicodeEncodeError)) {
+    PyObject *cls = (PyObject *)exc->ob_type;
+    int rc;
+
+    if ((rc = PyObject_IsSubclass(cls, PyExc_UnicodeEncodeError))) {
+        if (rc < 0)
+            return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetEnd(exc, &end))
             return NULL;
     }
-    else if (PyObject_IsInstance(exc, PyExc_UnicodeDecodeError)) {
+    else if ((rc = PyObject_IsSubclass(cls, PyExc_UnicodeDecodeError))) {
+        if (rc < 0)
+            return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeDecodeError_GetEnd(exc, &end))
             return NULL;
     }
-    else if (PyObject_IsInstance(exc, PyExc_UnicodeTranslateError)) {
+    else if ((rc = PyObject_IsSubclass(cls, PyExc_UnicodeTranslateError))) {
+        if (rc < 0)
+            return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeTranslateError_GetEnd(exc, &end))
             return NULL;
     }
@@ -712,11 +712,15 @@ PyObject *PyCodec_IgnoreErrors(PyObject 
 PyObject *PyCodec_ReplaceErrors(PyObject *exc)
 {
     Py_ssize_t start, end, i, len;
+    PyObject *cls = (PyObject *)exc->ob_type;
+    int rc;
 
-    if (PyObject_IsInstance(exc, PyExc_UnicodeEncodeError)) {
+    if ((rc = PyObject_IsSubclass(cls, PyExc_UnicodeEncodeError))) {
         PyObject *res;
         int kind;
         void *data;
+        if (rc < 0)
+            return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetStart(exc, &start))
             return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetEnd(exc, &end))
@@ -732,17 +736,21 @@ PyObject *PyCodec_ReplaceErrors(PyObject
         assert(_PyUnicode_CheckConsistency(res, 1));
         return Py_BuildValue("(Nn)", res, end);
     }
-    else if (PyObject_IsInstance(exc, PyExc_UnicodeDecodeError)) {
+    else if ((rc = PyObject_IsSubclass(cls, PyExc_UnicodeDecodeError))) {
+        if (rc < 0)
+            return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeDecodeError_GetEnd(exc, &end))
             return NULL;
         return Py_BuildValue("(Cn)",
                              (int)Py_UNICODE_REPLACEMENT_CHARACTER,
                              end);
     }
-    else if (PyObject_IsInstance(exc, PyExc_UnicodeTranslateError)) {
+    else if ((rc = PyObject_IsSubclass(cls, PyExc_UnicodeTranslateError))) {
         PyObject *res;
         int kind;
         void *data;
+        if (rc < 0)
+            return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeTranslateError_GetStart(exc, &start))
             return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeTranslateError_GetEnd(exc, &end))
@@ -766,7 +774,10 @@ PyObject *PyCodec_ReplaceErrors(PyObject
 
 PyObject *PyCodec_XMLCharRefReplaceErrors(PyObject *exc)
 {
-    if (PyObject_IsInstance(exc, PyExc_UnicodeEncodeError)) {
+    PyObject *cls = (PyObject *)exc->ob_type;
+    int rc;
+
+    if ((rc = PyObject_IsSubclass(cls, PyExc_UnicodeEncodeError))) {
         PyObject *restuple;
         PyObject *object;
         Py_ssize_t i;
@@ -776,6 +787,8 @@ PyObject *PyCodec_XMLCharRefReplaceError
         unsigned char *outp;
         Py_ssize_t ressize;
         Py_UCS4 ch;
+        if (rc < 0)
+            return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetStart(exc, &start))
             return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetEnd(exc, &end))
@@ -872,9 +885,13 @@ PyObject *PyCodec_BackslashReplaceErrors
     unsigned char *outp;
     int ressize;
     Py_UCS4 c;
+    PyObject *cls = (PyObject *)exc->ob_type;
+    int rc;
 
-    if (PyObject_IsInstance(exc, PyExc_UnicodeDecodeError)) {
+    if ((rc = PyObject_IsSubclass(cls, PyExc_UnicodeDecodeError))) {
         unsigned char *p;
+        if (rc < 0)
+            return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeDecodeError_GetStart(exc, &start))
             return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeDecodeError_GetEnd(exc, &end))
@@ -903,7 +920,9 @@ PyObject *PyCodec_BackslashReplaceErrors
         Py_DECREF(object);
         return Py_BuildValue("(Nn)", res, end);
     }
-    if (PyObject_IsInstance(exc, PyExc_UnicodeEncodeError)) {
+    if ((rc = PyObject_IsSubclass(cls, PyExc_UnicodeEncodeError))) {
+        if (rc < 0)
+            return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetStart(exc, &start))
             return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetEnd(exc, &end))
@@ -911,7 +930,9 @@ PyObject *PyCodec_BackslashReplaceErrors
         if (!(object = PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetObject(exc)))
             return NULL;
     }
-    else if (PyObject_IsInstance(exc, PyExc_UnicodeTranslateError)) {
+    else if ((rc = PyObject_IsSubclass(cls, PyExc_UnicodeTranslateError))) {
+        if (rc < 0)
+            return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeTranslateError_GetStart(exc, &start))
             return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeTranslateError_GetEnd(exc, &end))
@@ -977,7 +998,10 @@ static int ucnhash_initialized = 0;
 
 PyObject *PyCodec_NameReplaceErrors(PyObject *exc)
 {
-    if (PyObject_IsInstance(exc, PyExc_UnicodeEncodeError)) {
+    PyObject *cls = (PyObject *)exc->ob_type;
+    int rc;
+
+    if ((rc = PyObject_IsSubclass(cls, PyExc_UnicodeEncodeError))) {
         PyObject *restuple;
         PyObject *object;
         Py_ssize_t i;
@@ -989,6 +1013,8 @@ PyObject *PyCodec_NameReplaceErrors(PyOb
         int replsize;
         Py_UCS4 c;
         char buffer[256]; /* NAME_MAXLEN */
+        if (rc < 0)
+            return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetStart(exc, &start))
             return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetEnd(exc, &end))
@@ -1150,8 +1176,13 @@ PyCodec_SurrogatePassErrors(PyObject *ex
     Py_ssize_t start;
     Py_ssize_t end;
     PyObject *res;
-    if (PyObject_IsInstance(exc, PyExc_UnicodeEncodeError)) {
+    PyObject *cls = (PyObject *)exc->ob_type;
+    int rc;
+
+    if ((rc = PyObject_IsSubclass(cls, PyExc_UnicodeEncodeError))) {
         unsigned char *outp;
+        if (rc < 0)
+            return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetStart(exc, &start))
             return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetEnd(exc, &end))
@@ -1227,9 +1258,11 @@ PyCodec_SurrogatePassErrors(PyObject *ex
         Py_DECREF(object);
         return restuple;
     }
-    else if (PyObject_IsInstance(exc, PyExc_UnicodeDecodeError)) {
+    else if ((rc = PyObject_IsSubclass(cls, PyExc_UnicodeDecodeError))) {
         unsigned char *p;
         Py_UCS4 ch = 0;
+        if (rc < 0)
+            return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeDecodeError_GetStart(exc, &start))
             return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeDecodeError_GetEnd(exc, &end))
@@ -1312,8 +1345,13 @@ PyCodec_SurrogateEscapeErrors(PyObject *
     Py_ssize_t start;
     Py_ssize_t end;
     PyObject *res;
-    if (PyObject_IsInstance(exc, PyExc_UnicodeEncodeError)) {
+    PyObject *cls = (PyObject *)exc->ob_type;
+    int rc;
+
+    if ((rc = PyObject_IsSubclass(cls, PyExc_UnicodeEncodeError))) {
         char *outp;
+        if (rc < 0)
+            return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetStart(exc, &start))
             return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeEncodeError_GetEnd(exc, &end))
@@ -1343,11 +1381,13 @@ PyCodec_SurrogateEscapeErrors(PyObject *
         Py_DECREF(object);
         return restuple;
     }
-    else if (PyObject_IsInstance(exc, PyExc_UnicodeDecodeError)) {
+    else if ((rc = PyObject_IsSubclass(cls, PyExc_UnicodeDecodeError))) {
         PyObject *str;
         unsigned char *p;
         Py_UCS2 ch[4]; /* decode up to 4 bad bytes. */
         int consumed = 0;
+        if (rc < 0)
+            return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeDecodeError_GetStart(exc, &start))
             return NULL;
         if (PyUnicodeDecodeError_GetEnd(exc, &end))