diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index b051e2067..0172c53ad 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 Changes between 2.0.3 and DEV
 ----------------------------------------------
 
+- fix issue43: improve doctests with better traceback reporting on
+  unexpected exceptions
 - fix issue47: timing output in junitxml for test cases is now correct
 - introduce XXX pytest_configure_funcargs hack (thanks Ronny)
 - env/username expansion for junitxml file path (fixes issue44)
diff --git a/_pytest/doctest.py b/_pytest/doctest.py
index 1378544ba..aaebab78e 100644
--- a/_pytest/doctest.py
+++ b/_pytest/doctest.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class DoctestItem(pytest.Item):
                 inner_excinfo = py.code.ExceptionInfo(excinfo.value.exc_info)
                 lines += ["UNEXPECTED EXCEPTION: %s" %
                             repr(inner_excinfo.value)]
-
+                lines += py.std.traceback.format_exception(*excinfo.value.exc_info)
             return ReprFailDoctest(reprlocation, lines)
         else:
             return super(DoctestItem, self).repr_failure(excinfo)
diff --git a/testing/test_doctest.py b/testing/test_doctest.py
index ed9cca9fd..67dc7fdbf 100644
--- a/testing/test_doctest.py
+++ b/testing/test_doctest.py
@@ -59,6 +59,21 @@ class TestDoctests:
             "*UNEXPECTED*ZeroDivision*",
         ])
 
+    def test_doctest_unex_importerror(self, testdir):
+        testdir.tmpdir.join("hello.py").write(py.code.Source("""
+            import asdalsdkjaslkdjasd
+        """))
+        p = testdir.maketxtfile("""
+            >>> import hello
+            >>>
+        """)
+        result = testdir.runpytest("--doctest-modules")
+        result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
+            "*>>> import hello",
+            "*UNEXPECTED*ImportError*",
+            "*import asdals*",
+        ])
+
     def test_doctestmodule(self, testdir):
         p = testdir.makepyfile("""
             '''