diff --git a/Codec/Image/STB.hs b/Codec/Image/STB.hs
--- a/Codec/Image/STB.hs
+++ b/Codec/Image/STB.hs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 
 --
 -- Module      : Codec.Image.STB
--- Version     : 0.1.1
+-- Version     : 0.1.2
 -- License     : Public Domain
 -- Author      : Balazs Komuves
 -- Maintainer  : bkomuves (plus) hackage (at) gmail (dot) com
@@ -137,17 +137,17 @@
         let imgptr = fromForeignPtr fr 0 (xres*yres*comp)
         return $ Right $ Image imgptr (xres,yres) comp
 
-#ifdef STBIMAGE_NEW_EXCEPTIONS
+#if (BASE_MAJOR_VERSION >= 4)
 
 -- base >=4 
 ioHandler :: IOException -> IO (Either String a)
-ioHandler ioerror = return $ Left $ ioeGetErrorString ioerror
+ioHandler ioerror = return $ Left $ "IO error: " ++ ioeGetErrorString ioerror
 
 #else
 
 -- base <=3
 ioHandler :: Exception -> IO (Either String a)
-ioHandler (IOException ioerror) = return $ Left $ ioeGetErrorString ioerror
+ioHandler (IOException ioerror) = return $ Left $ "IO error: " ++ ioeGetErrorString ioerror
 ioHandler _ = return $ Left "Unknown error"
 
 #endif
diff --git a/Setup.lhs b/Setup.lhs
--- a/Setup.lhs
+++ b/Setup.lhs
@@ -1,4 +1,48 @@
-#! /usr/bin/env runhaskell
- 
-> import Distribution.Simple
-> main = defaultMain
+#! /usr/bin/env runhaskell
+> 
+> {-# LANGUAGE FlexibleInstances #-}
+>
+> import Control.Monad
+> import Data.Maybe
+> import Data.List
+> import Data.Version
+> import Distribution.Simple
+> import Distribution.Simple.LocalBuildInfo
+> import Distribution.Simple.Configure
+> import Distribution.Simple.Setup
+> import Distribution.Package
+> import Distribution.PackageDescription
+> import Distribution.Text
+> import Text.PrettyPrint.HughesPJ
+>	
+> -- for Cabal 1.4 compatibility
+> instance Text [Char] where
+>   parse = undefined
+>   disp = text
+>
+> addToBuildInfo opts binfo = binfo { cppOptions = cppOptions binfo ++ opts }
+> addToLibrary opts lib     = lib { libBuildInfo = addToBuildInfo opts (libBuildInfo lib) } 
+> addToExecutable opts exe  = exe { buildInfo    = addToBuildInfo opts (buildInfo    exe) } 
+> addToPkgDesc opts pkgdesc = pkgdesc 
+>   { library     = liftM (addToLibrary    opts) (library     pkgdesc) 
+>   , executables = map   (addToExecutable opts) (executables pkgdesc) 
+>   }
+> addToLocalBuildInfo opts lbinfo = lbinfo 
+>   { localPkgDescr = addToPkgDesc opts (localPkgDescr lbinfo) }
+>
+> -- we detect the base version and add a respective #define 
+> myPostConf args flags pkgdesc locbuildinfo = do
+>   let distPref = fromFlag $ configDistPref flags
+>       deps = packageDeps locbuildinfo
+>       base = fromJust $ find (\pkg -> display (packageName pkg) == "base") deps
+>       ver = versionBranch (pkgVersion base)
+>       major = head ver
+>       opts = [ "-DBASE_MAJOR_VERSION=" ++ show major ]
+>       newlocbuildinfo = addToLocalBuildInfo opts locbuildinfo
+>   putStrLn $ "base version = " ++ concat (intersperse "." $ map show ver)
+>   writePersistBuildConfig distPref newlocbuildinfo
+> 
+> main = do
+>   defaultMainWithHooks $ 
+>     simpleUserHooks { postConf = myPostConf }
+>
diff --git a/stb-image.cabal b/stb-image.cabal
--- a/stb-image.cabal
+++ b/stb-image.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:                stb-image
-Version:             0.1.1
+Version:             0.1.2
 Synopsis:            A wrapper around Sean Barrett's JPEG/PNG decoder
 Description:         Partial implementation of JPEG, PNG, TGA, BMP, PSD decoders,
                      with a really simple API.
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@
 Maintainer:          bkomuves (plus) hackage (at) gmail (dot) com
 Stability:           Experimental
 Category:            Codec
-Tested-With:         GHC == 6.10.1
-Cabal-Version:       >= 1.2
+Tested-With:         GHC == 6.10.1, GHC == 6.8.3 
+Cabal-Version:       >= 1.4
 Build-Type:          Simple
 Extra-Source-Files:  example/viewer.hs
 
@@ -22,11 +22,6 @@
     Build-Depends: base >= 3, bytestring
   else
     Build-Depends: base <  3
-    
-  -- should check the base version instead of the
-  -- compiler version, but i don't know how to do that...
-  if impl(ghc >= 6.10.1)
-    cpp-options:        -DSTBIMAGE_NEW_EXCEPTIONS
     
   Exposed-Modules:     Codec.Image.STB
   Hs-Source-Dirs:      .