diff --git a/Text/XML/Cursor.hs b/Text/XML/Cursor.hs
--- a/Text/XML/Cursor.hs
+++ b/Text/XML/Cursor.hs
@@ -58,10 +58,11 @@
     , forceM
     ) where
 
+import           Control.Exception            (Exception)
 import           Control.Monad
 import           Data.Function                (on)
 import           Text.XML
-import qualified Control.Failure              as F
+import           Control.Monad.Trans.Resource (MonadThrow, monadThrow)
 import qualified Data.Text                    as T
 import qualified Data.Map                     as Map
 import qualified Text.XML.Cursor.Generic      as CG
@@ -215,10 +216,10 @@
         NodeElement (Element _ as _) -> if Just v == Map.lookup n as then [c] else []
         _ -> []
 
-force :: F.Failure e f => e -> [a] -> f a
-force e [] = F.failure e
+force :: (Exception e, MonadThrow f) => e -> [a] -> f a
+force e [] = monadThrow e
 force _ (x:_) = return x
 
-forceM :: F.Failure e f => e -> [f a] -> f a
-forceM e [] = F.failure e
+forceM :: (Exception e, MonadThrow f) => e -> [f a] -> f a
+forceM e [] = monadThrow e
 forceM _ (x:_) = x
diff --git a/test/main.hs b/test/main.hs
--- a/test/main.hs
+++ b/test/main.hs
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE DeriveDataTypeable #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE QuasiQuotes #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE TemplateHaskell #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
 
+import           Control.Exception            (Exception)
 import           Control.Monad.IO.Class       (liftIO)
+import           Data.Typeable                (Typeable)
 import           Data.XML.Types
 import           Test.HUnit                   hiding (Test)
 import           Test.Hspec
@@ -301,13 +304,17 @@
   (cursor $/ Cu.element "bar2" &/ Cu.element "baz2" >=> Cu.attribute "attr") @?= ["y"]
   null (cursor $| Cu.element "foo") @?= False
 cursorForce = do
-  Cu.force () [] @?= (Nothing :: Maybe Integer)
-  Cu.force () [1] @?= Just (1 :: Int)
-  Cu.force () [1,2] @?= Just (1 :: Int)
+  Cu.force DummyEx [] @?= (Nothing :: Maybe Integer)
+  Cu.force DummyEx [1] @?= Just (1 :: Int)
+  Cu.force DummyEx [1,2] @?= Just (1 :: Int)
 cursorForceM = do
-  Cu.forceM () [] @?= (Nothing :: Maybe Integer)
-  Cu.forceM () [Just 1, Nothing] @?= Just (1 :: Int)
-  Cu.forceM () [Nothing, Just (1 :: Int)] @?= Nothing
+  Cu.forceM DummyEx [] @?= (Nothing :: Maybe Integer)
+  Cu.forceM DummyEx [Just 1, Nothing] @?= Just (1 :: Int)
+  Cu.forceM DummyEx [Nothing, Just (1 :: Int)] @?= Nothing
+
+data DummyEx = DummyEx
+    deriving (Show, Typeable)
+instance Exception DummyEx
 
 showEq :: (Show a, Show b) => Either a b -> Either a b -> Assertion
 showEq x y = show x @=? show y
diff --git a/xml-conduit.cabal b/xml-conduit.cabal
--- a/xml-conduit.cabal
+++ b/xml-conduit.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:            xml-conduit
-version:         1.1.0.9
+version:         1.2.0
 license:         BSD3
 license-file:    LICENSE
 author:          Michael Snoyman <michaels@suite-sol.com>, Aristid Breitkreuz <aristidb@googlemail.com>
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
                    , attoparsec                >= 0.10
                    , blaze-builder             >= 0.2      && < 0.4
                    , transformers              >= 0.2      && < 0.4
-                   , failure                   >= 0.1      && < 0.3
                    , data-default
                    , system-filepath           >= 0.4      && < 0.5
                    , monad-control             >= 0.3      && < 0.4