diff --git a/components/formats-bsd/src/loci/formats/in/TileJPEGReader.java b/components/formats-bsd/src/loci/formats/in/TileJPEGReader.java
index a70cb2f9153..db02888542c 100644
--- a/components/formats-bsd/src/loci/formats/in/TileJPEGReader.java
+++ b/components/formats-bsd/src/loci/formats/in/TileJPEGReader.java
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ public void reopenFile() throws IOException {
       service = null;
       throw new IOException("Could not initialize JPEG service", se);
     }
+    if (!service.isLibraryLoaded()) throw new IOException("JPEG service failed to load Turbo JPEG library");
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/components/formats-bsd/src/loci/formats/services/JPEGTurboService.java b/components/formats-bsd/src/loci/formats/services/JPEGTurboService.java
index dfdd4229432..85570cbaf2c 100644
--- a/components/formats-bsd/src/loci/formats/services/JPEGTurboService.java
+++ b/components/formats-bsd/src/loci/formats/services/JPEGTurboService.java
@@ -58,5 +58,7 @@ byte[] getTile(byte[] buf, int xCoordinate, int yCoordinate, int width,
   byte[] getTile(int xTile, int yTile) throws IOException;
 
   void close() throws IOException;
+  
+  boolean isLibraryLoaded();
 
 }
diff --git a/components/formats-bsd/src/loci/formats/services/JPEGTurboServiceImpl.java b/components/formats-bsd/src/loci/formats/services/JPEGTurboServiceImpl.java
index 3231da2686b..cbe0e2033e3 100644
--- a/components/formats-bsd/src/loci/formats/services/JPEGTurboServiceImpl.java
+++ b/components/formats-bsd/src/loci/formats/services/JPEGTurboServiceImpl.java
@@ -106,9 +106,6 @@ public JPEGTurboServiceImpl() {
     logger.setLevel(Level.SEVERE);
     if (!libraryLoaded) {
       libraryLoaded = NativeLibraryUtil.loadNativeLibrary(TJ.class, "turbojpeg");
-      if (!libraryLoaded) {
-        throw new RuntimeException("TurboJPEG could not be loaded");
-      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -383,6 +380,11 @@ public void close() throws IOException {
     header = null;
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public boolean isLibraryLoaded() {
+    return libraryLoaded;
+  }
+
   // -- Helper methods --
 
   private byte[] getFixedHeader() throws IOException {
diff --git a/components/formats-gpl/src/loci/formats/in/HamamatsuVMSReader.java b/components/formats-gpl/src/loci/formats/in/HamamatsuVMSReader.java
index 34fa3c0d0a8..d54ecbeeba7 100644
--- a/components/formats-gpl/src/loci/formats/in/HamamatsuVMSReader.java
+++ b/components/formats-gpl/src/loci/formats/in/HamamatsuVMSReader.java
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ public byte[] openBytes(int no, byte[] buf, int x, int y, int w, int h)
 
     if (service == null) {
       service = new JPEGTurboServiceImpl();
+      if (!service.isLibraryLoaded()) throw new IOException("JPEG service failed to load Turbo JPEG library");
     }
 
     try {
diff --git a/components/formats-gpl/src/loci/formats/in/NDPIReader.java b/components/formats-gpl/src/loci/formats/in/NDPIReader.java
index 6da4236d697..32fc44d20df 100644
--- a/components/formats-gpl/src/loci/formats/in/NDPIReader.java
+++ b/components/formats-gpl/src/loci/formats/in/NDPIReader.java
@@ -329,6 +329,7 @@ public int getOptimalTileHeight() {
   /* @see loci.formats.FormatReader#initFile(String) */
   @Override
   protected void initFile(String id) throws FormatException, IOException {
+    if (!service.isLibraryLoaded()) throw new IOException("JPEG service failed to load Turbo JPEG library");
     RandomAccessInputStream s = new RandomAccessInputStream(id);
     use64Bit = s.length() >= Math.pow(2, 32);
     s.close();