diff --git a/devsetup.cpp b/devsetup.cpp
index efdcdfbb0..9faa4c482 100644
--- a/devsetup.cpp
+++ b/devsetup.cpp
@@ -414,7 +414,12 @@ void DevSetup::on_testCATButton_clicked()
     delete rig;
     m_bRigOpen=false;
   }
-  rig = new Rig(m_rig);
+  rig = new Rig();
+  if (!rig->init(m_rig)) {
+      msgBox("Rig init failure");
+      return;
+  }
+
   rig->setConf("rig_pathname", m_catPort.toAscii().data());
   char buf[80];
   sprintf(buf,"%d",m_serialRate);
diff --git a/mainwindow.cpp b/mainwindow.cpp
index a736ca533..d47a73202 100644
--- a/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -2762,7 +2762,12 @@ void MainWindow::rigOpen()
   QString t;
   int ret;
 
-  rig = new Rig(m_rig);
+  rig = new Rig();
+  if (!rig->init(m_rig)) {
+      msgBox("Rig init failure");
+      return;
+  }
+
   rig->setConf("rig_pathname", m_catPort.toAscii().data());
   char buf[80];
   sprintf(buf,"%d",m_serialRate);
diff --git a/rigclass.cpp b/rigclass.cpp
index 87e8cd8e1..424c4f122 100644
--- a/rigclass.cpp
+++ b/rigclass.cpp
@@ -48,16 +48,9 @@ static int hamlibpp_freq_event(RIG *rig, vfo_t vfo, freq_t freq, rig_ptr_t arg)
   return ((Rig*)rig->state.obj)->FreqEvent(vfo, freq, arg);
 }
 
-Rig::Rig(rig_model_t rig_model) {
+Rig::Rig()
+{
   rig_set_debug_level( RIG_DEBUG_WARN);
-
-  theRig = rig_init(rig_model);
-  if (!theRig)
-    THROW(new RigException ("Rig initialization error"));
-
-  caps = theRig->caps;
-  theRig->callbacks.freq_event = &hamlibpp_freq_event;
-  theRig->state.obj = (rig_ptr_t)this;
 }
 
 Rig::~Rig() {
@@ -66,6 +59,23 @@ Rig::~Rig() {
   caps = NULL;
 }
 
+int Rig::init(rig_model_t rig_model)
+{
+    int initOk;
+
+    theRig = rig_init(rig_model);
+    if (!theRig)
+        initOk = false;
+    else
+        initOk = true;
+
+    caps = theRig->caps;
+    theRig->callbacks.freq_event = &hamlibpp_freq_event;
+    theRig->state.obj = (rig_ptr_t)this;
+
+    return initOk;
+}
+
 int Rig::open(void) {
   return rig_open(theRig);
 }
diff --git a/rigclass.h b/rigclass.h
index 295ae5000..3568d2131 100644
--- a/rigclass.h
+++ b/rigclass.h
@@ -32,12 +32,14 @@ private:
 
 protected:
 public:
-  Rig(rig_model_t rig_model);
-
+  Rig();
   virtual ~Rig();
 
   const struct rig_caps *caps;
 
+  // Initialize rig
+  int init(rig_model_t rig_model);
+
   // This method open the communication port to the rig
   int open(void);
 
@@ -73,110 +75,7 @@ public:
   virtual int DCDEvent(vfo_t, dcd_t, rig_ptr_t) const {
 		  return RIG_OK;
   }
-
-
 };
 
 
-
-#ifdef __GNUG__
-#  if ((__GNUG__ <= 2) && (__GNUC_MINOR__ < 8))
-#    if HAVE_TYPEINFO
-#      include <typeinfo>
-#    endif
-#  endif
-#endif
-
-#if defined(__GNUG__)
-#  if HAVE_BUILTIN_H || HAVE_GXX_BUILTIN_H || HAVE_GPP_BUILTIN_H
-#    if ETIP_NEEDS_MATH_H
-#      if ETIP_NEEDS_MATH_EXCEPTION
-#        undef exception
-#        define exception math_exception
-#      endif
-#      include <math.h>
-#    endif
-#    undef exception
-#    define exception builtin_exception
-#    if HAVE_GPP_BUILTIN_H
-#     include <gpp/builtin.h>
-#    elif HAVE_GXX_BUILTIN_H
-#     include <g++/builtin.h>
-#    else
-#     include <builtin.h>
-#    endif
-#    undef exception
-#  endif
-#elif defined (__SUNPRO_CC)
-#  include <generic.h>
-#  include <string.h>
-#else
-#  include <string.h>
-#endif
-
-
-extern "C" {
-#if HAVE_VALUES_H
-#  include <values.h>
-#endif
-
-#include <assert.h>
-#include <errno.h>
-}
-
-#include <iostream>
-#if !(defined(__GNUG__)||defined(__SUNPRO_CC))
-   extern "C" void exit(int);
-#endif
-
-// Forward Declarations
-
-class BACKEND_IMPEXP RigException
-{
-public:
-  const char *message;
-  int errorno;
-
-  RigException (const char* msg, int err)
-    : message(msg), errorno (err)
-    {};
-
-  RigException (int err)
-    : message(rigerror(err)), errorno (err)
-    {};
-
-  RigException (const char* msg)
-    : message(msg), errorno (-RIG_EINTERNAL)
-    {};
-
-  virtual ~RigException()
-    {};
-
-  void print() const {
-	  std::cerr << "Rig exception: " << message << std::endl;
-  }
-  virtual const char *classname() const {
-    return "Rig";
-  }
-};
-
-inline void THROW(const RigException *e) {
-#if defined(__GNUG__)
-#  if ((__GNUG__ <= 2) && (__GNUC_MINOR__ < 8))
-      (*lib_error_handler)(e?e->classname():"",e?e->message:"");
-#else
-      throw *e;
-#endif
-#elif defined(__SUNPRO_CC)
-  genericerror(1, ((e != 0) ? (char *)(e->message) : ""));
-#else
-  if (e)
-    std::cerr << e->message << endl;
-  exit(0);
-#endif
-}
-
-#define THROWS(s)
-
-
 #endif	// _RIGCLASS_H