diff --git a/src/ejabberd_config.erl b/src/ejabberd_config.erl
index bfb4192fd..0c1fad63f 100644
--- a/src/ejabberd_config.erl
+++ b/src/ejabberd_config.erl
@@ -1542,11 +1542,12 @@ cache_life_time(Host) ->
 -spec recompile_options() -> ok.
 recompile_options() ->
     Exprs = get_exprs(),
-    try compile_exprs(Exprs)
-    catch E:R ->
+    case misc:compile_exprs(ejabberd_options, Exprs) of
+	ok -> ok;
+	{error, _} = Err ->
 	    ?CRITICAL_MSG("Failed to compile ejabberd_options:~n~s",
 			  [string:join(Exprs, io_lib:nl())]),
-	    erlang:raise(E, R, erlang:get_stacktrace())
+	    erlang:error(Err)
     end.
 
 -spec get_exprs() -> [string()].
@@ -1576,22 +1577,6 @@ get_exprs() ->
 	       end, "", Opts) ++ "is_known(_) -> false.",
     [Module, Export, Knowns|Funs].
 
--spec compile_exprs([string()]) -> ok.
-compile_exprs(Exprs) ->
-    Forms = lists:map(
-	      fun(Expr) ->
-		      {ok, Tokens, _} = erl_scan:string(lists:flatten(Expr)),
-		      {ok, Form} = erl_parse:parse_form(Tokens),
-		      Form
-	      end, Exprs),
-    {ok, Code} = case compile:forms(Forms, []) of
-		     {ok, ejabberd_options, Bin} -> {ok, Bin};
-		     {ok, ejabberd_options, Bin, _Warnings} -> {ok, Bin};
-		     Error -> Error
-		 end,
-    {module, _} = code:load_binary(ejabberd_options, "nofile", Code),
-    ok.
-
 %% @doc This is only for debugging purposes, likely to report a bug
 -spec dump() -> ok.
 dump() ->
diff --git a/src/misc.erl b/src/misc.erl
index ee16882b6..99612b77d 100644
--- a/src/misc.erl
+++ b/src/misc.erl
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 	 hex_to_bin/1, hex_to_base64/1, expand_keyword/3,
 	 atom_to_binary/1, binary_to_atom/1, tuple_to_binary/1,
 	 l2i/1, i2l/1, i2l/2, expr_to_term/1, term_to_expr/1,
-	 encode_pid/1, decode_pid/2]).
+	 encode_pid/1, decode_pid/2, compile_exprs/2]).
 
 %%%===================================================================
 %%% API
@@ -213,6 +213,30 @@ decode_pid(PidBin, NodeBin) ->
 	    end
     end.
 
+-spec compile_exprs(module(), [string()]) -> ok | {error, any()}.
+compile_exprs(Mod, Exprs) ->
+    try
+	Forms = lists:map(
+		  fun(Expr) ->
+			  {ok, Tokens, _} = erl_scan:string(lists:flatten(Expr)),
+			  {ok, Form} = erl_parse:parse_form(Tokens),
+			  Form
+		  end, Exprs),
+	{ok, Code} = case compile:forms(Forms, []) of
+			 {ok, Mod, Bin} -> {ok, Bin};
+			 {ok, Mod, Bin, _Warnings} -> {ok, Bin};
+			 Error -> Error
+		     end,
+	{module, Mod} = code:load_binary(Mod, "nofile", Code),
+	ok
+    catch _:{badmatch, {error, ErrInfo, _ErrLocation}} ->
+	    {error, ErrInfo};
+	  _:{badmatch, {error, _} = Err} ->
+	    Err;
+	  _:{badmatch, error} ->
+	    {error, compile_failed}
+    end.
+
 %%%===================================================================
 %%% Internal functions
 %%%===================================================================