diff --git a/lib/csslib.php b/lib/csslib.php
index 379ce16bd70..0995948714d 100644
--- a/lib/csslib.php
+++ b/lib/csslib.php
@@ -198,6 +198,10 @@ function css_send_css_not_found() {
 function css_minify_css($files) {
     global $CFG;
 
+    if (empty($files)) {
+        return '';
+    }
+
     set_include_path($CFG->libdir . '/minify/lib' . PATH_SEPARATOR . get_include_path());
     require_once('Minify.php');
 
@@ -220,8 +224,31 @@ function css_minify_css($files) {
         // This returns the CSS rather than echoing it for display
         'quiet' => true
     );
-    $result = Minify::serve('Files', $options);
-    return $result['content'];
+
+    $error = 'unknown';
+    try {
+        $result = Minify::serve('Files', $options);
+        if ($result['success']) {
+            return $result['content'];
+        }
+    } catch (Exception $e) {
+        $error = $e->getMessage();
+        $error = str_replace("\r", ' ', $error);
+        $error = str_replace("\n", ' ', $error);
+    }
+
+    // minification failed - try to inform the theme developer and include the non-minified version
+    $css = <<<EOD
+/* Error: $error */
+/* Problem detected during theme CSS minimisation, please review the following code */
+/* ================================================================================ */
+
+
+EOD;
+    foreach ($files as $cssfile) {
+        $css .= file_get_contents($cssfile)."\n";
+    }
+    return $css;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/javascript.php b/lib/javascript.php
index 02ab49a7f87..8bf03676107 100644
--- a/lib/javascript.php
+++ b/lib/javascript.php
@@ -85,6 +85,27 @@ function minify($files) {
         'files' => $files
     );
 
-    Minify::serve('Files', $options);
-    die();
+    try {
+        Minify::serve('Files', $options);
+        die();
+    } catch (Exception $e) {
+        $error = $e->getMessage();
+        $error = str_replace("\r", ' ', $error);
+        $error = str_replace("\n", ' ', $error);
+    }
+
+    // minification failed - try to inform the developer and include the non-minified version
+    $js = <<<EOD
+try {console.log('Error: Minimisation of javascript failed!');} catch (e) {}
+
+// Error: $error
+// Problem detected during javascript minimisation, please review the following code
+// =================================================================================
+
+
+EOD;
+    echo $js;
+    foreach ($files as $jsfile) {
+        echo file_get_contents($jsfile)."\n";
+    }
 }
diff --git a/theme/javascript.php b/theme/javascript.php
index 3ebba8bb191..6f7ebadc8be 100644
--- a/theme/javascript.php
+++ b/theme/javascript.php
@@ -130,6 +130,10 @@ function send_uncached_js($js) {
 }
 
 function minify($files) {
+    if (empty($files)) {
+        return '';
+    }
+
     if (0 === stripos(PHP_OS, 'win')) {
         Minify::setDocRoot(); // IIS may need help
     }
@@ -150,6 +154,30 @@ function minify($files) {
         'quiet' => true
     );
 
-    $result = Minify::serve('Files', $options);
-    return $result['content'];
+    $error = 'unknown';
+    try {
+        $result = Minify::serve('Files', $options);
+        if ($result['success']) {
+            return $result['content'];
+        }
+    } catch (Exception $e) {
+        $error = $e->getMessage();
+        $error = str_replace("\r", ' ', $error);
+        $error = str_replace("\n", ' ', $error);
+    }
+
+    // minification failed - try to inform the theme developer and include the non-minified version
+    $js = <<<EOD
+try {console.log('Error: Minimisation of theme javascript failed!');} catch (e) {}
+
+// Error: $error
+// Problem detected during javascript minimisation, please review the following code
+// =================================================================================
+
+
+EOD;
+    foreach ($files as $jsfile) {
+        $js .= file_get_contents($jsfile)."\n";
+    }
+    return $js;
 }