diff --git a/lib/datalib.php b/lib/datalib.php
index 285729c23c3..88066531899 100644
--- a/lib/datalib.php
+++ b/lib/datalib.php
@@ -1710,7 +1710,7 @@ function add_to_log($courseid, $module, $action, $url='', $info='', $cm=0, $user
 
     try {
         $DB->insert_record_raw('log', $log, false);
-    } catch (dml_write_exception $e) {
+    } catch (dml_exception $e) {
         debugging('Error: Could not insert a new entry to the Moodle log', DEBUG_ALL);
         // MDL-11893, alert $CFG->supportemail if insert into log failed
         if ($CFG->supportemail and empty($CFG->noemailever)) {
diff --git a/lib/ddl/simpletest/testddl.php b/lib/ddl/simpletest/testddl.php
index 7ea1275bbd4..a9377534fc9 100644
--- a/lib/ddl/simpletest/testddl.php
+++ b/lib/ddl/simpletest/testddl.php
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ class ddl_test extends UnitTestCase {
         ob_start(); // hide debug warning
         try {
             $result = $DB->get_records('test_table0');
-        } catch (dml_read_exception $e) {
+        } catch (dml_exception $e) {
             $result = false;
         }
         ob_end_clean();
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ class ddl_test extends UnitTestCase {
         ob_start(); // hide debug warning
         try {
             $result = $DB->get_records('test_table0');
-        } catch (dml_read_exception $e) {
+        } catch (dml_exception $e) {
             $result = false;
         }
         ob_end_clean();
@@ -337,14 +337,14 @@ class ddl_test extends UnitTestCase {
 
         try { // columns cache must be empty, so sentence throw exception
             $columns = $DB->get_columns('test_table0');
-        } catch (dml_read_exception $e) {
+        } catch (dml_exception $e) {
             $columns = false;
         }
         $this->assertFalse($columns);
 
         try { /// throw exception
             $indexes = $DB->get_indexes('test_table0');
-        } catch (dml_read_exception $e) {
+        } catch (dml_exception $e) {
             $indexes = false;
         }
         $this->assertFalse($indexes);
@@ -931,7 +931,7 @@ class ddl_test extends UnitTestCase {
         ob_start(); // hide debug warning
         try {
             $result = $DB->insert_record('test_table_cust0', $record, false);
-        } catch (dml_write_exception $e) {
+        } catch (dml_exception $e) {
             $result = false;
         }
         ob_end_clean();
@@ -953,7 +953,7 @@ class ddl_test extends UnitTestCase {
         ob_start(); // hide debug warning
         try {
             $result = $DB->insert_record('test_table_cust0', $record, false);
-        } catch (dml_write_exception $e) {
+        } catch (dml_exception $e) {
             $result = false;
         }
         ob_end_clean();
@@ -1022,7 +1022,7 @@ class ddl_test extends UnitTestCase {
         ob_start(); // hide debug warning
         try {
             $result = $DB->insert_record('test_table_cust0', $record, false);
-        } catch (dml_write_exception $e) {
+        } catch (dml_exception $e) {
             $result = false;;
         }
         ob_end_clean();
@@ -1644,7 +1644,7 @@ class ddl_test extends UnitTestCase {
 
             $rec = $DB->get_record($tablename, array('id'=>$id));
             $this->assertIdentical($rec->name, $maxstr);
-        } catch (dml_write_exception $e) {
+        } catch (dml_exception $e) {
             if ($DB->get_dbfamily() === 'oracle') {
                 $this->fail('Oracle does not support text fields larger than 4000 bytes, this is not a big problem for mostly ascii based languages');
             } else {
diff --git a/lib/dml/simpletest/testdml.php b/lib/dml/simpletest/testdml.php
index 627c6c14638..802b68f9223 100644
--- a/lib/dml/simpletest/testdml.php
+++ b/lib/dml/simpletest/testdml.php
@@ -905,7 +905,7 @@ class dml_test extends UnitTestCase {
             $DB->execute($sql);
             $this->fail("Expecting an exception, none occurred");
         } catch (Exception $e) {
-            $this->assertTrue($e instanceof dml_write_exception);
+            $this->assertTrue($e instanceof dml_exception);
         }
 
         // update records
@@ -1785,7 +1785,7 @@ class dml_test extends UnitTestCase {
         try {
             $DB->insert_record_raw($tablename, array('xxxxx' => 3, 'onechar' => 'bb'));
             $this->assertFail('Exception expected due to invalid column');
-        } catch (dml_write_exception $ex) {
+        } catch (dml_exception $ex) {
             $this->assertTrue(true);
         }
     }
diff --git a/lib/dmllib.php b/lib/dmllib.php
index 19546aec986..2e5945463b5 100644
--- a/lib/dmllib.php
+++ b/lib/dmllib.php
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ class dml_sessionwait_exception extends dml_exception {
 }
 
 /**
- * DML read exception - triggered by SQL syntax errors, missing tables, etc.
+ * DML read exception - triggered by some SQL syntax errors, etc.
  */
 class dml_read_exception extends dml_exception {
     /** @var string */
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ class dml_missing_record_exception extends dml_exception {
 }
 
 /**
- * DML write exception - triggered by SQL syntax errors, missing tables, etc.
+ * DML write exception - triggered by some SQL syntax errors, etc.
  */
 class dml_write_exception extends dml_exception {
     /** @var string */
diff --git a/lib/setuplib.php b/lib/setuplib.php
index bdb287d50dd..205cd3229e7 100644
--- a/lib/setuplib.php
+++ b/lib/setuplib.php
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ function initialise_cfg() {
                 $CFG->{$name} = $value;
             }
         }
-    } catch (dml_read_exception $e) {
+    } catch (dml_exception $e) {
         // most probably empty db, going to install soon
     }
 }