diff --git a/spikefn.py b/spikefn.py
index cfd6093da..9f0acf232 100644
--- a/spikefn.py
+++ b/spikefn.py
@@ -153,14 +153,7 @@ def get_times (self, gid, s_all):
 
   def __get_extinput_times (self, fspk):
     # load all spike times from file
-    s_all = []
-    try:
-      s_all = np.loadtxt(open(fspk, 'rb'))
-    except OSError:
-      print('Warning: could not read file:', fspk)
-    except ValueError:
-      print('Warning: error reading data from:', fspk)
-
+    s_all = np.loadtxt(open(fspk, 'rb'))
     if len(s_all) == 0:
       # couldn't read spike times
       raise ValueError
diff --git a/visrast.py b/visrast.py
index 38a8041cf..49cbbee7c 100644
--- a/visrast.py
+++ b/visrast.py
@@ -49,11 +49,7 @@
     PoissonInputs = paramrw.usingPoissonInputs(paramf)
     outparamf = os.path.join(dconf['datdir'],paramf.split('.param')[0].split(os.path.sep)[-1],'param.txt')
 
-try:
-  extinputs = spikefn.ExtInputs(spkpath, outparamf)
-except ValueError:
-  print("Error: could not load spike timings from %s" % spkpath)
-
+extinputs = spikefn.ExtInputs(spkpath, outparamf)
 extinputs.add_delay_times()
 
 alldat = {}