diff --git a/sumpy/expansion/level_to_order.py b/sumpy/expansion/level_to_order.py
index 249acee2dcbf09ec8b7bd7b2ae890792950dd801..b0e4ef26538fddff804b0cf48266f80734f7d9e0 100644
--- a/sumpy/expansion/level_to_order.py
+++ b/sumpy/expansion/level_to_order.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def h2d_level_to_order_lookup(tree, helmholtz_k, epsilon):
     for level in range(tree.nlevels):
         nterms, ier = h2dterms(bbox_area / 2 ** level, helmholtz_k, epsilon)
         if ier != 0:
-            raise ValueError(
+            raise RuntimeError(
                 "h2dterms returned error code {ier}".format(ier=ier))
         orders[level] = nterms
 
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ def l2d_level_to_order_lookup(tree, epsilon):
     from pyfmmlib import l2dterms
     nterms, ier = l2dterms(epsilon)
     if ier != 0:
-        raise ValueError(
+        raise RuntimeError(
             "l2dterms returned error code {ier}".format(ier=ier))
 
     orders = np.empty(tree.nlevels, dtype=int)