diff --git a/meshmode/__init__.py b/meshmode/__init__.py
index 1c38d87894841834007489ac2a4eea5175ba1428..9512b4a25aec6e3450e0a0bd2fc7ecc72452ca41 100644
--- a/meshmode/__init__.py
+++ b/meshmode/__init__.py
@@ -26,8 +26,11 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
 __doc__ = """
 .. exception:: Error
 .. exception:: DataUnavailable
+.. exception:: FileExistsError
 """
 
+import six
+
 
 class Error(RuntimeError):
     pass
@@ -35,3 +38,10 @@ class Error(RuntimeError):
 
 class DataUnavailable(Error):
     pass
+
+
+if six.PY3:
+    from builtins import FileExistsError
+else:
+    class FileExistsError(OSError):
+        pass
diff --git a/meshmode/discretization/visualization.py b/meshmode/discretization/visualization.py
index 72abb0475facfa548f901cd0e77d607ddfa0a03d..2352081e6555fc9dd2b63b69c81d870c7f9e103d 100644
--- a/meshmode/discretization/visualization.py
+++ b/meshmode/discretization/visualization.py
@@ -336,11 +336,12 @@ class Visualizer(object):
                 vector_format=VF_LIST_OF_COMPONENTS))
 
         import os
+        from meshmode import FileExistsError
         if os.path.exists(file_name):
             if overwrite:
                 os.remove(file_name)
             else:
-                raise RuntimeError("output file '%s' already exists" % file_name)
+                raise FileExistsError("output file '%s' already exists" % file_name)
 
         with open(file_name, "w") as outf:
             AppendedDataXMLGenerator(compressor)(grid).write(outf)
@@ -437,11 +438,12 @@ def write_nodal_adjacency_vtk_file(file_name, mesh,
                 dtype=np.uint8))
 
     import os
+    from meshmode import FileExistsError
     if os.path.exists(file_name):
         if overwrite:
             os.remove(file_name)
         else:
-            raise RuntimeError("output file '%s' already exists" % file_name)
+            raise FileExistsError("output file '%s' already exists" % file_name)
 
     with open(file_name, "w") as outf:
         AppendedDataXMLGenerator(compressor)(grid).write(outf)
diff --git a/meshmode/mesh/visualization.py b/meshmode/mesh/visualization.py
index d9191c577e7448a192b0713fe440e6462a575015..53da2663ca76b5499456279a4cabb45cc963141c 100644
--- a/meshmode/mesh/visualization.py
+++ b/meshmode/mesh/visualization.py
@@ -226,11 +226,12 @@ def write_vertex_vtk_file(mesh, file_name,
             cell_types=cell_types)
 
     import os
+    from meshmode import FileExistsError
     if os.path.exists(file_name):
         if overwrite:
             os.remove(file_name)
         else:
-            raise RuntimeError("output file '%s' already exists" % file_name)
+            raise FileExistsError("output file '%s' already exists" % file_name)
 
     with open(file_name, "w") as outf:
         AppendedDataXMLGenerator(compressor)(grid).write(outf)
diff --git a/test/test_meshmode.py b/test/test_meshmode.py
index 05bbe5ad1f6bf0fa80e12ebbca4ba457ad39c044..e97d8efa036f378272b7f94588f1e867265d9a35 100644
--- a/test/test_meshmode.py
+++ b/test/test_meshmode.py
@@ -1045,28 +1045,19 @@ def test_vtk_overwrite(ctx_getter):
 
     def _try_write_vtk(writer, obj):
         import os
+        from meshmode import FileExistsError
+
         filename = "test_vtk_overwrite.vtu"
         if os.path.exists(filename):
             os.remove(filename)
 
         writer(filename, [])
-        try:
+        with pytest.raises(FileExistsError):
             writer(filename, [])
-            runtime_error = False
-        except RuntimeError:
-            print("file cannot be overwritten")
-            runtime_error = True
-        assert runtime_error
-
-        try:
-            writer(filename, [], overwrite=True)
-            print("file overwritten")
-            runtime_error = False
-        except RuntimeError:
-            runtime_error = True
-        assert not runtime_error
-
-        os.remove(filename)
+
+        writer(filename, [], overwrite=True)
+        if os.path.exists(filename):
+            os.remove(filename)
 
     ctx = ctx_getter()
     queue = cl.CommandQueue(ctx)