diff --git a/elasticsearch/serializer.py b/elasticsearch/serializer.py
index 394bc798..0209b948 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/serializer.py
+++ b/elasticsearch/serializer.py
@@ -12,13 +12,13 @@ class JSONSerializer(object):
     def loads(self, s):
         try:
             return json.loads(s)
-        except ValueError as e:
+        except (ValueError, TypeError) as e:
             raise SerializationError(e)
 
     def dumps(self, data):
         try:
             return json.dumps(data, default=self.default)
-        except ValueError as e:
+        except (ValueError, TypeError) as e:
             raise SerializationError(e)
 
 
diff --git a/test_elasticsearch/test_serializer.py b/test_elasticsearch/test_serializer.py
index 3727c5c9..d994ce67 100644
--- a/test_elasticsearch/test_serializer.py
+++ b/test_elasticsearch/test_serializer.py
@@ -2,7 +2,16 @@ from datetime import datetime
 from unittest import TestCase
 
 from elasticsearch.serializer import JSONSerializer
+from elasticsearch.exceptions import SerializationError
 
 class TestJSONSerializer(TestCase):
     def test_datetime_serialization(self):
         self.assertEquals(u'{"d": "2010-10-01T02:30:00"}', JSONSerializer().dumps({'d': datetime(2010, 10, 1, 2, 30)}))
+
+    def test_raises_serialization_error_on_dump_error(self):
+        self.assertRaises(SerializationError, JSONSerializer().dumps, object())
+
+    def test_raises_serialization_error_on_load_error(self):
+        self.assertRaises(SerializationError, JSONSerializer().loads, object())
+        self.assertRaises(SerializationError, JSONSerializer().loads, '')
+        self.assertRaises(SerializationError, JSONSerializer().loads, '{{')