diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/io/CompressionCodec.scala b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/io/CompressionCodec.scala
index 1ac7f4e448eb..f856890d279f 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/io/CompressionCodec.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/io/CompressionCodec.scala
@@ -21,11 +21,12 @@ import java.io.{InputStream, OutputStream}
 
 import com.ning.compress.lzf.{LZFInputStream, LZFOutputStream}
 import net.jpountz.lz4.{LZ4BlockInputStream, LZ4BlockOutputStream}
-import org.xerial.snappy.{SnappyInputStream, SnappyOutputStream}
+import org.xerial.snappy.{Snappy, SnappyInputStream, SnappyOutputStream}
 
 import org.apache.spark.SparkConf
 import org.apache.spark.annotation.DeveloperApi
 import org.apache.spark.util.Utils
+import org.apache.spark.Logging
 
 /**
  * :: DeveloperApi ::
@@ -44,25 +45,33 @@ trait CompressionCodec {
   def compressedInputStream(s: InputStream): InputStream
 }
 
-
 private[spark] object CompressionCodec {
 
+  private val configKey = "spark.io.compression.codec"
   private val shortCompressionCodecNames = Map(
     "lz4" -> classOf[LZ4CompressionCodec].getName,
     "lzf" -> classOf[LZFCompressionCodec].getName,
     "snappy" -> classOf[SnappyCompressionCodec].getName)
 
   def createCodec(conf: SparkConf): CompressionCodec = {
-    createCodec(conf, conf.get("spark.io.compression.codec", DEFAULT_COMPRESSION_CODEC))
+    createCodec(conf, conf.get(configKey, DEFAULT_COMPRESSION_CODEC))
   }
 
   def createCodec(conf: SparkConf, codecName: String): CompressionCodec = {
     val codecClass = shortCompressionCodecNames.getOrElse(codecName.toLowerCase, codecName)
-    val ctor = Class.forName(codecClass, true, Utils.getContextOrSparkClassLoader)
-      .getConstructor(classOf[SparkConf])
-    ctor.newInstance(conf).asInstanceOf[CompressionCodec]
+    val codec = try {
+      val ctor = Class.forName(codecClass, true, Utils.getContextOrSparkClassLoader)
+        .getConstructor(classOf[SparkConf])
+      Some(ctor.newInstance(conf).asInstanceOf[CompressionCodec])
+    } catch {
+      case e: ClassNotFoundException => None
+      case e: IllegalArgumentException => None
+    }
+    codec.getOrElse(throw new IllegalArgumentException(s"Codec [$codecName] is not available. " +
+      s"Consider setting $configKey=$FALLBACK_COMPRESSION_CODEC"))
   }
 
+  val FALLBACK_COMPRESSION_CODEC = "lzf"
   val DEFAULT_COMPRESSION_CODEC = "snappy"
   val ALL_COMPRESSION_CODECS = shortCompressionCodecNames.values.toSeq
 }
@@ -120,6 +129,12 @@ class LZFCompressionCodec(conf: SparkConf) extends CompressionCodec {
 @DeveloperApi
 class SnappyCompressionCodec(conf: SparkConf) extends CompressionCodec {
 
+  try {
+    Snappy.getNativeLibraryVersion
+  } catch {
+    case e: Error => throw new IllegalArgumentException
+  }
+
   override def compressedOutputStream(s: OutputStream): OutputStream = {
     val blockSize = conf.getInt("spark.io.compression.snappy.block.size", 32768)
     new SnappyOutputStream(s, blockSize)
diff --git a/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/io/CompressionCodecSuite.scala b/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/io/CompressionCodecSuite.scala
index 25be7f25c21b..8c6035fb367f 100644
--- a/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/io/CompressionCodecSuite.scala
+++ b/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/io/CompressionCodecSuite.scala
@@ -85,4 +85,10 @@ class CompressionCodecSuite extends FunSuite {
     assert(codec.getClass === classOf[SnappyCompressionCodec])
     testCodec(codec)
   }
+
+  test("bad compression codec") {
+    intercept[IllegalArgumentException] {
+      CompressionCodec.createCodec(conf, "foobar")
+    }
+  }
 }