diff --git a/examples/errors_exception_direct.php b/examples/errors_exception_direct.php
index 5a42255..1c5d447 100644
--- a/examples/errors_exception_direct.php
+++ b/examples/errors_exception_direct.php
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
  * @note previous exceptions will be added as well
  * @note exceptions only output file, line, trace if the display_errors directive is true
  *       you can tune it with that, or by setting jsonapi\base::$debug to false
- * @note echo'ing the exception has the same effect as using ->send_response()
  */
 
 try {
@@ -22,7 +21,6 @@
 	$about_link = 'www.example.com/search';
 	throw new jsonapi\exception('unknown user', $http_status, $previous=null, $friendly_message, $about_link);
 }
-catch (Exception $e) {
-	echo $e;
-	exit;
+catch (jsonapi\exception $e) {
+	$e->send_response();
 }
diff --git a/src/exception.php b/src/exception.php
index d1f5468..b60a410 100644
--- a/src/exception.php
+++ b/src/exception.php
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ class exception extends \Exception {
  *                                    i.e. a link to the api documentation
  */
 public function __construct($message='', $code=0, $previous=null, $friendly_message=null, $about_link=null) {
+	// exception is the only class not extending base
+	new base();
+	
 	parent::__construct($message, $code, $previous);
 	
 	if ($friendly_message) {
@@ -70,16 +73,23 @@ public function set_about_link($about_link) {
 public function send_response($content_type=null, $encode_options=null, $response=null) {
 	$jsonapi = new errors($this, $this->friendly_message, $this->about_link);
 	$jsonapi->send_response($content_type, $encode_options, $response);
-	exit;
+	exit; // sanity check
 }
 
 /**
  * alias for ->send_response()
  * 
+ * @deprecated as this causes hard to debug issues ..
+ *             .. when exceptions are called as a by-effect of this function
+ * 
  * @return string empty for sake of correctness
  *                as ->send_response() already echo's the json and terminates script execution
  */
 public function __toString() {
+	if (base::$debug) {
+		trigger_error('toString conversion of exception is deprecated, use ->send_response() instead', E_USER_DEPRECATED);
+	}
+	
 	$this->send_response();
 	return '';
 }