diff --git a/esp8266/machine_uart.c b/esp8266/machine_uart.c
index 4d9f343db1..e8be5e538c 100644
--- a/esp8266/machine_uart.c
+++ b/esp8266/machine_uart.c
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ STATIC void pyb_uart_init_helper(pyb_uart_obj_t *self, size_t n_args, const mp_o
             self->bits = 8;
             break;
         default:
-            nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ValueError, "invalid data bits"));
+            mp_raise_ValueError("invalid data bits");
             break;
     }
 
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ STATIC void pyb_uart_init_helper(pyb_uart_obj_t *self, size_t n_args, const mp_o
             self->stop = 2;
             break;
         default:
-            nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ValueError, "invalid stop bits"));
+            mp_raise_ValueError("invalid stop bits");
             break;
     }
 
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ STATIC mp_uint_t pyb_uart_read(mp_obj_t self_in, void *buf_in, mp_uint_t size, i
     pyb_uart_obj_t *self = MP_OBJ_TO_PTR(self_in);
 
     if (self->uart_id == 1) {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_OSError, "UART(1) can't read"));
+        mp_raise_msg(&mp_type_OSError, "UART(1) can't read");
     }
 
     // make sure we want at least 1 char
diff --git a/extmod/modframebuf.c b/extmod/modframebuf.c
index a073926754..062a63c3b2 100644
--- a/extmod/modframebuf.c
+++ b/extmod/modframebuf.c
@@ -244,8 +244,7 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t framebuf_make_new(const mp_obj_type_t *type, size_t n_args, size
             o->stride = (o->stride + 7) & ~7;
             break;
         default:
-            nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ValueError,
-                "invalid format"));
+            mp_raise_ValueError("invalid format");
     }
 
     return MP_OBJ_FROM_PTR(o);
diff --git a/extmod/modubinascii.c b/extmod/modubinascii.c
index 2ef1a6f21d..07b8b15bf7 100644
--- a/extmod/modubinascii.c
+++ b/extmod/modubinascii.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ mp_obj_t mod_binascii_unhexlify(mp_obj_t data) {
     mp_get_buffer_raise(data, &bufinfo, MP_BUFFER_READ);
 
     if ((bufinfo.len & 1) != 0) {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ValueError, "odd-length string"));
+        mp_raise_ValueError("odd-length string");
     }
     vstr_t vstr;
     vstr_init_len(&vstr, bufinfo.len / 2);
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ mp_obj_t mod_binascii_unhexlify(mp_obj_t data) {
         if (unichar_isxdigit(hex_ch)) {
             hex_byte += unichar_xdigit_value(hex_ch);
         } else {
-            nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ValueError, "non-hex digit found"));
+            mp_raise_ValueError("non-hex digit found");
         }
         if (i & 1) {
             hex_byte <<= 4;
diff --git a/py/builtinimport.c b/py/builtinimport.c
index 6994fc48f4..173e040afb 100644
--- a/py/builtinimport.c
+++ b/py/builtinimport.c
@@ -230,8 +230,7 @@ STATIC void do_load(mp_obj_t module_obj, vstr_t *file) {
     #endif
 
     // If we get here then the file was not frozen and we can't compile scripts.
-    nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ImportError,
-        "script compilation not supported"));
+    mp_raise_msg(&mp_type_ImportError, "script compilation not supported");
 }
 
 STATIC void chop_component(const char *start, const char **end) {
diff --git a/py/modbuiltins.c b/py/modbuiltins.c
index fe8159953a..169714a6b6 100644
--- a/py/modbuiltins.c
+++ b/py/modbuiltins.c
@@ -398,8 +398,7 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t mp_builtin_ord(mp_obj_t o_in) {
     #endif
 
     if (MICROPY_ERROR_REPORTING == MICROPY_ERROR_REPORTING_TERSE) {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_TypeError,
-            "ord expects a character"));
+        mp_raise_TypeError("ord expects a character");
     } else {
         nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_TypeError,
             "ord() expected a character, but string of length %d found", (int)len));
diff --git a/py/modmath.c b/py/modmath.c
index ddab337d05..10713234c7 100644
--- a/py/modmath.c
+++ b/py/modmath.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "py/builtin.h"
-#include "py/nlr.h"
+#include "py/runtime.h"
 
 #if MICROPY_PY_BUILTINS_FLOAT && MICROPY_PY_MATH
 
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 /// working with floating-point numbers.
 
 STATIC NORETURN void math_error(void) {
-    nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ValueError, "math domain error"));
+    mp_raise_ValueError("math domain error");
 }
 
 #define MATH_FUN_1(py_name, c_name) \
diff --git a/py/obj.c b/py/obj.c
index 493945a227..1238b7011a 100644
--- a/py/obj.c
+++ b/py/obj.c
@@ -460,8 +460,7 @@ mp_obj_t mp_obj_subscr(mp_obj_t base, mp_obj_t index, mp_obj_t value) {
         }
     } else if (value == MP_OBJ_SENTINEL) {
         if (MICROPY_ERROR_REPORTING == MICROPY_ERROR_REPORTING_TERSE) {
-            nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_TypeError,
-                "object is not subscriptable"));
+            mp_raise_TypeError("object is not subscriptable");
         } else {
             nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_TypeError,
                 "'%s' object is not subscriptable", mp_obj_get_type_str(base)));
diff --git a/py/objcomplex.c b/py/objcomplex.c
index 5f9183f0e7..e4fbed1e8d 100644
--- a/py/objcomplex.c
+++ b/py/objcomplex.c
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ mp_obj_t mp_obj_complex_binary_op(mp_uint_t op, mp_float_t lhs_real, mp_float_t
         }
         case MP_BINARY_OP_FLOOR_DIVIDE:
         case MP_BINARY_OP_INPLACE_FLOOR_DIVIDE:
-            nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_TypeError, "can't do truncated division of a complex number"));
+            mp_raise_TypeError("can't do truncated division of a complex number");
 
         case MP_BINARY_OP_TRUE_DIVIDE:
         case MP_BINARY_OP_INPLACE_TRUE_DIVIDE:
diff --git a/py/objint_longlong.c b/py/objint_longlong.c
index f638a53202..eb80407bcb 100644
--- a/py/objint_longlong.c
+++ b/py/objint_longlong.c
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ mp_obj_t mp_obj_new_int_from_ll(long long val) {
 mp_obj_t mp_obj_new_int_from_ull(unsigned long long val) {
     // TODO raise an exception if the unsigned long long won't fit
     if (val >> (sizeof(unsigned long long) * 8 - 1) != 0) {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_OverflowError, "ulonglong too large"));
+        mp_raise_msg(&mp_type_OverflowError, "ulonglong too large");
     }
     mp_obj_int_t *o = m_new_obj(mp_obj_int_t);
     o->base.type = &mp_type_int;
diff --git a/py/objstrunicode.c b/py/objstrunicode.c
index 9a6ce9b9a2..d534285865 100644
--- a/py/objstrunicode.c
+++ b/py/objstrunicode.c
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ const byte *str_index_to_ptr(const mp_obj_type_t *type, const byte *self_data, s
                 if (is_slice) {
                     return self_data;
                 }
-                nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_IndexError, "string index out of range"));
+                mp_raise_msg(&mp_type_IndexError, "string index out of range");
             }
             if (!UTF8_IS_CONT(*s)) {
                 ++i;
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ const byte *str_index_to_ptr(const mp_obj_type_t *type, const byte *self_data, s
                 if (is_slice) {
                     return top;
                 }
-                nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_IndexError, "string index out of range"));
+                mp_raise_msg(&mp_type_IndexError, "string index out of range");
             }
             // Then check completion
             if (i-- == 0) {
diff --git a/py/stream.c b/py/stream.c
index d3fc767bbd..0186099034 100644
--- a/py/stream.c
+++ b/py/stream.c
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t stream_read_generic(size_t n_args, const mp_obj_t *args, byte fl
         while (more_bytes > 0) {
             char *p = vstr_add_len(&vstr, more_bytes);
             if (p == NULL) {
-                nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_MemoryError, "out of memory"));
+                mp_raise_msg(&mp_type_MemoryError, "out of memory");
             }
             int error;
             mp_uint_t out_sz = mp_stream_read_exactly(args[0], p, more_bytes, &error);
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t stream_unbuffered_readline(size_t n_args, const mp_obj_t *args)
     while (max_size == -1 || max_size-- != 0) {
         char *p = vstr_add_len(&vstr, 1);
         if (p == NULL) {
-            nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_MemoryError, "out of memory"));
+            mp_raise_msg(&mp_type_MemoryError, "out of memory");
         }
 
         int error;
diff --git a/stmhal/accel.c b/stmhal/accel.c
index d0d4148ab2..0e6eaf03db 100644
--- a/stmhal/accel.c
+++ b/stmhal/accel.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ STATIC void accel_start(void) {
     }
 
     if (status != HAL_OK) {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_OSError, "accelerometer not found"));
+        mp_raise_msg(&mp_type_OSError, "accelerometer not found");
     }
 
     // set MMA to active mode
diff --git a/stmhal/can.c b/stmhal/can.c
index fe52d8678e..afc1b367f6 100644
--- a/stmhal/can.c
+++ b/stmhal/can.c
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t pyb_can_send(mp_uint_t n_args, const mp_obj_t *pos_args, mp_map_
     pyb_buf_get_for_send(args[0].u_obj, &bufinfo, data);
 
     if (bufinfo.len > 8) {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ValueError, "CAN data field too long"));
+        mp_raise_ValueError("CAN data field too long");
     }
 
     // send the data
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t pyb_can_setfilter(mp_uint_t n_args, const mp_obj_t *pos_args, mp
     return mp_const_none;
 
 error:
-    nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ValueError, "CAN filter parameter error"));
+    mp_raise_ValueError("CAN filter parameter error");
 }
 STATIC MP_DEFINE_CONST_FUN_OBJ_KW(pyb_can_setfilter_obj, 1, pyb_can_setfilter);
 
diff --git a/stmhal/dac.c b/stmhal/dac.c
index 6524c6840e..4ba37b135c 100644
--- a/stmhal/dac.c
+++ b/stmhal/dac.c
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t pyb_dac_init_helper(pyb_dac_obj_t *self, mp_uint_t n_args, const
     if (args[0].u_int == 8 || args[0].u_int == 12) {
         self->bits = args[0].u_int;
     } else {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ValueError, "unsupported bits"));
+        mp_raise_ValueError("unsupported bits");
     }
 
     // reset state of DAC
diff --git a/stmhal/uart.c b/stmhal/uart.c
index b248138049..2d67411b1f 100644
--- a/stmhal/uart.c
+++ b/stmhal/uart.c
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t pyb_uart_init_helper(pyb_uart_obj_t *self, mp_uint_t n_args, con
     } else if (bits == 9) {
         init->WordLength = UART_WORDLENGTH_9B;
     } else {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ValueError, "unsupported combination of bits and parity"));
+        mp_raise_ValueError("unsupported combination of bits and parity");
     }
 
     // stop bits
diff --git a/unix/modffi.c b/unix/modffi.c
index 7a35d61ef4..8b392f1c38 100644
--- a/unix/modffi.c
+++ b/unix/modffi.c
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ STATIC ffi_type *get_ffi_type(mp_obj_t o_in)
     }
     // TODO: Support actual libffi type objects
 
-    nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_TypeError, "Unknown type"));
+    mp_raise_TypeError("Unknown type");
 }
 
 STATIC mp_obj_t return_ffi_value(ffi_arg val, char type)
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t make_func(mp_obj_t rettype_in, void *func, mp_obj_t argtypes_in)
 
     int res = ffi_prep_cif(&o->cif, FFI_DEFAULT_ABI, nparams, char2ffi_type(*rettype), o->params);
     if (res != FFI_OK) {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ValueError, "Error in ffi_prep_cif"));
+        mp_raise_ValueError("Error in ffi_prep_cif");
     }
 
     return MP_OBJ_FROM_PTR(o);
@@ -261,12 +261,12 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t mod_ffi_callback(mp_obj_t rettype_in, mp_obj_t func_in, mp_obj_t
 
     int res = ffi_prep_cif(&o->cif, FFI_DEFAULT_ABI, nparams, char2ffi_type(*rettype), o->params);
     if (res != FFI_OK) {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ValueError, "Error in ffi_prep_cif"));
+        mp_raise_ValueError("Error in ffi_prep_cif");
     }
 
     res = ffi_prep_closure_loc(o->clo, &o->cif, call_py_func, MP_OBJ_TO_PTR(func_in), o->func);
     if (res != FFI_OK) {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ValueError, "ffi_prep_closure_loc"));
+        mp_raise_ValueError("ffi_prep_closure_loc");
     }
 
     return MP_OBJ_FROM_PTR(o);
diff --git a/unix/modjni.c b/unix/modjni.c
index b474e26ea7..0aeb0601fc 100644
--- a/unix/modjni.c
+++ b/unix/modjni.c
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ STATIC void jclass_attr(mp_obj_t self_in, qstr attr_in, mp_obj_t *dest) {
 
 STATIC mp_obj_t jclass_call(mp_obj_t self_in, size_t n_args, size_t n_kw, const mp_obj_t *args) {
     if (n_kw != 0) {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_TypeError, "kwargs not supported"));
+        mp_raise_TypeError("kwargs not supported");
     }
     mp_obj_jclass_t *self = self_in;
 
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ STATIC bool py2jvalue(const char **jtypesig, mp_obj_t arg, jvalue *out) {
         }
         out->l = NULL;
     } else {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_TypeError, "arg type not supported"));
+        mp_raise_TypeError("arg type not supported");
     }
 
     *jtypesig = arg_type;
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t call_method(jobject obj, const char *name, jarray methods, bool
                     ret = new_jobject(res);
                 } else {
                     JJ(ReleaseStringUTFChars, name_o, decl);
-                    nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_TypeError, "cannot handle return type"));
+                    mp_raise_TypeError("cannot handle return type");
                 }
 
                 JJ(ReleaseStringUTFChars, name_o, decl);
@@ -550,13 +550,13 @@ next_method:
         JJ(DeleteLocalRef, meth);
     }
 
-    nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_TypeError, "method not found"));
+    mp_raise_TypeError("method not found");
 }
 
 
 STATIC mp_obj_t jmethod_call(mp_obj_t self_in, size_t n_args, size_t n_kw, const mp_obj_t *args) {
     if (n_kw != 0) {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_TypeError, "kwargs not supported"));
+        mp_raise_TypeError("kwargs not supported");
     }
     mp_obj_jmethod_t *self = self_in;
 
@@ -602,13 +602,13 @@ STATIC void create_jvm() {
 
     void *libjvm = dlopen(LIBJVM_SO, RTLD_NOW | RTLD_GLOBAL);
     if (!libjvm) {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_OSError, "unable to load libjvm.so, use LD_LIBRARY_PATH"));
+        mp_raise_msg(&mp_type_OSError, "unable to load libjvm.so, use LD_LIBRARY_PATH");
     }
     int (*_JNI_CreateJavaVM)(void*, void**, void*) = dlsym(libjvm, "JNI_CreateJavaVM");
 
     int st = _JNI_CreateJavaVM(&jvm, (void**)&env, &args);
     if (st < 0 || !env) {
-        nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_OSError, "unable to create JVM"));
+        mp_raise_msg(&mp_type_OSError, "unable to create JVM");
     }
 
     Class_class = JJ(FindClass, "java/lang/Class");