diff --git a/contrib/check-code.py b/contrib/check-code.py
--- a/contrib/check-code.py
+++ b/contrib/check-code.py
@@ -407,7 +407,11 @@ def checkfile(f, logfunc=_defaultlogger.
                 print "Skipping %s for %s it doesn't match %s" % (
                        name, match, f)
             continue
-        fp = open(f)
+        try:
+            fp = open(f)
+        except IOError, e:
+            print "Skipping %s, %s" % (f, str(e).split(':', 1)[0])
+            continue
         pre = post = fp.read()
         fp.close()
         if "no-" "check-code" in pre:
diff --git a/tests/test-check-code.t b/tests/test-check-code.t
--- a/tests/test-check-code.t
+++ b/tests/test-check-code.t
@@ -187,8 +187,10 @@
   > # this next line is okay
   > raise SomeException(arg1, arg2)
   > EOF
-  $ "$check_code" raise-format.py
+  $ "$check_code" not-existing.py raise-format.py
+  Skipping*not-existing.py* (glob)
   raise-format.py:1:
    > raise SomeException, message
    don't use old-style two-argument raise, use Exception(message)
   [1]
+