diff --git a/eval.c b/eval.c
index ddbe31a..9572685 100644
--- a/eval.c
+++ b/eval.c
@@ -551,8 +551,6 @@ make_exception(int argc, VALUE *argv, int isstr)
 	break;
     }
     if (argc > 0) {
-	if (!rb_obj_is_kind_of(mesg, rb_eException))
-	    rb_raise(rb_eTypeError, "exception object expected");
 	if (argc > 2)
 	    set_backtrace(mesg, argv[2]);
     }
diff --git a/test/ruby/test_raise_any.rb b/test/ruby/test_raise_any.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2780bc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ruby/test_raise_any.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+=begin
+
+Feature: Raise any object
+
+= Proposal
+
+The ability to raise any object that conforms to the protocol of Exception.
+
+= Problem
+
+* The Exception subclass hierarchy is well-established.
+* CRuby does not allow any object that behaves as an Exception to be raised, it must be a subclass of Exception.
+* 3rd-party code often rescues Exception; e.g. for error recovery, retry and/or logging.
+* Users need the ability to raise objects that would not normally be rescued by *any* code;
+  e.g.: hard timeouts or custom signal handlers in an application.
+
+= Solution
+
+* ruby/eval.c: Remove make_exception() assertion rb_obj_is_kind_of(mesg, rb_mRaiseable).
+
+Sample Usage:
+
+=end
+
+require 'test/unit'
+
+class TestRaiseable < Test::Unit::TestCase
+  # Example: mixin implementation of Exception protocol methods:
+  module Raiseable
+    def exception *args # error.c: exc_exception()
+      case args.size
+      when 0
+        return self
+      when 1
+        return self if self.object_id == args[0].object_id
+      end
+      clone.initialize *args
+    end
+    def initialize mesg = nil # error.c: exc_initialize()
+      @mesg = mesg
+      @bt = nil
+      self
+    end
+    def == other # error.c: exc_equal()
+      return true if self.object_id == other.object_id
+      if self.class == other.class
+        mesg = other.message
+        backtrace = other.backtrace
+      else
+        mesg = other.instance_variable_get(:'@mesg')
+        backtrace = other.backtrace
+      end
+      @mesg == mesg && self.backtrace == backtrace
+    end
+    def to_s # error.c: exc_to_s()
+      @mesg || self.class.name
+    end
+    def message; to_s; end
+    def inspect # error.c: exc_inspect()
+      "#<#{self.class}: #{self}>"
+    end
+    def backtrace; @bt; end
+    def set_backtrace v # error.c: exc_set_backtrace()
+      v = [ v ] if String === v
+      raise TypeError, "backtrace must be Array of String" unless Array === v || v.all?{|e| String === e}
+      @bt = v
+    end
+    def self.included target
+      super
+      target.extend ModuleMethods
+    end
+    module ModuleMethods
+      def exception *args; new *args; end
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_raiseable
+    raiseable = Class.new do
+      include Raiseable
+    end
+    begin
+      raise raiseable, "this must be handled"
+      assert(false)
+    rescue Exception
+      $stderr.puts "#{__FILE__}:#{__LINE__}: Unexpected Exception: #{$!.inspect}"
+      assert(false)
+    rescue Raiseable
+      assert(true)
+    end
+  end
+
+  class SomeLibraryFromSomebodyElse
+    def do_it
+      something_that_takes_too_long
+    rescue ::Exception => exc
+      $stderr.puts "\n#{__FILE__}:#{__LINE__}: Something failed: #{exc.inspect}"
+      42
+    end
+
+    def something_that_takes_too_long
+      sleep 10
+    end
+  end
+
+  class MyTimeoutError
+    include Raiseable
+  end
+
+  def test_MyTimeoutError
+    raise MyTimeoutError
+    assert(false)
+  rescue ::Exception
+    $stderr.puts "#{__FILE__}:#{__LINE__}: Unexpected Exception: #{$!.inspect}"
+    assert(false)
+  rescue MyTimeoutError
+    assert(true)
+  end
+
+  def test_raiseable_timeout
+    require 'timeout'
+    begin
+      Timeout.timeout(1, MyTimeoutError) do
+        SomeLibraryFromSomebodyElse.new.do_it
+      end
+      assert(false)
+    rescue MyTimeoutError
+      assert(true)
+    rescue Exception
+      $stderr.puts "#{__FILE__}:#{__LINE__}: Unexpected Exception: #{$!.inspect}"
+      assert(false)
+    end
+  end
+end
+