diff --git a/api/libretime_api/legacy/migrations/_migrations.py b/api/libretime_api/legacy/migrations/_migrations.py
index 9f79967c2..bf0873ef3 100644
--- a/api/libretime_api/legacy/migrations/_migrations.py
+++ b/api/libretime_api/legacy/migrations/_migrations.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from typing import Callable, Optional
 
-from django.db import connection
+from django.db import DataError, connection
 
 from ._version import parse_version
 
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def legacy_migration_factory(
     def inner(_apps, _schema_editor):
         current = get_schema_version()
         if current is None:
-            raise Exception("current schema version was not found!")
+            raise DataError("current schema version was not found!")
 
         current_version = parse_version(current)
         if current_version >= target_version and not reverse:
diff --git a/api/libretime_api/legacy/migrations/_version.py b/api/libretime_api/legacy/migrations/_version.py
index b05dc79eb..99428baf4 100644
--- a/api/libretime_api/legacy/migrations/_version.py
+++ b/api/libretime_api/legacy/migrations/_version.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ VERSION_RE = re.compile(
 def parse_version(version: str):
     match = VERSION_RE.search(version)
     if not match:
-        raise Exception(f"invalid version {version}")
+        raise ValueError(f"invalid version {version}")
 
     release = list(map(int, match.group("release").split(".")))
     major = release.pop(0) if release else 0
diff --git a/playout/libretime_playout/main.py b/playout/libretime_playout/main.py
index fcd6e8344..6f11ed5ae 100644
--- a/playout/libretime_playout/main.py
+++ b/playout/libretime_playout/main.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def cli(log_level: str, log_filepath: Optional[Path], config_filepath: Optional[
     logger.debug("Checking if Liquidsoap is running")
     liq_version = liq_client.wait_for_version()
     if not LIQUIDSOAP_MIN_VERSION <= liq_version:
-        raise Exception(f"Invalid liquidsoap version {liq_version}")
+        raise RuntimeError(f"Invalid liquidsoap version {liq_version}")
 
     fetch_queue: Queue[Dict[str, Any]] = Queue()
     recorder_queue: Queue[Dict[str, Any]] = Queue()
diff --git a/playout/libretime_playout/player/file.py b/playout/libretime_playout/player/file.py
index 13c04786e..2b51d773b 100644
--- a/playout/libretime_playout/player/file.py
+++ b/playout/libretime_playout/player/file.py
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ class PypoFile(Thread):
                             handle.write(chunk)
 
                     except HTTPError as exception:
-                        raise Exception(
+                        raise RuntimeError(
                             f"could not download file {media_item['id']}"
                         ) from exception
 
diff --git a/playout/libretime_playout/timeout.py b/playout/libretime_playout/timeout.py
index e4a3591bb..f1416cae9 100644
--- a/playout/libretime_playout/timeout.py
+++ b/playout/libretime_playout/timeout.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ def __timeout(func, timeout_duration, default, args, kwargs):
         thread.join(timeout_duration)
 
         if thread.is_alive():
-            raise Exception("Thread did not terminate")
+            raise RuntimeError("Thread did not terminate")
 
         return thread.result
 
diff --git a/tools/packages.py b/tools/packages.py
index f2de3fa81..ea5fc9f9b 100755
--- a/tools/packages.py
+++ b/tools/packages.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ def list_packages_files(
             path = path / DEFAULT_PACKAGES_FILENAME
 
         if not path.is_file():
-            raise Exception(f"{path} is not a file!")
+            raise ValueError(f"{path} is not a file!")
 
         yield path