diff --git a/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml b/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml
index cf716d69..71ee4625 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pythonpackage.yml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         python-version: [3.7, 3.8, 3.9]
-        POETRY_EXTRAS: ["-E swift", "-E dxpy", "", "-E swift -E dxpy"]
+        POETRY_EXTRAS: ["-E swift", "-E dx", "", "-E swift -E dx"]
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v2
diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 631a2abb..853f0c2e 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Quickstart
 
 ::
 
-    pip install stor[dxpy, swift]
+    pip install stor[dx,swift]
 
 ``stor`` provides both a CLI and a Python library for manipulating Posix
 and OBS with a single, cross-compatible API.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index fff7072c..287bec4f 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ python-swiftclient = {version = ">=3.6.0", optional = true}
 
 [tool.poetry.extras]
 swift = ["python-keystoneclient", "python-swiftclient"]
-dxpy = ["dxpy"]
+dx = ["dxpy"]
 
 [tool.poetry.dev-dependencies]
 flake8 = "^3.7.9"
diff --git a/stor/dx.py b/stor/dx.py
index abdb97dc..b2a42ff8 100644
--- a/stor/dx.py
+++ b/stor/dx.py
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@
 
 from cached_property import cached_property
 from contextlib import contextmanager
-import dxpy
-from dxpy.exceptions import DXError
-from dxpy.exceptions import DXSearchError
 
 from stor import exceptions as stor_exceptions
 from stor import Path
@@ -20,6 +17,14 @@
 import stor.settings
 
 
+try:
+    import dxpy
+    from dxpy.exceptions import DXError
+    from dxpy.exceptions import DXSearchError
+except ImportError as e:
+    raise utils.missing_storage_library_exception("dx", e) from e
+
+
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 progress_logger = logging.getLogger('%s.progress' % __name__)
 
diff --git a/stor/swift.py b/stor/swift.py
index 71dfb00d..4efb25e8 100644
--- a/stor/swift.py
+++ b/stor/swift.py
@@ -42,10 +42,6 @@
 import threading
 
 from urllib import parse
-from swiftclient import exceptions as swift_exceptions
-from swiftclient import service as swift_service
-from swiftclient import client as swift_client
-from swiftclient.utils import generate_temp_url
 
 from stor import exceptions as stor_exceptions
 from stor import is_swift_path
@@ -57,6 +53,14 @@
 from stor.posix import PosixPath
 from stor.third_party.backoff import with_backoff
 
+try:
+    from swiftclient import exceptions as swift_exceptions
+    from swiftclient import service as swift_service
+    from swiftclient import client as swift_client
+    from swiftclient.utils import generate_temp_url
+except ImportError as e:
+    raise utils.missing_storage_library_exception("swift", e) from e
+
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 progress_logger = logging.getLogger('%s.progress' % __name__)
diff --git a/stor/tests/test_utils.py b/stor/tests/test_utils.py
index aade0f14..dcc69ae9 100644
--- a/stor/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/stor/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -460,3 +460,15 @@ def test_path_no_perms(self):
         self.mock_copy.side_effect = stor.exceptions.FailedUploadError('foo')
         self.assertFalse(utils.is_writeable('s3://stor-test/foo/bar'))
         self.assertFalse(self.mock_remove.called)
+
+class TestStorageLibraryException:
+    def test_generates_appropriate_text(self):
+        try:
+            import thisshouldnotexistatall
+        except ImportError as e:
+            exc = utils.missing_storage_library_exception("dx", e)
+        else:
+            assert False, "this should have raised an import error"
+        assert "dx" in str(exc)
+        assert "thisshouldnotexistatall" in str(exc)
+        assert "To use a 'dx' path, stor needs an additional python library" in str(exc)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/stor/utils.py b/stor/utils.py
index 2ef4de8f..c0997cfc 100644
--- a/stor/utils.py
+++ b/stor/utils.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import shutil
 from subprocess import check_call
 import tempfile
+import warnings
 
 from stor import exceptions
 
@@ -741,3 +742,23 @@ def add_result(self, result):
             progress_msg = self.get_progress_message()
             if progress_msg:  # pragma: no cover
                 self.logger.log(self.level, progress_msg)
+
+def missing_storage_library_exception(module: str, exc: Exception):
+    """Generate a helpful error for user about why their import failed.
+
+    Meant to be used as:
+
+        try:
+            ...
+        except Import Error as e:
+            raise missing_storage_library_exception('dx') from e
+    """
+    return ImportError(
+        f"{type(exc).__name__}: {exc}\n"
+        f"To use a '{module}' path, stor needs an additional python library. "
+        f"Please specify it as an extra in the installation.\n"
+        f"i.e.,: `pip install stor[{module}]` or `stor[{module}] >= 5` "
+        f"in requirements.txt or `poetry add stor[{module}]`.\n"
+        f"Alternatively, change an existing "
+        f'pyproject.toml file to specify `stor = {{version="5.0", extras = {module}}}`'
+    )
\ No newline at end of file