diff --git a/twisted/python/dist.py b/twisted/python/dist.py
index 5727065..380c0ab 100644
--- a/twisted/python/dist.py
+++ b/twisted/python/dist.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Maintainer: Christopher Armstrong
 
 import sys, os
 from distutils.command import build_scripts, install_data, build_ext, build_py
-from distutils.errors import CompileError
+from distutils.errors import CompileError, CCompilerError, DistutilsPlatformError
 from distutils import core
 from distutils.core import Extension
 
@@ -296,6 +296,13 @@ class install_data_twisted(install_data.install_data):
 
 
 
+# The technique of ignoring CCompilerError is copied from simplejson 2.1.1.
+BUILD_EXT_WARNING="""
+WARNING: The C extension could not be compiled, speedups are not enabled.
+
+Above is the output showing how the compilation failed.
+"""
+
 class build_ext_twisted(build_ext.build_ext):
     """
     Allow subclasses to easily detect and customize Extensions to
@@ -325,8 +332,16 @@ class build_ext_twisted(build_ext.build_ext):
         Check to see which extension modules to build and then build them.
         """
         self.prepare_extensions()
-        build_ext.build_ext.build_extensions(self)
-
+        try:
+            build_ext.build_ext.build_extensions(self)
+        except CCompilerError, x:
+            print ('*'*70+'\n')
+            print BUILD_EXT_WARNING
+            print ('*'*70+'\n')
+        except DistutilsPlatformError, x:
+            print ('*'*70+'\n')
+            print BUILD_EXT_WARNING
+            print ('*'*70+'\n')
 
     def _remove_conftest(self):
         for filename in ("conftest.c", "conftest.o", "conftest.obj"):
@@ -346,6 +361,8 @@ class build_ext_twisted(build_ext.build_ext):
                 self.compiler.compile(["conftest.c"], output_dir='')
             except CompileError:
                 return False
+            except DistutilsPlatformError:
+                return False
             return True
         finally:
             self._remove_conftest()