diff --git a/bind/gengo.go b/bind/gengo.go
index da3c574..d5e863b 100644
--- a/bind/gengo.go
+++ b/bind/gengo.go
@@ -401,11 +401,14 @@ func (g *goGen) gen() error {
 
 	scope := g.pkg.Scope()
 	names := scope.Names()
+
+	hasExported := false
 	for _, name := range names {
 		obj := scope.Lookup(name)
 		if !obj.Exported() {
 			continue
 		}
+		hasExported = true
 
 		switch obj := obj.(type) {
 		// TODO(crawshaw): case *types.Var:
@@ -433,6 +436,9 @@ func (g *goGen) gen() error {
 			continue
 		}
 	}
+	if !hasExported {
+		g.errorf("no exported names in the package %q", g.pkg.Path())
+	}
 
 	if len(funcs) > 0 {
 		g.Printf("func init() {\n")
diff --git a/bind/genjava.go b/bind/genjava.go
index 4b14860..632153a 100644
--- a/bind/genjava.go
+++ b/bind/genjava.go
@@ -668,11 +668,13 @@ func (g *javaGen) gen() error {
 
 	scope := g.pkg.Scope()
 	names := scope.Names()
+	hasExported := false
 	for _, name := range names {
 		obj := scope.Lookup(name)
 		if !obj.Exported() {
 			continue
 		}
+		hasExported = true
 
 		switch o := obj.(type) {
 		// TODO(crawshaw): case *types.Var:
@@ -700,6 +702,9 @@ func (g *javaGen) gen() error {
 			g.errorf("unsupported exported type: %T", obj)
 		}
 	}
+	if !hasExported {
+		g.errorf("no exported names in the package %q", g.pkg.Path())
+	}
 
 	for i, name := range funcs {
 		g.Printf("private static final int CALL_%s = %d;\n", name, i+1)
diff --git a/bind/genobjc.go b/bind/genobjc.go
index 25bc35c..441d355 100644
--- a/bind/genobjc.go
+++ b/bind/genobjc.go
@@ -39,11 +39,13 @@ func (g *objcGen) init() {
 	g.names = nil
 
 	scope := g.pkg.Scope()
+	hasExported := false
 	for _, name := range scope.Names() {
 		obj := scope.Lookup(name)
 		if !obj.Exported() {
 			continue
 		}
+		hasExported = true
 		switch obj := obj.(type) {
 		case *types.Func:
 			if isCallable(obj) {
@@ -63,6 +65,9 @@ func (g *objcGen) init() {
 			g.errorf("unsupported exported type for %s: %T", obj.Name(), obj)
 		}
 	}
+	if !hasExported {
+		g.errorf("no exported names in the package %q", g.pkg.Path())
+	}
 }
 
 const objcPreamble = `// Objective-C API for talking to %[1]s Go package.