diff --git a/dill/__diff.py b/dill/__diff.py
index 1ef424c0..3a0eabce 100644
--- a/dill/__diff.py
+++ b/dill/__diff.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 try:
     import numpy
     HAS_NUMPY = True
-except:
+except ImportError:
     HAS_NUMPY = False
 
 # pypy doesn't use reference counting
@@ -38,10 +38,7 @@ def get_attrs(obj):
     if type(obj) in builtins_types \
        or type(obj) is type and obj in builtins_types:
         return
-    try:
-        return obj.__dict__
-    except:
-        return
+    return getattr(obj, '__dict__', None)
 
 
 def get_seq(obj, cache={str: False, frozenset: False, list: True, set: True,
diff --git a/dill/_dill.py b/dill/_dill.py
index b6d09af7..ed6e84b1 100644
--- a/dill/_dill.py
+++ b/dill/_dill.py
@@ -631,7 +631,7 @@ def use_diff(on=True):
     if _use_diff and diff is None:
         try:
             from . import diff as d
-        except:
+        except ImportError:
             import diff as d
         diff = d
 
@@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ def _create_typemap():
 try:
     import symtable
     _incedental_reverse_typemap["SymtableStentryType"] = type(symtable.symtable("", "string", "exec")._table)
-except:
+except ImportError:
     pass
 
 if sys.hexversion >= 0x30a00a0:
@@ -711,7 +711,7 @@ def _create_typemap():
 try:
     import winreg
     _incedental_reverse_typemap["HKEYType"] = winreg.HKEYType
-except:
+except ImportError:
     pass
 
 _reverse_typemap.update(_incedental_reverse_typemap)
@@ -941,7 +941,7 @@ def _create_filehandle(name, mode, position, closed, open, strictio, fmode, fdat
     else:
         try:
             exists = os.path.exists(name)
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             exists = False
         if not exists:
             if strictio:
@@ -1043,7 +1043,7 @@ def __ror__(self, a):
     # mapping referenced by the proxy. It may work for other implementations,
     # but is not guaranteed.
     MAPPING_PROXY_TRICK = __d is (DictProxyType(__d) | _dictproxy_helper_instance)
-except:
+except Exception:
     MAPPING_PROXY_TRICK = False
 del __d
 
@@ -1108,7 +1108,7 @@ def _create_capsule(pointer, name, context, destructor):
             names = uname.rsplit('.', i)
             try:
                 module = __import__(names[0])
-            except:
+            except ImportError:
                 pass
             obj = module
             for attr in names[1:]:
@@ -1116,7 +1116,7 @@ def _create_capsule(pointer, name, context, destructor):
             capsule = obj
             attr_found = True
             break
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         pass
 
     if attr_found:
@@ -1134,14 +1134,14 @@ def _getattr(objclass, name, repr_str):
     try: #XXX: works only for __builtin__ ?
         attr = repr_str.split("'")[3]
         return eval(attr+'.__dict__["'+name+'"]')
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         try:
             attr = objclass.__dict__
             if type(attr) is DictProxyType:
                 attr = attr[name]
             else:
                 attr = getattr(objclass,name)
-        except:
+        except (AttributeError, KeyError):
             attr = getattr(objclass,name)
         return attr
 
@@ -1194,7 +1194,7 @@ def _locate_function(obj, pickler=None):
         try:
             found, _ = _getattribute(module, obj.__qualname__)
             return found is obj
-        except:
+        except AttributeError:
             return False
     else:
         found = _import_module(module_name + '.' + obj.__name__, safe=True)
@@ -1595,7 +1595,7 @@ def save_wrapper_descriptor(pickler, obj):
 def save_cell(pickler, obj):
     try:
         f = obj.cell_contents
-    except:
+    except ValueError:
         log.info("Ce3: %s" % obj)
         # _shims._CELL_EMPTY is defined in _shims.py to support PyPy 2.7.
         # It unpickles to a sentinel object _dill._CELL_EMPTY, also created in
@@ -1902,7 +1902,7 @@ def save_function(pickler, obj):
                 found, _ = _getattribute(module, obj.__qualname__)
                 if getattr(found, '__func__', None) is obj:
                     _pypy_builtin = True
-            except:
+            except AttributeError:
                 pass
 
             if _pypy_builtin:
@@ -2142,9 +2142,8 @@ def _extend():
     for t,func in Pickler.dispatch.items():
         try:
             StockPickler.dispatch[t] = func
-        except: #TypeError, PicklingError, UnpicklingError
+        except Exception: #TypeError, PicklingError, UnpicklingError
             log.info("skip: %s" % t)
-        else: pass
     return
 
 del diff, _use_diff, use_diff
diff --git a/dill/_objects.py b/dill/_objects.py
index da5d15ef..615aefb0 100644
--- a/dill/_objects.py
+++ b/dill/_objects.py
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ class _newclass2(object):
 def _function(x): yield x
 def _function2():
     try: raise
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         from sys import exc_info
         e, er, tb = exc_info()
         return er, tb
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ class _Struct(ctypes.Structure):
 try:
     import symtable
     a["SymtableEntryType"] = symtable.symtable("", "string", "exec")._table
-except:
+except ImportError:
     pass
 
 if sys.hexversion >= 0x30a00a0:
diff --git a/dill/detect.py b/dill/detect.py
index 2297c6cd..db673dcf 100644
--- a/dill/detect.py
+++ b/dill/detect.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ def outermost(func): # is analogous to getsource(func,enclosing=True)
     # get the enclosing source
     from .source import getsourcelines
     try: lines,lnum = getsourcelines(func, enclosing=True)
-    except: #TypeError, IOError
+    except Exception: #TypeError, IOError
         lines,lnum = [],None
     code = ''.join(lines)
     # get all possible names,objects that are named in the enclosing source
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def outermost(func): # is analogous to getsource(func,enclosing=True)
     for name,obj in _locals: #XXX: don't really need 'name'
         try:
             if getsourcelines(obj) == (lines,lnum): return obj
-        except: #TypeError, IOError
+        except Exception: #TypeError, IOError
             pass
     return #XXX: or raise? no matches
 
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ def get_cell_contents():
         for (name,c) in zip(func,closures):
             try:
                 cell_contents = c.cell_contents
-            except:
+            except ValueError:
                 continue
             yield (name,c.cell_contents)
 
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ def globalvars(func, recurse=True, builtin=False):
         for obj in getattr(orig_func, func_closure) or {}:
             try:
                 cell_contents = obj.cell_contents
-            except:
+            except ValueError:
                 pass
             else:
                 _vars = globalvars(cell_contents, recurse, builtin) or {}
diff --git a/dill/source.py b/dill/source.py
index 792b53e6..7e70a635 100644
--- a/dill/source.py
+++ b/dill/source.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def _matchlambda(func, line):
     lhs,rhs = line.split('lambda ',1)[-1].split(":", 1) #FIXME: if !1 inputs
     try: #FIXME: unsafe
         _ = eval("lambda %s : %s" % (lhs,rhs), globals(),locals())
-    except: _ = dummy
+    except Exception: _ = dummy
     # get code objects, for comparison
     _, code = getcode(_).co_code, getcode(func).co_code
     # check if func is in closure
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ def _matchlambda(func, line):
         _lhs,_rhs = rhs.split('lambda ',1)[-1].split(":",1) #FIXME: if !1 inputs
         try: #FIXME: unsafe
             _f = eval("lambda %s : %s" % (_lhs,_rhs), globals(),locals())
-        except: _f = dummy
+        except Exception: _f = dummy
         # get code objects, for comparison
         _, code = getcode(_f).co_code, getcode(func).co_code
         if len(_) != len(code): return False
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def findsource(object):
         try: 
             import readline
             err = ''
-        except:
+        except ImportError:
             import sys
             err = sys.exc_info()[1].args[0]
             if sys.platform[:3] == 'win':
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ def func(*args, **kwds):
         try:
             # _ = eval(getsource(f, force=True)) #XXX: safer but less robust
             exec(getimportable(f, alias='_'), __globals__, __locals__)
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             raise ImportError('cannot import name ' + f.__name__)
         return _(*args, **kwds)
     func.__name__ = f.__name__
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ def _namespace(obj):
         if module in ['builtins','__builtin__']: # BuiltinFunctionType
             if _intypes(name): return ['types'] + [name]
         return qual + [name] #XXX: can be wrong for some aliased objects
-    except: pass
+    except Exception: pass
     # special case: numpy.inf and numpy.nan (we don't want them as floats)
     if str(obj) in ['inf','nan','Inf','NaN']: # is more, but are they needed?
         return ['numpy'] + [str(obj)]
@@ -712,7 +712,7 @@ def getimport(obj, alias='', verify=True, builtin=False, enclosing=False):
     try: # look for '<...>' and be mindful it might be in lists, dicts, etc...
         name = repr(obj).split('<',1)[1].split('>',1)[1]
         name = None # we have a 'object'-style repr
-    except: # it's probably something 'importable'
+    except Exception: # it's probably something 'importable'
         if head in ['builtins','__builtin__']:
             name = repr(obj) #XXX: catch [1,2], (1,2), set([1,2])... others?
         else:
@@ -770,7 +770,7 @@ def _importable(obj, alias='', source=None, enclosing=False, force=True, \
         try:
             return getsource(obj, alias, enclosing=enclosing, \
                              force=force, lstrip=lstrip, builtin=builtin)
-        except: pass
+        except Exception: pass
     try:
         if not _isinstance(obj):
             return getimport(obj, alias, enclosing=enclosing, \
@@ -785,12 +785,12 @@ def _importable(obj, alias='', source=None, enclosing=False, force=True, \
         if alias == name: _alias = ""
         return _import+_alias+"%s\n" % name
 
-    except: pass
+    except Exception: pass
     if not source: # try getsource, only if it hasn't been tried yet
         try:
             return getsource(obj, alias, enclosing=enclosing, \
                              force=force, lstrip=lstrip, builtin=builtin)
-        except: pass
+        except Exception: pass
     # get the name (of functions, lambdas, and classes)
     # or hope that obj can be built from the __repr__
     #XXX: what to do about class instances and such?
@@ -930,7 +930,7 @@ def importable(obj, alias='', source=None, builtin=True):
                 if len(src) > 1:
                     raise NotImplementedError('not implemented')
                 return list(src.values())[0]
-            except:
+            except Exception:
                 if tried_source: raise
                 tried_import = True
         # we want the source
@@ -969,7 +969,7 @@ def _code_stitcher(block):
             if not obj: return src
             if not src: return obj
             return obj + src
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             if tried_import: raise
             tried_source = True
             source = not source
diff --git a/tests/test_extendpickle.py b/tests/test_extendpickle.py
index 0a346ae7..10dc0804 100644
--- a/tests/test_extendpickle.py
+++ b/tests/test_extendpickle.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ def test_isdill():
         pickler = mp.reduction.ForkingPickler(obj_io)
         assert pickle._dill.is_dill(pickler, child=True) is True
         assert pickle._dill.is_dill(pickler, child=False) is False
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         pass
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_functions.py b/tests/test_functions.py
index 4e8936c4..d82c37e3 100644
--- a/tests/test_functions.py
+++ b/tests/test_functions.py
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ def test_functions():
     assert 'empty' in str(cell_copy.__closure__[0])
     try:
         cell_copy()
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         # this is good
         pass
     else:
diff --git a/tests/test_nested.py b/tests/test_nested.py
index 144f54b0..950641ca 100644
--- a/tests/test_nested.py
+++ b/tests/test_nested.py
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ def test_pickled_inner():
 def test_moduledict_where_not_main():
     try:
         from . import test_moduledict
-    except:
+    except ImportError:
         import test_moduledict
     name = 'test_moduledict.py'
     if os.path.exists(name) and os.path.exists(name+'c'):
diff --git a/tests/test_recursive.py b/tests/test_recursive.py
index a144f301..0f3a53a1 100644
--- a/tests/test_recursive.py
+++ b/tests/test_recursive.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ def copy(obj, byref=False, recurse=False):
     if byref:
         try:
             return dill.copy(obj, byref=byref, recurse=recurse)
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             pass
         else:
             raise AssertionError('Copy of %s with byref=True should have given a warning!' % (obj,))
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ def test_recursive_function():
     for _fib in (fib3, fib4):
         try:
             _fib(5)
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             # This is expected to fail because fib no longer exists
             pass
         else:
diff --git a/tests/test_selected.py b/tests/test_selected.py
index 53b9cda2..0a6a01e6 100644
--- a/tests/test_selected.py
+++ b/tests/test_selected.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ def test_dict_contents():
   for i,j in c.items():
    #try:
     ok = dill.pickles(j)
-   #except:
+   #except Exception:
    #  print ("FAIL: %s with %s" % (i, dill.detect.errors(j)))
     if verbose: print ("%s: %s, %s" % (ok, type(j), j))
     assert ok
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ def _g(x): yield x;
 
 def _f():
   try: raise
-  except:
+  except Exception:
     from sys import exc_info
     e, er, tb = exc_info()
     return er, tb
diff --git a/tests/test_weakref.py b/tests/test_weakref.py
index ada7d140..0e99f3ea 100644
--- a/tests/test_weakref.py
+++ b/tests/test_weakref.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def test_dictproxy():
     from dill._dill import DictProxyType
     try:
         m = DictProxyType({"foo": "bar"})
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         m = type.__dict__
     mp = dill.copy(m)   
     assert mp.items() == m.items()