diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 94c2455484..8d46cb98e8 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ install:
     - sudo apt-get install python-pip python-dev graphviz libgraphviz-dev python-jinja2 python-sqlalchemy
     - pip install cherrypy Jinja2 requests simplejson sqlalchemy pyopenssl
     - pip install pygraphviz --install-option="--include-path=/usr/include/graphviz" --install-option="--library-path=/usr/lib/graphviz/"
-    - pip install pep8
+    - pip install pycodestyle
     - sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://opensource.wandisco.com/ubuntu `lsb_release -cs` svn19" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/subversion19.list'
     - sudo wget -q http://opensource.wandisco.com/wandisco-debian.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -
     - sudo apt-get update
diff --git a/lib/python/rose/apps/rose_ana_v1.py b/lib/python/rose/apps/rose_ana_v1.py
index 0d38f73b3a..784d986217 100644
--- a/lib/python/rose/apps/rose_ana_v1.py
+++ b/lib/python/rose/apps/rose_ana_v1.py
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ def execute_sql_retry(self, conn, sql_args, retries=10, timeout=5.0):
             try:
                 conn.execute(*sql_args)
                 return
-            except:
+            except sqlite3.Error:
                 time.sleep(timeout)
         # In the event that the retries are exceeded, re-raise the final
         # exception for the calling application to handle
diff --git a/lib/python/rose/config_cli.py b/lib/python/rose/config_cli.py
index 368f50610c..6bdf5c1b04 100644
--- a/lib/python/rose/config_cli.py
+++ b/lib/python/rose/config_cli.py
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ def main():
     if opts.keys_mode:
         try:
             keys = root_node.get(args, opts.no_ignore).value.keys()
-        except:
+        except AttributeError:
             sys.exit(1)
         keys.sort()
         for key in keys:
diff --git a/lib/python/rose/gtk/dialog.py b/lib/python/rose/gtk/dialog.py
index 62b8775f5e..313163b181 100644
--- a/lib/python/rose/gtk/dialog.py
+++ b/lib/python/rose/gtk/dialog.py
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ def run_dialog(dialog_type, text, title=None, modal=True,
     except glib.GError:
         try:
             dialog.label.set_markup(rose.gtk.util.safe_str(text))
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             dialog.label.set_text(text)
     else:
         dialog.label.set_markup(text)
diff --git a/lib/python/rose/gtk/splash.py b/lib/python/rose/gtk/splash.py
index e338eb72a8..6b842077a8 100755
--- a/lib/python/rose/gtk/splash.py
+++ b/lib/python/rose/gtk/splash.py
@@ -290,6 +290,7 @@ def _update_splash_screen(self, update_input):
             *update_input["args"], **update_input["kwargs"])
         return False
 
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     sys.path.append(os.getenv('ROSE_HOME'))
     splash_screen = SplashScreen(*sys.argv[1:])
diff --git a/lib/python/rose/meta_type.py b/lib/python/rose/meta_type.py
index 0710813277..019c8d88b5 100644
--- a/lib/python/rose/meta_type.py
+++ b/lib/python/rose/meta_type.py
@@ -216,5 +216,5 @@ def meta_type_transform(value, meta_type):
     c = c()
     try:
         return c.transform(value)
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         return False
diff --git a/lib/python/rose/metadata_check.py b/lib/python/rose/metadata_check.py
index df0f8aaff5..4e855aebe5 100644
--- a/lib/python/rose/metadata_check.py
+++ b/lib/python/rose/metadata_check.py
@@ -385,5 +385,6 @@ def main():
         sys.exit(1)
     reporter(rose.macro.MacroFinishNothingEvent(), level=reporter.V)
 
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()
diff --git a/lib/python/rose/metadata_gen.py b/lib/python/rose/metadata_gen.py
index 3ec75a86ae..fcd6d4557a 100644
--- a/lib/python/rose/metadata_gen.py
+++ b/lib/python/rose/metadata_gen.py
@@ -163,5 +163,6 @@ def main():
     dest_file = os.path.join(dest, rose.META_CONFIG_NAME)
     rose.config.dump(metadata_config, dest_file)
 
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()
diff --git a/lib/python/rose/reporter.py b/lib/python/rose/reporter.py
index 2e992874e2..b26c74f89e 100644
--- a/lib/python/rose/reporter.py
+++ b/lib/python/rose/reporter.py
@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ class ReporterContext(object):
     """
 
     TTY_COLOUR_ERR = "\033[1;31m"
+    TTY_COLOUR_NORM = "\033[0m"
 
     def __init__(self,
                  kind=None,
@@ -262,8 +263,9 @@ def write(self, message):
     def _tty_colour_err(self, s):
         try:
             if self.handle.isatty():
-                return self.TTY_COLOUR_ERR + s + "\033[0m"
-        except:
+                return "%s%s%s" % (self.TTY_COLOUR_ERR, s,
+                                   self.TTY_COLOUR_NORM)
+        except AttributeError:
             pass
         return s
 
diff --git a/lib/python/rose/run.py b/lib/python/rose/run.py
index 2f0d9ce855..367a4b1126 100644
--- a/lib/python/rose/run.py
+++ b/lib/python/rose/run.py
@@ -202,8 +202,8 @@ def run(self, opts, args):
         finally:
             # Close handle on specific log file
             try:
-                self.event_handler.contexts.get(uuid).handle.close()
-            except:
+                self.event_handler.contexts[uuid].handle.close()
+            except (KeyError, IOError, AttributeError):
                 pass
             # Remove work files
             for work_file in work_files:
@@ -212,12 +212,12 @@ def run(self, opts, args):
                         os.unlink(work_file)
                     elif os.path.isdir(work_file):
                         shutil.rmtree(work_file)
-                except:
+                except OSError:
                     pass
             # Change back to original working directory
             try:
                 os.chdir(cwd)
-            except:
+            except OSError:
                 pass
             # Reset os.environ
             os.environ = {}
diff --git a/lib/python/rosie/browser/util.py b/lib/python/rosie/browser/util.py
index c2655f79f9..088313b857 100644
--- a/lib/python/rosie/browser/util.py
+++ b/lib/python/rosie/browser/util.py
@@ -844,7 +844,7 @@ def set_show_controls(self):
         try:
             if self.adv_control_menuitem.get_active() != self.adv_controls_on:
                 self.adv_control_menuitem.set_active(self.adv_controls_on)
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             pass
         for child in self.filter_table.get_children():
             if isinstance(child, rosie.browser.util.BracketWidget):
diff --git a/lib/python/rosie/db_create.py b/lib/python/rosie/db_create.py
index 4afd6f5b2d..df54103476 100644
--- a/lib/python/rosie/db_create.py
+++ b/lib/python/rosie/db_create.py
@@ -216,5 +216,6 @@ def main():
                 repos_path = conf.get_value(["rosie-db", "repos." + prefix])
                 init(db_url, repos_path)
 
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()
diff --git a/lib/python/rosie/ws.py b/lib/python/rosie/ws.py
index 2a9154a988..30665eef9c 100644
--- a/lib/python/rosie/ws.py
+++ b/lib/python/rosie/ws.py
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ def index(self, *_):
         """Provide the index page."""
         try:
             return self._render()
-        except:
+        except (KeyError, AttributeError, jinja2.exceptions.TemplateError):
             import traceback
             traceback.print_exc()
 
diff --git a/t/syntax/00-lib.t b/t/syntax/00-pep8.t
similarity index 100%
rename from t/syntax/00-lib.t
rename to t/syntax/00-pep8.t
diff --git a/t/syntax/02-pycodestyle.t b/t/syntax/02-pycodestyle.t
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..516a51f763
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/syntax/02-pycodestyle.t
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# (C) British Crown Copyright 2012-7 Met Office.
+#
+# This file is part of Rose, a framework for meteorological suites.
+#
+# Rose is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# Rose is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with Rose. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+. "$(dirname "$0")/test_header"
+
+if ! pycodestyle --version 1>'/dev/null' 2>&1; then
+    skip_all '"pycodestyle" command not available'
+fi
+
+tests 3
+
+run_pass "${TEST_KEY_BASE}" \
+    pycodestyle --ignore=E402,E731 \
+    "${ROSE_HOME}/lib/python/isodatetime" \
+    "${ROSE_HOME}/lib/python/rose" \
+    "${ROSE_HOME}/lib/python/rosie"
+file_cmp "${TEST_KEY_BASE}.out" "${TEST_KEY_BASE}.out" <'/dev/null'
+file_cmp "${TEST_KEY_BASE}.err" "${TEST_KEY_BASE}.err" <'/dev/null'
+
+exit