diff --git a/MAC/Services/src/CMakeLists.txt b/MAC/Services/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 286bde15ebb4af8fc1e9d443a55f8a9c8c2b1b00..b572a1c70beef07e7d2ac4ec5360975b05120df0 100644
--- a/MAC/Services/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/MAC/Services/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 include(FindPythonModule)
 
-find_python_module(fabric REQUIRED)
+find_python_module(fabric)
 
 lofar_add_bin_scripts(
   pipelinecontrol
diff --git a/MAC/Services/src/ObservationControl2.py b/MAC/Services/src/ObservationControl2.py
index 8868790e5bc1b466a88bd693ba6a0caa79dd2983..c40ecde345b8b4191a8fa2b68457424375104ad0 100644
--- a/MAC/Services/src/ObservationControl2.py
+++ b/MAC/Services/src/ObservationControl2.py
@@ -19,10 +19,16 @@
 # with the LOFAR software suite. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 import os
 import logging
-from fabric import tasks
 from optparse import OptionParser
 
-from fabric.api import env, run
+try:
+    from fabric import tasks
+    from fabric.api import env, run
+except ImportError as e:
+    print str(e)
+    print 'Please install python package fabric: sudo apt-get install fabric'
+    exit(1)
+
 from lofar.messaging import Service
 from lofar.messaging import setQpidLogLevel
 from lofar.common.util import waitForInterrupt