diff --git a/python/scripts/nvbench_tooling_deps.py b/python/scripts/nvbench_tooling_deps.py
index fae6f68..0199a99 100644
--- a/python/scripts/nvbench_tooling_deps.py
+++ b/python/scripts/nvbench_tooling_deps.py
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@ def require_tooling_dependency(
 ) -> ModuleType:
     try:
         return importlib.import_module(dependency.import_name)
-    except ImportError as exc:
+    except ModuleNotFoundError as exc:
+        top_level_package = dependency.import_name.partition(".")[0]
+        if exc.name != top_level_package:
+            raise
         raise MissingToolingDependencyError(
             f"{tool_name} requires {dependency.package_name!r} for "
             f"{dependency.purpose}.\n\n"
diff --git a/python/test/test_nvbench_tooling_deps.py b/python/test/test_nvbench_tooling_deps.py
index ff91325..d9fbcb1 100644
--- a/python/test/test_nvbench_tooling_deps.py
+++ b/python/test/test_nvbench_tooling_deps.py
@@ -60,3 +60,44 @@ def test_require_tooling_dependency_reports_install_recipe(tooling_deps):
     assert "testing graceful failures" in message
     assert "python -m pip install 'cuda-bench[tools]'" in message
     assert missing_name in message
+
+
+def test_require_tooling_dependency_reraises_broken_package_import_error(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch, tooling_deps
+):
+    package_dir = tmp_path / "nvbench_broken_tooling_dependency_for_test"
+    package_dir.mkdir()
+    (package_dir / "__init__.py").write_text(
+        "raise ImportError('broken package')\n", encoding="utf-8"
+    )
+    monkeypatch.syspath_prepend(str(tmp_path))
+
+    with pytest.raises(ImportError, match="broken package"):
+        tooling_deps.require_tooling_dependency(
+            tooling_deps.ToolingDependency(
+                package_dir.name, package_dir.name, "testing broken imports"
+            ),
+            tool_name="test-tool",
+        )
+
+
+def test_require_tooling_dependency_reraises_transitive_module_not_found(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch, tooling_deps
+):
+    package_dir = tmp_path / "nvbench_transitive_missing_dependency_for_test"
+    package_dir.mkdir()
+    (package_dir / "__init__.py").write_text(
+        "import nvbench_missing_transitive_dependency_for_test\n",
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+    monkeypatch.syspath_prepend(str(tmp_path))
+
+    with pytest.raises(ModuleNotFoundError) as exc_info:
+        tooling_deps.require_tooling_dependency(
+            tooling_deps.ToolingDependency(
+                package_dir.name, package_dir.name, "testing transitive imports"
+            ),
+            tool_name="test-tool",
+        )
+
+    assert exc_info.value.name == "nvbench_missing_transitive_dependency_for_test"