diff --git a/tools/swig/run_java_example.sh b/tools/swig/run_java_example.sh
index c84be3527b..2f5b28bdce 100755
--- a/tools/swig/run_java_example.sh
+++ b/tools/swig/run_java_example.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+if [ ! -f libjavalammps.so ]
+then \
+    echo "Need to compile 'libjavalammps.so' first for this script to work"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 cat > example.java <<EOF
 public class example {
   static {
diff --git a/tools/swig/run_lua_example.sh b/tools/swig/run_lua_example.sh
index 2951345b94..988d80eda0 100755
--- a/tools/swig/run_lua_example.sh
+++ b/tools/swig/run_lua_example.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+if [ ! -f lualammps.so ]
+then \
+    echo "Need to compile 'lualammps.so' first for this script to work"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 cat > example.lua <<EOF
 require("lualammps")
 
diff --git a/tools/swig/run_perl_example.sh b/tools/swig/run_perl_example.sh
index e87bc3c81f..926f8f2a95 100755
--- a/tools/swig/run_perl_example.sh
+++ b/tools/swig/run_perl_example.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+if [ ! -f pllammps.so ]
+then \
+    echo "Need to compile 'pllammps.so' first for this script to work"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 cat > example.pl <<EOF
 use pllammps;
 
diff --git a/tools/swig/run_python_example.sh b/tools/swig/run_python_example.sh
index 1aef042e0a..22f9adafa2 100755
--- a/tools/swig/run_python_example.sh
+++ b/tools/swig/run_python_example.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+if [ ! -f _pylammps.so ]
+then \
+    echo "Need to compile '_pylammps.so' first for this script to work"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 cat > example.py <<EOF
 from pylammps import *
 
diff --git a/tools/swig/run_ruby_example.sh b/tools/swig/run_ruby_example.sh
index 48ad863138..e5583d1bfc 100755
--- a/tools/swig/run_ruby_example.sh
+++ b/tools/swig/run_ruby_example.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+if [ ! -f rubylammps.so ]
+then \
+    echo "Need to compile 'rubylammps.so' first for this script to work"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 cat > example.rb <<EOF
 require 'rubylammps'
 
diff --git a/tools/swig/run_tcl_example.sh b/tools/swig/run_tcl_example.sh
index 03263ce286..82606fa1b2 100755
--- a/tools/swig/run_tcl_example.sh
+++ b/tools/swig/run_tcl_example.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+if [ ! -f tcllammps.so ]
+then \
+    echo "Need to compile 'tcllammps.so' first for this script to work"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 cat > example.tcl <<EOF
 load ./tcllammps.so