diff --git a/src/ilpy/_solver.py b/src/ilpy/_solver.py
index 8cbd2a0..d2dad43 100644
--- a/src/ilpy/_solver.py
+++ b/src/ilpy/_solver.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Callable
 
 from .expressions import Expression
-from .solver_backends import Preference, SolverBackend, create_backend
+from .solver_backends import Preference, SolverBackend, create_solver_backend
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from collections.abc import Iterator, Mapping, Sequence
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ def __init__(
         preference: Preference = Preference.Any,
     ) -> None:
         vtpes: dict[int, VariableType] = dict(variable_types) if variable_types else {}
-        self._backend: SolverBackend = create_backend(preference)
+        self._backend: SolverBackend = create_solver_backend(preference)
         self._num_variables = num_variables
         self._backend.initialize(num_variables, default_variable_type, vtpes)
 
diff --git a/src/ilpy/solver_backends/__init__.py b/src/ilpy/solver_backends/__init__.py
index 6d86d3e..c4590c6 100644
--- a/src/ilpy/solver_backends/__init__.py
+++ b/src/ilpy/solver_backends/__init__.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 from ._base import SolverBackend
 
-__all__ = ["Preference", "SolverBackend", "create_backend"]
+__all__ = ["Preference", "SolverBackend", "create_solver_backend"]
 
 
 class Preference(IntEnum):
@@ -15,20 +15,30 @@ class Preference(IntEnum):
     Gurobi = auto()
 
 
-def create_backend(preference: Preference) -> SolverBackend:
+def create_solver_backend(preference: Preference | str) -> SolverBackend:
     """Create a solver backend based on the preference."""
+    if not isinstance(preference, Preference):
+        preference = Preference[str(preference).title()]
+
     to_try = []
     if preference in (Preference.Any, Preference.Gurobi):
         to_try.append(("_gurobi", "GurobiSolver"))
-    elif preference in (Preference.Any, Preference.Scip):
+    if preference in (Preference.Any, Preference.Scip):
         to_try.append(("_scip", "ScipSolver"))
 
+    errors: list[tuple[str, BaseException]] = []
     for modname, clsname in to_try:
+        import_mod = f"ilpy.solver_backends.{modname}"
         try:
-            mod = __import__(f"ilpy.solver_backends.{modname}", fromlist=[clsname])
-        except ImportError:
-            continue
-        else:
-            return getattr(mod, clsname)()  # type: ignore [no-any-return]
-
-    raise ValueError(f"Unknown preference: {preference}")  # pragma: no cover
+            mod = __import__(import_mod, fromlist=[clsname])
+            cls = getattr(mod, clsname)
+            backend = cls()
+            assert isinstance(backend, SolverBackend)
+            return backend
+        except Exception as e:  # pragma: no cover
+            errors.append((f"{import_mod}::{clsname}", e))
+
+    raise RuntimeError(  # pragma: no cover
+        "Failed to create a solver backend. Tried:\n\n"
+        + "\n".join(f"- {name}:\n    {e}" for name, e in errors)
+    )
diff --git a/src/ilpy/solver_backends/_gurobi.py b/src/ilpy/solver_backends/_gurobi.py
index 1dc257d..a6d89d4 100644
--- a/src/ilpy/solver_backends/_gurobi.py
+++ b/src/ilpy/solver_backends/_gurobi.py
@@ -47,16 +47,23 @@
 
 
 class GurobiSolver(SolverBackend):
+    def __init__(self):
+        # we put this in __init__ instead of initialize so that it will raise an
+        # exception inside of create_backend if the module is imported but the
+        # license is not available
+        self._model = gb.Model()
+
     def initialize(
         self,
         num_variables: int,
         default_variable_type: VariableType,
         variable_types: Mapping[int, VariableType],  # TODO
     ) -> None:
-        self._model = model = gb.Model()
         # ilpy uses infinite bounds by default, but Gurobi uses 0 to infinity by default
         vtype = VTYPE_MAP[default_variable_type]
-        self._vars = model.addVars(num_variables, lb=-gb.GRB.INFINITY, vtype=vtype)
+        self._vars = self._model.addVars(
+            num_variables, lb=-gb.GRB.INFINITY, vtype=vtype
+        )
         self._event_callback: Callable[[Mapping[str, float | str]], None] | None = None
 
         # 2 = non-convex quadratic problems are solved by means of translating them
diff --git a/tests/test_solvers.py b/tests/test_solvers.py
index efb45e7..20a901d 100644
--- a/tests/test_solvers.py
+++ b/tests/test_solvers.py
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@
 # (this is the best way I could find to determine this so far)
 gu_marks = []
 try:
+    from ilpy.solver_backends import create_solver_backend
+
+    create_solver_backend(ilpy.Preference.Gurobi)
     import gurobipy as gb
 
-    ilpy.Solver(0, ilpy.VariableType.Binary, None, ilpy.Preference.Gurobi)
     HAVE_GUROBI = True
 except Exception as e:
     gu_marks.append(pytest.mark.xfail(reason=f"Gurobi error: {e}"))