diff --git a/bin/keystone-all b/bin/keystone-all
index 187a2ee15..b0ad224ea 100755
--- a/bin/keystone-all
+++ b/bin/keystone-all
@@ -20,10 +20,20 @@ if os.path.exists(os.path.join(possible_topdir,
 from paste import deploy
 import pbr.version
 
+from keystone.openstack.common import gettextutils
+
+# NOTE(blk-u):
+# gettextutils.install() must run to set _ before importing any modules that
+# contain static translated strings.
+#
+# Configure gettextutils for deferred translation of messages
+# so that error messages in responses can be translated according to the
+# Accept-Language in the request rather than the Keystone server locale.
+gettextutils.install('keystone', lazy=True)
+
 from keystone.common import environment
 from keystone.common import utils
 from keystone import config
-from keystone.openstack.common import gettextutils
 from keystone.openstack.common import importutils
 
 
@@ -67,11 +77,6 @@ def serve(*servers):
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    # NOTE(blk-u): Configure gettextutils for deferred translation of messages
-    # so that error messages in responses can be translated according to the
-    # Accept-Language in the request rather than the Keystone server locale.
-    gettextutils.install('keystone', lazy=True)
-
     dev_conf = os.path.join(possible_topdir,
                             'etc',
                             'keystone.conf')
diff --git a/bin/keystone-manage b/bin/keystone-manage
index 3eedea3b4..57bed58d8 100755
--- a/bin/keystone-manage
+++ b/bin/keystone-manage
@@ -13,13 +13,17 @@ if os.path.exists(os.path.join(possible_topdir,
                                '__init__.py')):
     sys.path.insert(0, possible_topdir)
 
+from keystone.openstack.common import gettextutils
+
+# NOTE(blk-u): gettextutils.install() must run to set _ before importing any
+# modules that contain static translated strings.
+gettextutils.install('keystone')
+
 from keystone import cli
 from keystone.common import environment
-from keystone.openstack.common import gettextutils
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
-    gettextutils.install('keystone')
     environment.use_stdlib()
 
     dev_conf = os.path.join(possible_topdir,
diff --git a/httpd/keystone.py b/httpd/keystone.py
index 39b5595a2..f6ed0a0e8 100644
--- a/httpd/keystone.py
+++ b/httpd/keystone.py
@@ -2,16 +2,22 @@ import os
 
 from paste import deploy
 
-from keystone.common import environment
-from keystone import config
 from keystone.openstack.common import gettextutils
-from keystone.openstack.common import log as logging
 
-# NOTE(blk-u): Configure gettextutils for deferred translation of messages
+# NOTE(blk-u):
+# gettextutils.install() must run to set _ before importing any modules that
+# contain static translated strings.
+#
+# Configure gettextutils for deferred translation of messages
 # so that error messages in responses can be translated according to the
 # Accept-Language in the request rather than the Keystone server locale.
 gettextutils.install('keystone', lazy=True)
 
+from keystone.common import environment
+from keystone import config
+from keystone.openstack.common import log as logging
+
+
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 CONF = config.CONF
 CONF(project='keystone')
diff --git a/keystone/exception.py b/keystone/exception.py
index c0edc263b..3bef16714 100644
--- a/keystone/exception.py
+++ b/keystone/exception.py
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 # under the License.
 
 from keystone.common import config
-from keystone.openstack.common.gettextutils import _  # noqa
 from keystone.openstack.common import log as logging
 
 
diff --git a/keystone/tests/__init__.py b/keystone/tests/__init__.py
index e69de29bb..a7faa0a26 100644
--- a/keystone/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/keystone/tests/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+
+from keystone.openstack.common import gettextutils
+
+
+# NOTE(blk-u):
+# gettextutils.install() must run to set _ before importing any modules that
+# contain static translated strings.
+#
+# Configure gettextutils for deferred translation of messages
+# so that error messages in responses can be translated according to the
+# Accept-Language in the request rather than the Keystone server locale.
+gettextutils.install('keystone', lazy=True)
diff --git a/keystone/tests/core.py b/keystone/tests/core.py
index cba6cbf8e..6abe6e244 100644
--- a/keystone/tests/core.py
+++ b/keystone/tests/core.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import StringIO
 import sys
 import time
 
-import gettext
 from lxml import etree
 import mox
 import nose.exc
@@ -31,8 +30,6 @@ from paste import deploy
 import stubout
 import unittest2 as unittest
 
-gettext.install('keystone', unicode=1)
-
 from keystone.common import environment
 environment.use_eventlet()
 
diff --git a/keystone/tests/test_wsgi.py b/keystone/tests/test_wsgi.py
index 0dfa94674..cc95fb446 100644
--- a/keystone/tests/test_wsgi.py
+++ b/keystone/tests/test_wsgi.py
@@ -298,3 +298,15 @@ class LocalizedResponseTest(test.TestCase):
                          'title': 'Not Found'}}
 
         self.assertEqual(exp, result)
+
+    def test_static_translated_string_is_Message(self):
+        # Statically created message strings are Message objects so that they
+        # are lazy-translated.
+        self.assertIsInstance(exception.Unauthorized.message_format,
+                              gettextutils.Message)
+
+    def test_dynamic_translated_string_is_Message(self):
+        # Dynamically created message strings are Message objects so that they
+        # are lazy-translated.
+        self.assertIsInstance(_('The resource could not be found.'),
+                              gettextutils.Message)