diff --git a/bin/heat-api b/bin/heat-api
index 3f9eeeabd9..d9f7495e22 100755
--- a/bin/heat-api
+++ b/bin/heat-api
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ if os.path.exists(os.path.join(possible_topdir, 'heat', '__init__.py')):
 
 from heat.openstack.common import gettextutils
 
-gettextutils.install('heat', lazy=False)
+gettextutils.enable_lazy()
+gettextutils.install('heat', lazy=True)
 
 from oslo.config import cfg
 
diff --git a/bin/heat-api-cfn b/bin/heat-api-cfn
index 03a14028b2..54bdf637f7 100755
--- a/bin/heat-api-cfn
+++ b/bin/heat-api-cfn
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ if os.path.exists(os.path.join(possible_topdir, 'heat', '__init__.py')):
 
 from heat.openstack.common import gettextutils
 
-gettextutils.install('heat', lazy=False)
+gettextutils.enable_lazy()
+gettextutils.install('heat', lazy=True)
 
 from oslo.config import cfg
 
diff --git a/bin/heat-api-cloudwatch b/bin/heat-api-cloudwatch
index 9100e878e9..79feb70a9f 100755
--- a/bin/heat-api-cloudwatch
+++ b/bin/heat-api-cloudwatch
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ if os.path.exists(os.path.join(possible_topdir, 'heat', '__init__.py')):
 
 from heat.openstack.common import gettextutils
 
-gettextutils.install('heat', lazy=False)
+gettextutils.enable_lazy()
+gettextutils.install('heat', lazy=True)
 
 from oslo.config import cfg
 
diff --git a/bin/heat-engine b/bin/heat-engine
index 6f05e167c1..185d48ee1f 100755
--- a/bin/heat-engine
+++ b/bin/heat-engine
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ if os.path.exists(os.path.join(POSSIBLE_TOPDIR, 'heat', '__init__.py')):
 
 from heat.openstack.common import gettextutils
 
-gettextutils.install('heat', lazy=False)
+gettextutils.enable_lazy()
+gettextutils.install('heat', lazy=True)
 
 from oslo.config import cfg
 
diff --git a/heat/common/exception.py b/heat/common/exception.py
index b196f6d53a..6f2150fd41 100644
--- a/heat/common/exception.py
+++ b/heat/common/exception.py
@@ -119,11 +119,14 @@ class HeatException(Exception):
                 raise exc_info[0], exc_info[1], exc_info[2]
 
     def __str__(self):
-        return str(self.message)
+        return unicode(self.message).encode('UTF-8')
 
     def __unicode__(self):
         return unicode(self.message)
 
+    def __deepcopy__(self, memo):
+        return self.__class__(**self.kwargs)
+
 
 class MissingCredentialError(HeatException):
     msg_fmt = _("Missing required credential: %(required)s")
diff --git a/heat/common/wsgi.py b/heat/common/wsgi.py
index 7773e55696..e9596b72ae 100644
--- a/heat/common/wsgi.py
+++ b/heat/common/wsgi.py
@@ -758,7 +758,7 @@ def log_exception(err, exc_info):
 
 def translate_exception(exc, locale):
     """Translates all translatable elements of the given exception."""
-    exc.message = gettextutils.translate(str(exc), locale)
+    exc.message = gettextutils.translate(unicode(exc), locale)
     if isinstance(exc, webob.exc.HTTPError):
         # If the explanation is not a Message, that means that the
         # explanation is the default, generic and not translatable explanation
@@ -767,7 +767,7 @@ def translate_exception(exc, locale):
         # message, since message is what gets passed in at construction time
         # in the API
         if not isinstance(exc.explanation, gettextutils.Message):
-            exc.explanation = str(exc)
+            exc.explanation = unicode(exc)
             exc.detail = ''
         else:
             exc.explanation = \