diff --git a/heat/api/middleware/fault.py b/heat/api/middleware/fault.py
index 8f8083d5c0..eda705c42c 100644
--- a/heat/api/middleware/fault.py
+++ b/heat/api/middleware/fault.py
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ Cinder's faultwrapper
 
 import traceback
 import webob
+from oslo.config import cfg
+
+cfg.CONF.import_opt('debug', 'heat.openstack.common.log')
 
 from heat.common import exception
 from heat.openstack.common import log as logging
@@ -81,7 +84,8 @@ class FaultWrapper(wsgi.Middleware):
         if isinstance(ex, exception.HTTPExceptionDisguise):
             # An HTTP exception was disguised so it could make it here
             # let's remove the disguise and set the original HTTP exception
-            trace = ''.join(traceback.format_tb(ex.tb))
+            if cfg.CONF.debug:
+                trace = ''.join(traceback.format_tb(ex.tb))
             ex = ex.exc
             webob_exc = ex
 
@@ -92,7 +96,7 @@ class FaultWrapper(wsgi.Middleware):
 
         message = str(ex.message)
 
-        if not trace:
+        if cfg.CONF.debug and not trace:
             trace = str(ex)
             if trace.find('\n') > -1:
                 unused, trace = trace.split('\n', 1)
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_api_openstack_v1.py b/heat/tests/test_api_openstack_v1.py
index 8921ab1bfe..8f4197038e 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_api_openstack_v1.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_api_openstack_v1.py
@@ -647,6 +647,7 @@ class StackControllerTest(ControllerTest, HeatTestCase):
         self.m.VerifyAll()
 
     def test_create_err_stack_bad_reqest(self):
+        cfg.CONF.set_override('debug', True)
         template = {u'Foo': u'bar'}
         parameters = {u'InstanceType': u'm1.xlarge'}
         body = {'template': template,
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_fault_middleware.py b/heat/tests/test_fault_middleware.py
index b114b1a5c2..9fe55191ec 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_fault_middleware.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_fault_middleware.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class FaultMiddlewareTest(HeatTestCase):
         msg = wrapper._error(heat_exc.StackNotFound(stack_name='a'))
         expected = {'code': 404,
                     'error': {'message': 'The Stack (a) could not be found.',
-                              'traceback': 'None\n',
+                              'traceback': None,
                               'type': 'StackNotFound'},
                     'explanation': 'The resource could not be found.',
                     'title': 'Not Found'}
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class FaultMiddlewareTest(HeatTestCase):
         expected = {'code': 500,
                     'error': {'message': 'Response from Keystone does '
                                          'not contain a Heat endpoint.',
-                              'traceback': 'None\n',
+                              'traceback': None,
                               'type': 'NoServiceEndpoint'},
                     'explanation': 'The server has either erred or is '
                                    'incapable of performing the requested '
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ class FaultMiddlewareTest(HeatTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(msg, expected)
 
     def test_remote_exception(self):
+        # We want tracebacks
+        cfg.CONF.set_override('debug', True)
         error = heat_exc.StackNotFound(stack_name='a')
         exc_info = (type(error), error, None)
         serialized = rpc_common.serialize_remote_exception(exc_info)