diff --git a/heat/engine/resource.py b/heat/engine/resource.py
index 999ebda549..777929c089 100644
--- a/heat/engine/resource.py
+++ b/heat/engine/resource.py
@@ -155,9 +155,13 @@ class Resource(object):
         return super(Resource, cls).__new__(ResourceClass)
 
     def __init__(self, name, definition, stack):
-        if '/' in name:
-            raise ValueError(_('Resource name may not contain "/"'))
 
+        def _validate_name(res_name):
+            if '/' in res_name:
+                message = _('Resource name may not contain "/"')
+                raise exception.StackValidationFailed(message=message)
+
+        _validate_name(name)
         self.stack = stack
         self.context = stack.context
         self.name = name
diff --git a/heat/engine/stack.py b/heat/engine/stack.py
index 3a69319e89..e033c59a34 100644
--- a/heat/engine/stack.py
+++ b/heat/engine/stack.py
@@ -86,12 +86,15 @@ class Stack(collections.Mapping):
         stack is already in the database.
         '''
 
+        def _validate_stack_name(name):
+            if not re.match("[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_.-]*$", name):
+                message = _('Invalid stack name %s must contain '
+                            'only alphanumeric or \"_-.\" characters, '
+                            'must start with alpha') % name
+                raise exception.StackValidationFailed(message=message)
+
         if owner_id is None:
-            if re.match("[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_.-]*$", stack_name) is None:
-                raise ValueError(_('Invalid stack name %s'
-                                   ' must contain only alphanumeric or '
-                                   '\"_-.\" characters, must start with alpha'
-                                   ) % stack_name)
+            _validate_stack_name(stack_name)
 
         self.id = stack_id
         self.owner_id = owner_id
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_engine_service.py b/heat/tests/test_engine_service.py
index 27e590300a..e5687f41d7 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_engine_service.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_engine_service.py
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ class StackServiceCreateUpdateDeleteTest(common.HeatTestCase):
         stack_name = 'service_create/test_stack'
         stack = get_wordpress_stack('test_stack', self.ctx)
 
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError,
+        self.assertRaises(dispatcher.ExpectedException,
                           self.man.create_stack,
                           self.ctx, stack_name, stack.t.t, {}, None, {})
 
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ class StackServiceCreateUpdateDeleteTest(common.HeatTestCase):
         tmpl['Resources']['Web/Server'] = tmpl['Resources']['WebServer']
         del tmpl['Resources']['WebServer']
 
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError,
+        self.assertRaises(dispatcher.ExpectedException,
                           self.man.create_stack,
                           self.ctx, stack_name,
                           stack.t.t, {}, None, {})
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_parser.py b/heat/tests/test_parser.py
index b6e89b99f6..dbc4fd9e38 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_parser.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_parser.py
@@ -3671,38 +3671,13 @@ class StackTest(common.HeatTestCase):
         self.assertIsInstance(stack, parser.Stack)
 
     def test_stack_name_invalid(self):
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, '_foo',
-                          self.tmpl)
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, '1bad',
-                          self.tmpl)
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, '.kcats',
-                          self.tmpl)
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, 'test stack',
-                          self.tmpl)
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, ' teststack',
-                          self.tmpl)
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, '^-^',
-                          self.tmpl)
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, '\"stack\"',
-                          self.tmpl)
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, '1234',
-                          self.tmpl)
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, 'cat|dog',
-                          self.tmpl)
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, '$(foo)',
-                          self.tmpl)
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, 'test/stack',
-                          self.tmpl)
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, 'test\stack',
-                          self.tmpl)
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, 'test::stack',
-                          self.tmpl)
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, 'test;stack',
-                          self.tmpl)
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, 'test~stack',
-                          self.tmpl)
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, parser.Stack, self.ctx, '#test',
-                          self.tmpl)
+        stack_names = ['_foo', '1bad', '.kcats', 'test stack', ' teststack',
+                       '^-^', '\"stack\"', '1234', 'cat|dog', '$(foo)',
+                       'test/stack', 'test\stack', 'test::stack', 'test;stack',
+                       'test~stack', '#test']
+        for stack_name in stack_names:
+            self.assertRaises(exception.StackValidationFailed, parser.Stack,
+                              self.ctx, stack_name, self.tmpl)
 
     def test_resource_state_get_att(self):
         tmpl = {
diff --git a/heat/tests/test_resource.py b/heat/tests/test_resource.py
index 65eeb754d7..7a7c24225b 100644
--- a/heat/tests/test_resource.py
+++ b/heat/tests/test_resource.py
@@ -80,6 +80,15 @@ class ResourceTest(common.HeatTestCase):
         self.assertIsInstance(res, generic_rsrc.GenericResource)
         self.assertEqual("INIT", res.action)
 
+    def test_resource_invalid_name(self):
+        snippet = rsrc_defn.ResourceDefinition('wrong/name',
+                                               'GenericResourceType')
+        ex = self.assertRaises(exception.StackValidationFailed,
+                               resource.Resource, 'wrong/name',
+                               snippet, self.stack)
+        self.assertEqual('Resource name may not contain "/"',
+                         six.text_type(ex))
+
     def test_resource_new_stack_not_stored(self):
         snippet = rsrc_defn.ResourceDefinition('aresource',
                                                'GenericResourceType')