diff --git a/nova/api/ec2/__init__.py b/nova/api/ec2/__init__.py
index 95792796fa56..f9c0a9a599d4 100644
--- a/nova/api/ec2/__init__.py
+++ b/nova/api/ec2/__init__.py
@@ -17,33 +17,69 @@
 import webob.dec
 import webob.exc
 
+from oslo_log import log as logging
+
+from nova.i18n import _LW
 from nova import wsgi
 
+LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+_DEPRECATED_MIDDLEWARE = (
+    '%s has been deprecated and removed from Nova in Mitaka. '
+    'You will need to remove lines referencing it in your paste.ini before '
+    'upgrade to Newton or your cloud will break.')
+
 _DEPRECATION_MESSAGE = ('The in tree EC2 API has been removed in Mitaka. '
                         'Please remove entries from api-paste.ini')
 
+# NOTE(sdague): this whole file is safe to remove in Newton. We just
+# needed a release cycle for it.
+
 
 class DeprecatedMiddleware(wsgi.Middleware):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super(DeprecatedMiddleware, self).__init__(args[0])
+        LOG.warn(_LW(_DEPRECATED_MIDDLEWARE % type(self).__name__))  # noqa
 
     @webob.dec.wsgify(RequestClass=wsgi.Request)
     def __call__(self, req):
-        return webob.exc.HTTPException(message=_DEPRECATION_MESSAGE)
+        # deprecated middleware needs to be a no op, not an exception
+        return req.get_response(self.application)
 
 
-class DeprecatedApplication(wsgi.Application):
+class FaultWrapper(DeprecatedMiddleware):
+    pass
+
+
+class Lockout(DeprecatedMiddleware):
+    pass
+
+
+class EC2KeystoneAuth(DeprecatedMiddleware):
+    pass
+
+
+class NoAuth(DeprecatedMiddleware):
+    pass
+
+
+class Requestify(DeprecatedMiddleware):
+    pass
+
+
+class Authorizer(DeprecatedMiddleware):
+    pass
+
+
+class RequestLogging(DeprecatedMiddleware):
+    pass
+
+
+class Validator(DeprecatedMiddleware):
+    pass
+
+
+class Executor(wsgi.Application):
     @webob.dec.wsgify(RequestClass=wsgi.Request)
     def __call__(self, req):
-        return webob.exc.HTTPException(message=_DEPRECATION_MESSAGE)
-
-
-FaultWrapper = DeprecatedMiddleware
-RequestLogging = DeprecatedMiddleware
-Lockout = DeprecatedMiddleware
-EC2KeystoneAuth = DeprecatedMiddleware
-NoAuth = DeprecatedMiddleware
-Requestify = DeprecatedMiddleware
-Authorizer = DeprecatedMiddleware
-Validator = DeprecatedMiddleware
-Executor = DeprecatedApplication
+        return webob.exc.HTTPNotFound(explanation=_DEPRECATION_MESSAGE)