diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index e46362eb9..500af52e1 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -11,7 +11,15 @@ Features
 * Discovery of volumes being attached to a host for many transport protocols.
 * Removal of volumes from a host.
 
+Hacking
+-------
 
+Hacking on brick requires python-gdbm (for Debian derived distributions),
+Python 2.7 and Python 3.4. A recent tox is required, as is a recent virtualenv
+(13.1.0 or newer).
+
+If "tox -e py34" fails with the error "db type could not be determined", remove
+the .testrepository/ directory and then run "tox -e py34".
 
 For any other imformation, refer to the parent project, Cinder:
   https://github.com/openstack/cinder
diff --git a/os_brick/exception.py b/os_brick/exception.py
index c4769af5e..dcc0c23f1 100644
--- a/os_brick/exception.py
+++ b/os_brick/exception.py
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ class BrickException(Exception):
 
     def __init__(self, message=None, **kwargs):
         self.kwargs = kwargs
-        self.kwargs['message'] = message
 
         if 'code' not in self.kwargs:
             try:
@@ -45,11 +44,7 @@ class BrickException(Exception):
             except AttributeError:
                 pass
 
-        for k, v in self.kwargs.items():
-            if isinstance(v, Exception):
-                self.kwargs[k] = six.text_type(v)
-
-        if self._should_format():
+        if not message:
             try:
                 message = self.message % kwargs
 
@@ -73,9 +68,6 @@ class BrickException(Exception):
     def __unicode__(self):
         return six.text_type(self.msg)
 
-    def _should_format(self):
-        return self.kwargs['message'] is None or '%(message)' in self.message
-
 
 class NotFound(BrickException):
     message = _("Resource could not be found.")
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index bd645da02..b3e4af0a9 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tox]
 minversion = 1.6
-envlist = py27,py34,pep8
+envlist = py34,py27,pep8
 skipsdist = True
 
 [testenv]
@@ -28,19 +28,6 @@ commands = python setup.py testr --coverage --testr-args='{posargs}'
 [testenv:docs]
 commands = python setup.py build_sphinx
 
-[testenv:py34]
-commands =
-  find . -type f -name "*.pyc" -delete
-  python -m testtools.run \
-    os_brick.tests.test_brick \
-    os_brick.tests.test_exception \
-    os_brick.tests.test_utils \
-    os_brick.tests.initiator.test_connector \
-    os_brick.tests.initiator.test_linuxfc \
-    os_brick.tests.initiator.test_linuxrbd \
-    os_brick.tests.initiator.test_linuxscsi
-
-
 [flake8]
 # H803 skipped on purpose per list discussion.
 # E123, E125 skipped as they are invalid PEP-8.