diff --git a/keystoneclient/auth/base.py b/keystoneclient/auth/base.py
index 9da90b74c..5b622e797 100644
--- a/keystoneclient/auth/base.py
+++ b/keystoneclient/auth/base.py
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import six
 import stevedore
 
 from keystoneclient import exceptions
-from keystoneclient.i18n import _
 
 
 # NOTE(jamielennox): The AUTH_INTERFACE is a special value that can be
@@ -44,8 +43,7 @@ def get_plugin_class(name):
                                       name=name,
                                       invoke_on_load=False)
     except RuntimeError:
-        msg = _('The plugin %s could not be found') % name
-        raise exceptions.NoMatchingPlugin(msg)
+        raise exceptions.NoMatchingPlugin(name)
 
     return mgr.driver
 
diff --git a/keystoneclient/exceptions.py b/keystoneclient/exceptions.py
index 241d27b30..a76aa3287 100644
--- a/keystoneclient/exceptions.py
+++ b/keystoneclient/exceptions.py
@@ -81,8 +81,19 @@ class MissingAuthPlugin(ClientException):
 class NoMatchingPlugin(ClientException):
     """There were no auth plugins that could be created from the parameters
     provided.
+
+    :param str name: The name of the plugin that was attempted to load.
+
+    .. py:attribute:: name
+
+        The name of the plugin that was attempted to load.
     """
 
+    def __init__(self, name):
+        self.name = name
+        msg = _('The plugin %s could not be found') % name
+        super(NoMatchingPlugin, self).__init__(msg)
+
 
 class InvalidResponse(ClientException):
     """The response from the server is not valid for this request."""
diff --git a/keystoneclient/tests/auth/test_conf.py b/keystoneclient/tests/auth/test_conf.py
index 342333f35..4945b3fc6 100644
--- a/keystoneclient/tests/auth/test_conf.py
+++ b/keystoneclient/tests/auth/test_conf.py
@@ -92,13 +92,16 @@ class ConfTests(utils.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(project_domain_name, a.project_domain_name)
 
     def test_loading_invalid_plugin(self):
-        self.conf_fixture.config(auth_plugin=uuid.uuid4().hex,
+        auth_plugin = uuid.uuid4().hex
+        self.conf_fixture.config(auth_plugin=auth_plugin,
                                  group=self.GROUP)
 
-        self.assertRaises(exceptions.NoMatchingPlugin,
-                          conf.load_from_conf_options,
-                          self.conf_fixture.conf,
-                          self.GROUP)
+        e = self.assertRaises(exceptions.NoMatchingPlugin,
+                              conf.load_from_conf_options,
+                              self.conf_fixture.conf,
+                              self.GROUP)
+
+        self.assertEqual(auth_plugin, e.name)
 
     def test_loading_with_no_data(self):
         self.assertIsNone(conf.load_from_conf_options(self.conf_fixture.conf,