diff --git a/senlin/tests/test_exception.py b/senlin/tests/test_exception.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cd4cff3b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/senlin/tests/test_exception.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# Copyright 2012 OpenStack Foundation
+# All Rights Reserved.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+# not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+# a copy of the License at
+#
+#         http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+
+import fixtures
+import six
+
+from senlin.common import exception
+from senlin.common.i18n import _
+from senlin.tests.common import base
+
+
+class TestException(exception.SenlinException):
+    msg_fmt = _("Testing message %(text)s")
+
+
+class TestSenlinException(base.SenlinTestCase):
+
+    def test_fatal_exception_error(self):
+        self.useFixture(fixtures.MonkeyPatch(
+            'senlin.common.exception._FATAL_EXCEPTION_FORMAT_ERRORS',
+            True))
+        self.assertRaises(KeyError, TestException)
+
+    def test_format_string_error_message(self):
+        message = "This format %(message)s should work"
+        err = exception.Error(message)
+        self.assertEqual(message, six.text_type(err))