diff --git a/swift/proxy/server.py b/swift/proxy/server.py
index 6061cc5f4b..c42632cc21 100644
--- a/swift/proxy/server.py
+++ b/swift/proxy/server.py
@@ -439,7 +439,9 @@ class Controller(object):
                 self.app.account_ring, partition, 'PUT',
                 path, [headers] * len(nodes))
             if not is_success(resp.status_int):
-                raise Exception('Could not autocreate account %r' % path)
+                self.app.logger.warning('Could not autocreate account %r' % \
+                                        path)
+                return None, None, None
             result_code = HTTP_OK
         if self.app.memcache and result_code in (HTTP_OK, HTTP_NOT_FOUND):
             if result_code == HTTP_OK:
@@ -1808,8 +1810,9 @@ class AccountController(Controller):
                 self.app.account_ring, partition, 'PUT',
                 '/' + self.account_name, [headers] * len(nodes))
             if not is_success(resp.status_int):
-                raise Exception('Could not autocreate account %r' %
-                                self.account_name)
+                self.app.logger.warning('Could not autocreate account %r' %
+                                        self.account_name)
+                return resp
             resp = self.GETorHEAD_base(req, _('Account'), partition, nodes,
                 req.path_info.rstrip('/'), len(nodes))
         self.app.logger.timing_since('%s.timing' % (stats_type,), start_time)
@@ -1876,8 +1879,9 @@ class AccountController(Controller):
                 self.app.account_ring, account_partition, 'PUT',
                 '/' + self.account_name, [headers] * len(accounts))
             if not is_success(resp.status_int):
-                raise Exception('Could not autocreate account %r' %
-                                self.account_name)
+                self.app.logger.warning('Could not autocreate account %r' %
+                                        self.account_name)
+                return resp
         self.app.logger.timing_since('POST.timing', start_time)
         return resp
 
diff --git a/test/unit/proxy/test_server.py b/test/unit/proxy/test_server.py
index 329b4597ef..6eddf9e152 100644
--- a/test/unit/proxy/test_server.py
+++ b/test/unit/proxy/test_server.py
@@ -450,13 +450,28 @@ class TestController(unittest.TestCase):
             proxy_server.http_connect = \
                 fake_http_connect(404, 404, 404, 503, 201, 503)
             exc = None
-            try:
-                partition, nodes, count = \
-                    self.controller.account_info(self.account, autocreate=True)
-            except Exception, err:
-                exc = err
-            self.assertEquals(str(exc),
-                              "Could not autocreate account '/some_account'")
+            partition, nodes, count = \
+                self.controller.account_info(self.account, autocreate=True)
+            self.check_account_info_return(partition, nodes, is_none=True)
+            self.assertEquals(None, count)
+
+            self.memcache.store = {}
+            proxy_server.http_connect = \
+                fake_http_connect(404, 404, 404, 403, 403, 403)
+            exc = None
+            partition, nodes, count = \
+                self.controller.account_info(self.account, autocreate=True)
+            self.check_account_info_return(partition, nodes, is_none=True)
+            self.assertEquals(None, count)
+            
+            self.memcache.store = {}
+            proxy_server.http_connect = \
+                fake_http_connect(404, 404, 404, 409, 409, 409)
+            exc = None
+            partition, nodes, count = \
+                self.controller.account_info(self.account, autocreate=True)
+            self.check_account_info_return(partition, nodes, is_none=True)
+            self.assertEquals(None, count)
 
     def check_container_info_return(self, ret, is_none=False):
         if is_none:
@@ -3812,6 +3827,11 @@ class TestAccountController(unittest.TestCase):
             controller.app.account_autocreate = True
             self.assert_status_map(controller.GET,
                 (404, 404, 404, 201, 201, 201, 204), 204)
+            self.assert_status_map(controller.GET,
+                (404, 404, 404, 403, 403, 403, 403), 403)
+            self.assert_status_map(controller.GET,
+                (404, 404, 404, 409, 409, 409, 409), 409)
+
 
     def test_HEAD(self):
         with save_globals():
@@ -3840,6 +3860,10 @@ class TestAccountController(unittest.TestCase):
             controller.app.account_autocreate = True
             self.assert_status_map(controller.HEAD,
                 (404, 404, 404, 201, 201, 201, 204), 204)
+            self.assert_status_map(controller.HEAD,
+                (404, 404, 404, 403, 403, 403, 403), 403)
+            self.assert_status_map(controller.HEAD,
+                (404, 404, 404, 409, 409, 409, 409), 409)
 
     def test_POST_autocreate(self):
         with save_globals():
@@ -3850,6 +3874,10 @@ class TestAccountController(unittest.TestCase):
             controller.app.account_autocreate = True
             self.assert_status_map(controller.POST,
                 (404, 404, 404, 201, 201, 201), 201)
+            self.assert_status_map(controller.POST,
+                (404, 404, 404, 403, 403, 403, 403), 403)
+            self.assert_status_map(controller.POST,
+                (404, 404, 404, 409, 409, 409, 409), 409)
 
     def test_connection_refused(self):
         self.app.account_ring.get_nodes('account')