diff --git a/tempest_lib/common/rest_client.py b/tempest_lib/common/rest_client.py
index 7988061..1102a85 100644
--- a/tempest_lib/common/rest_client.py
+++ b/tempest_lib/common/rest_client.py
@@ -436,7 +436,10 @@ class RestClient(object):
                                    req_body, resp_body, caller_name, extra)
 
     def _parse_resp(self, body):
-        body = json.loads(body)
+        try:
+            body = json.loads(body)
+        except ValueError:
+            return body
 
         # We assume, that if the first value of the deserialized body's
         # item set is a dict or a list, that we just return the first value
@@ -666,12 +669,18 @@ class RestClient(object):
             raise exceptions.InvalidContentType(str(resp.status))
 
         if resp.status == 401:
+            if parse_resp:
+                resp_body = self._parse_resp(resp_body)
             raise exceptions.Unauthorized(resp_body)
 
         if resp.status == 403:
+            if parse_resp:
+                resp_body = self._parse_resp(resp_body)
             raise exceptions.Forbidden(resp_body)
 
         if resp.status == 404:
+            if parse_resp:
+                resp_body = self._parse_resp(resp_body)
             raise exceptions.NotFound(resp_body)
 
         if resp.status == 400:
@@ -731,7 +740,7 @@ class RestClient(object):
             if resp.status == 501:
                 raise exceptions.NotImplemented(message)
             else:
-                raise exceptions.ServerFault(message)
+                raise exceptions.ServerFault(resp_body, message=message)
 
         if resp.status >= 400:
             raise exceptions.UnexpectedResponseCode(str(resp.status))
diff --git a/tempest_lib/exceptions.py b/tempest_lib/exceptions.py
index 90b0aca..d6f518c 100644
--- a/tempest_lib/exceptions.py
+++ b/tempest_lib/exceptions.py
@@ -47,7 +47,10 @@ class TempestException(Exception):
 
 class RestClientException(TempestException,
                           testtools.TestCase.failureException):
-    pass
+    def __init__(self, resp_body, *args, **kwargs):
+        self.resp_body = resp_body
+        message = kwargs.get("message", resp_body)
+        super(RestClientException, self).__init__(message, *args, **kwargs)
 
 
 class InvalidHttpSuccessCode(RestClientException):
diff --git a/tempest_lib/tests/test_rest_client.py b/tempest_lib/tests/test_rest_client.py
index 373ef31..0aaf03f 100644
--- a/tempest_lib/tests/test_rest_client.py
+++ b/tempest_lib/tests/test_rest_client.py
@@ -361,11 +361,86 @@ class TestRestClientErrorCheckerJSON(base.TestCase):
                           self.rest_client._error_checker,
                           **self.set_data("501"))
 
+    def test_response_400_with_dict(self):
+        r_body = '{"resp_body": {"err": "fake_resp_body"}}'
+        e = self.assertRaises(exceptions.BadRequest,
+                              self.rest_client._error_checker,
+                              **self.set_data("400", r_body=r_body))
+
+        if self.c_type == 'application/json':
+            expected = {"err": "fake_resp_body"}
+        else:
+            expected = r_body
+        self.assertEqual(expected, e.resp_body)
+
+    def test_response_401_with_dict(self):
+        r_body = '{"resp_body": {"err": "fake_resp_body"}}'
+        e = self.assertRaises(exceptions.Unauthorized,
+                              self.rest_client._error_checker,
+                              **self.set_data("401", r_body=r_body))
+
+        if self.c_type == 'application/json':
+            expected = {"err": "fake_resp_body"}
+        else:
+            expected = r_body
+        self.assertEqual(expected, e.resp_body)
+
+    def test_response_403_with_dict(self):
+        r_body = '{"resp_body": {"err": "fake_resp_body"}}'
+        e = self.assertRaises(exceptions.Forbidden,
+                              self.rest_client._error_checker,
+                              **self.set_data("403", r_body=r_body))
+
+        if self.c_type == 'application/json':
+            expected = {"err": "fake_resp_body"}
+        else:
+            expected = r_body
+        self.assertEqual(expected, e.resp_body)
+
+    def test_response_404_with_dict(self):
+        r_body = '{"resp_body": {"err": "fake_resp_body"}}'
+        e = self.assertRaises(exceptions.NotFound,
+                              self.rest_client._error_checker,
+                              **self.set_data("404", r_body=r_body))
+
+        if self.c_type == 'application/json':
+            expected = {"err": "fake_resp_body"}
+        else:
+            expected = r_body
+        self.assertEqual(expected, e.resp_body)
+
+    def test_response_404_with_invalid_dict(self):
+        r_body = '{"foo": "bar"]'
+        e = self.assertRaises(exceptions.NotFound,
+                              self.rest_client._error_checker,
+                              **self.set_data("404", r_body=r_body))
+
+        expected = r_body
+        self.assertEqual(expected, e.resp_body)
+
+    def test_response_409_with_dict(self):
+        r_body = '{"resp_body": {"err": "fake_resp_body"}}'
+        e = self.assertRaises(exceptions.Conflict,
+                              self.rest_client._error_checker,
+                              **self.set_data("409", r_body=r_body))
+
+        if self.c_type == 'application/json':
+            expected = {"err": "fake_resp_body"}
+        else:
+            expected = r_body
+        self.assertEqual(expected, e.resp_body)
+
     def test_response_500_with_dict(self):
         r_body = '{"resp_body": {"err": "fake_resp_body"}}'
-        self.assertRaises(exceptions.ServerFault,
-                          self.rest_client._error_checker,
-                          **self.set_data("500", r_body=r_body))
+        e = self.assertRaises(exceptions.ServerFault,
+                              self.rest_client._error_checker,
+                              **self.set_data("500", r_body=r_body))
+
+        if self.c_type == 'application/json':
+            expected = {"err": "fake_resp_body"}
+        else:
+            expected = r_body
+        self.assertEqual(expected, e.resp_body)
 
     def test_response_501_with_dict(self):
         r_body = '{"resp_body": {"err": "fake_resp_body"}}'