diff --git a/bin/netsvc.py b/bin/netsvc.py
index 73cbdfceeff..fca2ece17c0 100644
--- a/bin/netsvc.py
+++ b/bin/netsvc.py
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ class TinySocketClientThread(threading.Thread):
                     import pdb
                     tb = sys.exc_info()[2]
                     pdb.post_mortem(tb)
-                e = Exception(e.message)
+                e = Exception(str(e))
                 ts.mysend(e, exception=True, traceback=tb_s)
             except:
                 pass
diff --git a/bin/sql_db.py b/bin/sql_db.py
index 3c348bcf010..2c67b3187b7 100644
--- a/bin/sql_db.py
+++ b/bin/sql_db.py
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ class PoolManager(object):
                 logger.notifyChannel('dbpool', netsvc.LOG_INFO, 'Connecting to %s' % (db_name,))
                 PoolManager._pools[db_name] = ConnectionPool(ThreadedConnectionPool(1, PoolManager.maxconn, PoolManager.dsn(db_name)), db_name)
             except Exception, e:
-                logger.notifyChannel('dbpool', netsvc.LOG_ERROR, 'Unable to connect to %s: %s' % (db_name, e.message))
+                logger.notifyChannel('dbpool', netsvc.LOG_ERROR, 'Unable to connect to %s: %s' % (db_name, str(e))
                 raise
         return PoolManager._pools[db_name]
     get = staticmethod(get)