diff --git a/nova/api/openstack/compute/keypairs.py b/nova/api/openstack/compute/keypairs.py
index 1fa1684322..65dacfa638 100644
--- a/nova/api/openstack/compute/keypairs.py
+++ b/nova/api/openstack/compute/keypairs.py
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ from nova.api.openstack import wsgi
 from nova.api import validation
 from nova.compute import api as compute_api
 from nova import exception
-from nova.i18n import _
 from nova.objects import keypair as keypair_obj
 from nova.policies import keypairs as kp_policies
 
@@ -119,9 +118,8 @@ class KeypairController(wsgi.Controller):
                     context, user_id, name, key_type_value)
                 keypair['private_key'] = private_key
                 return_priv_key = True
-        except exception.KeypairLimitExceeded:
-            msg = _("Quota exceeded, too many key pairs.")
-            raise webob.exc.HTTPForbidden(explanation=msg)
+        except exception.KeypairLimitExceeded as e:
+            raise webob.exc.HTTPForbidden(explanation=str(e))
         except exception.InvalidKeypair as exc:
             raise webob.exc.HTTPBadRequest(explanation=exc.format_message())
         except exception.KeyPairExists as exc:
diff --git a/nova/exception.py b/nova/exception.py
index 136b3e865e..eeba922ced 100644
--- a/nova/exception.py
+++ b/nova/exception.py
@@ -1270,7 +1270,7 @@ class OnsetFileContentLimitExceeded(OnsetFileLimitExceeded):
 
 
 class KeypairLimitExceeded(OverQuota):
-    msg_fmt = _("Maximum number of key pairs exceeded")
+    msg_fmt = _("Quota exceeded, too many key pairs.")
 
 
 class SecurityGroupLimitExceeded(OverQuota):
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_keypairs.py b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_keypairs.py
index 7860f3d529..c10a6ddd00 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_keypairs.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_keypairs.py
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ class CreateImportSharedTestMixIn(object):
                        return_value={'user': {
                                          'key_pairs': CONF.quota.key_pairs}})
     def test_quota_limit(self, mock_count_as_dict):
-        msg = "Maximum number of key pairs exceeded"
+        msg = "Quota exceeded, too many key pairs."
         self.assertKeypairRaises(exception.KeypairLimitExceeded, msg, 'foo')