diff --git a/bin/heat-api b/bin/heat-api
index a05a64bdb9..18c619156f 100755
--- a/bin/heat-api
+++ b/bin/heat-api
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import eventlet
 eventlet.monkey_patch(os=False)
 
 import os
+import six
 import sys
 
 # If ../heat/__init__.py exists, add ../ to Python search path, so that
@@ -61,4 +62,5 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         systemd.notify_once()
         server.wait()
     except RuntimeError as e:
-        sys.exit("ERROR: %s" % e)
+        msg = six.text_type(e)
+        sys.exit("ERROR: %s" % msg)
diff --git a/bin/heat-api-cfn b/bin/heat-api-cfn
index 079a8b939d..fa0dd60e6b 100755
--- a/bin/heat-api-cfn
+++ b/bin/heat-api-cfn
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import eventlet
 eventlet.monkey_patch(os=False)
 
 import os
+import six
 import sys
 
 # If ../heat/__init__.py exists, add ../ to Python search path, so that
@@ -63,4 +64,5 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         systemd.notify_once()
         server.wait()
     except RuntimeError as e:
-        sys.exit("ERROR: %s" % e)
+        msg = six.text_type(e)
+        sys.exit("ERROR: %s" % msg)
diff --git a/bin/heat-api-cloudwatch b/bin/heat-api-cloudwatch
index ad966c61ce..c7d933a2b8 100755
--- a/bin/heat-api-cloudwatch
+++ b/bin/heat-api-cloudwatch
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import eventlet
 eventlet.monkey_patch(os=False)
 
 import os
+import six
 import sys
 
 # If ../heat/__init__.py exists, add ../ to Python search path, so that
@@ -63,4 +64,5 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         systemd.notify_once()
         server.wait()
     except RuntimeError as e:
-        sys.exit("ERROR: %s" % e)
+        msg = six.text_type(e)
+        sys.exit("ERROR: %s" % msg)