diff --git a/neutron/api/v2/resource.py b/neutron/api/v2/resource.py
index 0066846aab..8a69b55577 100644
--- a/neutron/api/v2/resource.py
+++ b/neutron/api/v2/resource.py
@@ -86,7 +86,10 @@ def Resource(controller, faults=None, deserializers=None, serializers=None):
                 netaddr.AddrFormatError) as e:
             LOG.exception(_('%s failed'), action)
             e = translate(e, language)
-            body = serializer.serialize({'NeutronError': e})
+            # following structure is expected by python-neutronclient
+            err_data = {'type': e.__class__.__name__,
+                        'message': e, 'detail': ''}
+            body = serializer.serialize({'NeutronError': err_data})
             kwargs = {'body': body, 'content_type': content_type}
             for fault in faults:
                 if isinstance(e, fault):
diff --git a/neutron/tests/unit/test_api_v2.py b/neutron/tests/unit/test_api_v2.py
index 012822e0d6..3268bbac18 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/unit/test_api_v2.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/unit/test_api_v2.py
@@ -1315,7 +1315,7 @@ class QuotaTest(APIv2TestBase):
         instance.get_networks_count.assert_called_with(mock.ANY,
                                                        filters=mock.ANY)
         self.assertIn("Quota exceeded for resources",
-                      res.json['NeutronError'])
+                      res.json['NeutronError']['message'])
 
     def test_create_network_quota_no_counts(self):
         cfg.CONF.set_override('quota_network', 1, group='QUOTAS')
@@ -1332,7 +1332,7 @@ class QuotaTest(APIv2TestBase):
         instance.get_networks_count.assert_called_with(mock.ANY,
                                                        filters=mock.ANY)
         self.assertIn("Quota exceeded for resources",
-                      res.json['NeutronError'])
+                      res.json['NeutronError']['message'])
 
     def test_create_network_quota_without_limit(self):
         cfg.CONF.set_override('quota_network', -1, group='QUOTAS')
diff --git a/neutron/tests/unit/test_api_v2_resource.py b/neutron/tests/unit/test_api_v2_resource.py
index 3ada9cf646..564a01c4ce 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/unit/test_api_v2_resource.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/unit/test_api_v2_resource.py
@@ -129,7 +129,11 @@ class ResourceTestCase(base.BaseTestCase):
 
         class TestException(q_exc.NeutronException):
             message = msg
-        expected_res = {'body': {'NeutronError': msg}}
+        expected_res = {'body': {
+            'NeutronError': {
+                'type': 'TestException',
+                'message': msg,
+                'detail': ''}}}
         controller = mock.MagicMock()
         controller.test.side_effect = TestException()
 
@@ -147,7 +151,11 @@ class ResourceTestCase(base.BaseTestCase):
 
         class TestException(q_exc.NeutronException):
             message = msg
-        expected_res = {'body': {'NeutronError': msg}}
+        expected_res = {'body': {
+            'NeutronError': {
+                'type': 'TestException',
+                'message': msg,
+                'detail': ''}}}
         controller = mock.MagicMock()
         controller.test.side_effect = TestException()
 
@@ -187,7 +195,11 @@ class ResourceTestCase(base.BaseTestCase):
 
         class TestException(q_exc.NeutronException):
             message = msg
-        expected_res = {'body': {'NeutronError': msg}}
+        expected_res = {'body': {
+            'NeutronError': {
+                'type': 'TestException',
+                'message': msg,
+                'detail': ''}}}
         controller = mock.MagicMock()
         controller.test.side_effect = TestException()
 
@@ -207,7 +219,11 @@ class ResourceTestCase(base.BaseTestCase):
 
         class TestException(q_exc.NeutronException):
             message = msg
-        expected_res = {'body': {'NeutronError': msg}}
+        expected_res = {'body': {
+            'NeutronError': {
+                'type': 'TestException',
+                'message': msg,
+                'detail': ''}}}
         controller = mock.MagicMock()
         controller.test.side_effect = TestException()
 
diff --git a/neutron/tests/unit/test_db_plugin.py b/neutron/tests/unit/test_db_plugin.py
index 9d7da0621e..002f283886 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/unit/test_db_plugin.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/unit/test_db_plugin.py
@@ -1162,7 +1162,7 @@ fixed_ips=ip_address%%3D%s&fixed_ips=ip_address%%3D%s&fixed_ips=subnet_id%%3D%s
             res = self._create_port(self.fmt, id)
             data = self.deserialize(self.fmt, res)
             msg = str(q_exc.IpAddressGenerationFailure(net_id=id))
-            self.assertEqual(data['NeutronError'], msg)
+            self.assertEqual(data['NeutronError']['message'], msg)
             self.assertEqual(res.status_int, webob.exc.HTTPConflict.code)
 
     def test_update_port_update_ip(self):
@@ -2477,7 +2477,7 @@ class TestSubnetsV2(NeutronDbPluginV2TestCase):
                 data = self.deserialize(self.fmt, res)
                 self.assertEqual(res.status_int, webob.exc.HTTPConflict.code)
                 msg = str(q_exc.SubnetInUse(subnet_id=id))
-                self.assertEqual(data['NeutronError'], msg)
+                self.assertEqual(data['NeutronError']['message'], msg)
 
     def test_delete_network(self):
         gateway_ip = '10.0.0.1'