diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/auth/Auth.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/auth/Auth.java
index 67914554e968..45b4435bf9f2 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/auth/Auth.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/auth/Auth.java
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 import org.apache.cassandra.config.DatabaseDescriptor;
 import org.apache.cassandra.cql3.UntypedResultSet;
 import org.apache.cassandra.cql3.QueryProcessor;
-import org.apache.cassandra.exceptions.UnavailableException;
+import org.apache.cassandra.exceptions.RequestExecutionException;
 import org.apache.cassandra.service.MigrationManager;
 import org.apache.cassandra.service.StorageService;
 
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public static boolean isExistingUser(String username)
         {
             return !QueryProcessor.process(query).isEmpty();
         }
-        catch (UnavailableException e)
+        catch (RequestExecutionException e)
         {
             throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public static boolean isSuperuser(String username)
             UntypedResultSet result = QueryProcessor.process(query);
             return !result.isEmpty() && result.one().getBoolean("super");
         }
-        catch (UnavailableException e)
+        catch (RequestExecutionException e)
         {
             throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ public static boolean isSuperuser(String username)
      * @param username Username to insert.
      * @param isSuper User's new status.
      */
-    public static void insertUser(String username, boolean isSuper) throws UnavailableException
+    public static void insertUser(String username, boolean isSuper) throws RequestExecutionException
     {
         QueryProcessor.process(String.format("INSERT INTO %s.%s (name, super) VALUES ('%s', %s)",
                                              AUTH_KS,
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ public static void insertUser(String username, boolean isSuper) throws Unavailab
      *
      * @param username Username to delete.
      */
-    public static void deleteUser(String username) throws UnavailableException
+    public static void deleteUser(String username) throws RequestExecutionException
     {
         QueryProcessor.process(String.format("DELETE FROM %s.%s WHERE name = '%s'",
                                              AUTH_KS,
@@ -128,9 +128,9 @@ public void run()
                     if (QueryProcessor.process(String.format("SELECT * FROM %s.%s", AUTH_KS, USERS_CF)).isEmpty())
                         insertUser(DEFAULT_SUPERUSER_NAME, true);
                 }
-                catch (UnavailableException e)
+                catch (RequestExecutionException e)
                 {
-                    logger.warn("Skipping default superuser setup: some nodes are unavailable");
+                    logger.warn("Skipping default superuser setup: some nodes are not ready");
                 }
             }
         };
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/QueryProcessor.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/QueryProcessor.java
index e172e5963c06..fec45e6cee98 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/QueryProcessor.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/QueryProcessor.java
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ public static ResultMessage process(String queryString, ConsistencyLevel cl, Que
         return processStatement(getStatement(queryString, queryState.getClientState()).statement, cl, queryState, Collections.<ByteBuffer>emptyList());
     }
 
-    public static UntypedResultSet process(String query) throws UnavailableException
+    public static UntypedResultSet process(String query) throws RequestExecutionException
     {
         try
         {
@@ -151,17 +151,9 @@ public static UntypedResultSet process(String query) throws UnavailableException
             else
                 return null;
         }
-        catch (UnavailableException e)
-        {
-            throw e;
-        }
-        catch (RequestExecutionException e)
-        {
-            throw new RuntimeException(e);
-        }
         catch (RequestValidationException e)
         {
-            throw new AssertionError(e);
+            throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/AlterUserStatement.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/AlterUserStatement.java
index 16872a2b1222..68c3d0da0cb1 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/AlterUserStatement.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/AlterUserStatement.java
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
 import org.apache.cassandra.config.DatabaseDescriptor;
 import org.apache.cassandra.cql3.UserOptions;
 import org.apache.cassandra.exceptions.InvalidRequestException;
+import org.apache.cassandra.exceptions.RequestExecutionException;
 import org.apache.cassandra.exceptions.UnauthorizedException;
-import org.apache.cassandra.exceptions.UnavailableException;
 import org.apache.cassandra.service.ClientState;
 import org.apache.cassandra.transport.messages.ResultMessage;
 
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ public void checkAccess(ClientState state) throws UnauthorizedException
         }
     }
 
-    public ResultMessage execute(ClientState state) throws InvalidRequestException, UnavailableException
+    public ResultMessage execute(ClientState state) throws InvalidRequestException, RequestExecutionException
     {
         if (!opts.isEmpty())
             DatabaseDescriptor.getAuthenticator().alter(username, opts.getOptions());
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/CreateUserStatement.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/CreateUserStatement.java
index 9611d9e6d976..b1a91cdab9c9 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/CreateUserStatement.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/CreateUserStatement.java
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
 import org.apache.cassandra.config.DatabaseDescriptor;
 import org.apache.cassandra.cql3.UserOptions;
 import org.apache.cassandra.exceptions.InvalidRequestException;
+import org.apache.cassandra.exceptions.RequestExecutionException;
 import org.apache.cassandra.exceptions.UnauthorizedException;
-import org.apache.cassandra.exceptions.UnavailableException;
 import org.apache.cassandra.service.ClientState;
 import org.apache.cassandra.transport.messages.ResultMessage;
 
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public void checkAccess(ClientState state) throws UnauthorizedException
             throw new UnauthorizedException("Only superusers are allowed to perfrom CREATE USER queries");
     }
 
-    public ResultMessage execute(ClientState state) throws InvalidRequestException, UnavailableException
+    public ResultMessage execute(ClientState state) throws InvalidRequestException, RequestExecutionException
     {
         DatabaseDescriptor.getAuthenticator().create(username, opts.getOptions());
         Auth.insertUser(username, superuser);
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/DropUserStatement.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/DropUserStatement.java
index e5b9c2b021c3..493cd231aa7f 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/DropUserStatement.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/DropUserStatement.java
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
 import org.apache.cassandra.auth.AuthenticatedUser;
 import org.apache.cassandra.config.DatabaseDescriptor;
 import org.apache.cassandra.exceptions.InvalidRequestException;
+import org.apache.cassandra.exceptions.RequestExecutionException;
 import org.apache.cassandra.exceptions.UnauthorizedException;
-import org.apache.cassandra.exceptions.UnavailableException;
 import org.apache.cassandra.service.ClientState;
 import org.apache.cassandra.transport.messages.ResultMessage;
 
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public void checkAccess(ClientState state) throws UnauthorizedException
             throw new UnauthorizedException("Only superusers are allowed to perfrom DROP USER queries");
     }
 
-    public ResultMessage execute(ClientState state) throws InvalidRequestException, UnavailableException
+    public ResultMessage execute(ClientState state) throws InvalidRequestException, RequestExecutionException
     {
         // clean up permissions after the dropped user.
         DatabaseDescriptor.getAuthorizer().revokeAll(username);