diff --git a/cli/sawtooth_cli/identity.py b/cli/sawtooth_cli/identity.py
index 10034f4b89..af46e1da29 100644
--- a/cli/sawtooth_cli/identity.py
+++ b/cli/sawtooth_cli/identity.py
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ def _read_signer(key_filename):
 
     try:
         private_key = Secp256k1PrivateKey.from_hex(signing_key)
-    except ParseError:
+    except ParseError as e:
         try:
             private_key = Secp256k1PrivateKey.from_wif(signing_key)
         except ParseError:
diff --git a/cli/sawtooth_cli/sawset.py b/cli/sawtooth_cli/sawset.py
index 13fdcb0ad8..0207576bd8 100644
--- a/cli/sawtooth_cli/sawset.py
+++ b/cli/sawtooth_cli/sawset.py
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ def _read_signer(key_filename):
     except ParseError:
         try:
             private_key = Secp256k1PrivateKey.from_wif(signing_key)
-        except ParseError:
+        except ParseError as e:
             raise CliException('Unable to read key in file: {}'.format(str(e)))
 
     context = create_context('secp256k1')
diff --git a/consensus/poet/cli/sawtooth_poet_cli/registration.py b/consensus/poet/cli/sawtooth_poet_cli/registration.py
index 2462ccbf8f..40eb144297 100644
--- a/consensus/poet/cli/sawtooth_poet_cli/registration.py
+++ b/consensus/poet/cli/sawtooth_poet_cli/registration.py
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ def _read_signer(key_filename):
     except ParseError:
         try:
             private_key = Secp256k1PrivateKey.from_wif(signing_key)
-        except ParseError:
+        except ParseError as e:
             raise CliException('Unable to read key in file: {}'.format(str(e)))
 
     context = create_context('secp256k1')
diff --git a/validator/sawtooth_validator/server/keys.py b/validator/sawtooth_validator/server/keys.py
index 26e5a4434a..aaf5ba1cbf 100644
--- a/validator/sawtooth_validator/server/keys.py
+++ b/validator/sawtooth_validator/server/keys.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ def load_identity_signer(key_dir, key_name):
     except signing.ParseError:
         try:
             private_key = Secp256k1PrivateKey.from_wif(private_key_str)
-        except signing.ParseError:
+        except signing.ParseError as e:
             raise LocalConfigurationError(
                 "Invalid key in file {}: {}".format(key_path, str(e)))