diff --git a/gramps/gen/utils/debug.py b/gramps/gen/utils/debug.py
index 210791885..2094a89e9 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/utils/debug.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/utils/debug.py
@@ -48,3 +48,46 @@ def profile(func, *args):
     stats.sort_stats('time', 'calls')
     stats.print_stats(100)
     stats.print_callers(100)
+
+def format_exception(tb_type=None, tb_value=None, tb=None):
+    """
+    Get the usual traceback information, followed by a listing of all the
+    local variables in each frame.
+    Based on: 
+    code.activestate.com/recipes/52215-get-more-information-from-tracebacks
+    """
+    import sys
+    import traceback
+    from gramps.gen.constfunc import cuni
+    if tb_type is None:
+        tb_type = sys.exc_type
+    if tb_value is None:
+        tb_value = sys.exc_value
+    if tb is None:
+        tb = sys.exc_info()[2]
+    retval = traceback.format_exception(tb_type, tb_value, tb) + ["\n"]
+    while tb.tb_next:
+        tb = tb.tb_next
+    stack = []
+    f = tb.tb_frame
+    while f:
+        stack.append(f)
+        f = f.f_back
+    stack.reverse()
+    retval.append("Local variables (most recent frame last):\n")
+    for frame in stack:
+        retval.append(" Frame %s, File \"%s\", line %s:\n" % (frame.f_code.co_name,
+                                                              frame.f_code.co_filename,
+                                                              frame.f_lineno))
+        for key, value in frame.f_locals.items():
+            if key.startswith("__"):
+                continue
+            #We have to be careful not to cause a new error in our error
+            #handler! Calling str() on an unknown object could cause an
+            #error we don't want.
+            try:                   
+                line = "  %s = %s\n" % (key, cuni(value))
+            except:
+                line = "  %s = %s\n" % (key, "<ERROR PRINTING VALUE>")
+            retval.append(line)
+    return retval
diff --git a/gramps/grampsapp.py b/gramps/grampsapp.py
index 34f72ab40..cbc533b00 100644
--- a/gramps/grampsapp.py
+++ b/gramps/grampsapp.py
@@ -109,9 +109,9 @@ def exc_hook(type, value, tb):
     if type == IOError:
         # strange Windows logging error on close
         return
-    import traceback
+    from gramps.gen.utils.debug import format_exception
     LOG.error("Unhandled exception\n" +
-              "".join(traceback.format_exception(type, value, tb)))
+              "".join(format_exception(type, value, tb)))
 
 sys.excepthook = exc_hook