diff --git a/awx/api/views.py b/awx/api/views.py
index 272983cb2b..05a42d512b 100644
--- a/awx/api/views.py
+++ b/awx/api/views.py
@@ -12,18 +12,20 @@ from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 from django.db.models import Q
+from django.db import IntegrityError
 from django.shortcuts import get_object_or_404
 from django.utils.datastructures import SortedDict
 from django.utils.timezone import now
 
 # Django REST Framework
 from rest_framework.authtoken.views import ObtainAuthToken
-from rest_framework.exceptions import PermissionDenied
+from rest_framework.exceptions import PermissionDenied, ParseError
 from rest_framework.parsers import YAMLParser
 from rest_framework.permissions import AllowAny, IsAuthenticated
 from rest_framework.renderers import YAMLRenderer
 from rest_framework.response import Response
 from rest_framework.settings import api_settings
+from rest_framework.views import exception_handler
 from rest_framework import status
 
 # AWX
@@ -36,6 +38,15 @@ from awx.api.serializers import *
 from awx.api.generics import *
 
 
+def api_exception_handler(exc):
+    '''
+    Override default API exception handler to catch IntegrityError exceptions.
+    '''
+    if isinstance(exc, IntegrityError):
+        exc = ParseError(exc.args[0])
+    return exception_handler(exc)
+
+
 class ApiRootView(APIView):
 
     permission_classes = (AllowAny,)
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/projects.py b/awx/main/tests/projects.py
index 5eea15ce69..c5c1151715 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/projects.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/projects.py
@@ -499,6 +499,12 @@ class ProjectsTest(BaseTest):
         with self.current_user(self.super_django_user):
             data = dict(name='xyz', user=self.super_django_user.pk)
             self.post(url, data, expect=400)
+
+        # Test with null where we expect a string value.
+        with self.current_user(self.super_django_user):
+            data = dict(name='zyx', user=self.super_django_user.pk, kind='ssh',
+                        sudo_username=None)
+            self.post(url, data, expect=400)
     
         # FIXME: Check list as other users.
 
diff --git a/awx/main/views.py b/awx/main/views.py
index ccced20438..cc487ee4ed 100644
--- a/awx/main/views.py
+++ b/awx/main/views.py
@@ -2,18 +2,16 @@
 # All Rights Reserved.
 
 # Django
-from django.shortcuts import render_to_response
+from django.shortcuts import render
 from django.template import RequestContext
 
 def handle_error(request, status=404):
     context = {}
-    #print request.path, status
     if request.path.startswith('/admin/'):
         template_name = 'admin/%d.html' % status
     else:
         template_name = '%d.html' % status
-    return render_to_response(template_name, context,
-                              context_instance=RequestContext(request))
+    return render(request, template_name, context, status=status)
 
 def handle_403(request):
     return handle_error(request, 403)
diff --git a/awx/settings/defaults.py b/awx/settings/defaults.py
index c9bdbe73e1..dac6a86714 100644
--- a/awx/settings/defaults.py
+++ b/awx/settings/defaults.py
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ REST_FRAMEWORK = {
         'rest_framework.renderers.JSONRenderer',
         'awx.api.renderers.BrowsableAPIRenderer',
     ),
+    'EXCEPTION_HANDLER': 'awx.api.views.api_exception_handler',
     'VIEW_NAME_FUNCTION': 'awx.api.generics.get_view_name',
     'VIEW_DESCRIPTION_FUNCTION': 'awx.api.generics.get_view_description',
 }