diff --git a/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_list_servers_negative.py b/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_list_servers_negative.py
index db9bdc1..c03c43e 100644
--- a/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_list_servers_negative.py
+++ b/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_list_servers_negative.py
@@ -59,8 +59,9 @@
         if num_servers > 0:
             username = cls.os.username
             tenant_name = cls.os.tenant_name
-            msg = ("User/tenant %(username)s/%(tenant_name)s already have "
-                   "existing server instances. Skipping test.") % locals()
+            msg = ("User/tenant %(u)s/%(t)s already have "
+                   "existing server instances. Skipping test." %
+                   {'u': username, 't': tenant_name})
             raise cls.skipException(msg)
 
         resp, body = cls.alt_client.list_servers()
@@ -69,8 +70,9 @@
         if num_servers > 0:
             username = cls.alt_manager.username
             tenant_name = cls.alt_manager.tenant_name
-            msg = ("Alt User/tenant %(username)s/%(tenant_name)s already have "
-                   "existing server instances. Skipping test.") % locals()
+            msg = ("Alt User/tenant %(u)s/%(t)s already have "
+                   "existing server instances. Skipping test." %
+                   {'u': username, 't': tenant_name})
             raise cls.skipException(msg)
 
         # The following servers are created for use
diff --git a/tempest/clients.py b/tempest/clients.py
index 5efce98..2154f8b 100644
--- a/tempest/clients.py
+++ b/tempest/clients.py
@@ -274,8 +274,9 @@
 
         if None in (self.username, self.password, self.tenant_name):
             msg = ("Missing required credentials. "
-                   "username: %(username)s, password: %(password)s, "
-                   "tenant_name: %(tenant_name)s") % locals()
+                   "username: %(u)s, password: %(p)s, "
+                   "tenant_name: %(t)s" %
+                   {'u': username, 'p': password, 't': tenant_name})
             raise exceptions.InvalidConfiguration(msg)
 
         self.auth_url = self.config.identity.uri
diff --git a/tempest/common/glance_http.py b/tempest/common/glance_http.py
index cd33a22..4045430 100644
--- a/tempest/common/glance_http.py
+++ b/tempest/common/glance_http.py
@@ -125,11 +125,12 @@
                 conn.request(method, conn_url, **kwargs)
             resp = conn.getresponse()
         except socket.gaierror as e:
-            message = "Error finding address for %(url)s: %(e)s" % locals()
+            message = ("Error finding address for %(url)s: %(e)s" %
+                       {'url': url, 'e': e})
             raise exc.EndpointNotFound(message)
         except (socket.error, socket.timeout) as e:
-            endpoint = self.endpoint
-            message = "Error communicating with %(endpoint)s %(e)s" % locals()
+            message = ("Error communicating with %(endpoint)s %(e)s" %
+                       {'endpoint': self.endpoint, 'e': e})
             raise exc.TimeoutException(message)
 
         body_iter = ResponseBodyIterator(resp)
diff --git a/tempest/config.py b/tempest/config.py
index 2e56628..6e6488b 100644
--- a/tempest/config.py
+++ b/tempest/config.py
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@
         LOG.info("Using tempest config file %s" % path)
 
         if not os.path.exists(path):
-            msg = "Config file %(path)s not found" % locals()
+            msg = "Config file %s not found" % path
             print(RuntimeError(msg), file=sys.stderr)
         else:
             config_files.append(path)
diff --git a/tempest/manager.py b/tempest/manager.py
index 4a447f3..187e2c6 100644
--- a/tempest/manager.py
+++ b/tempest/manager.py
@@ -65,6 +65,15 @@
         self.config = tempest.config.TempestConfig()
         self.client_attr_names = []
 
+    # we do this everywhere, have it be part of the super class
+    def _validate_credentials(self, username, password, tenant_name):
+        if None in (username, password, tenant_name):
+            msg = ("Missing required credentials. "
+                   "username: %(u)s, password: %(p)s, "
+                   "tenant_name: %(t)s" %
+                   {'u': username, 'p': password, 't': tenant_name})
+            raise exceptions.InvalidConfiguration(msg)
+
 
 class FuzzClientManager(Manager):
 
@@ -103,11 +112,7 @@
         password = password or self.config.identity.password
         tenant_name = tenant_name or self.config.identity.tenant_name
 
-        if None in (username, password, tenant_name):
-            msg = ("Missing required credentials. "
-                   "username: %(username)s, password: %(password)s, "
-                   "tenant_name: %(tenant_name)s") % locals()
-            raise exceptions.InvalidConfiguration(msg)
+        self._validate_credentials(username, password, tenant_name)
 
         auth_url = self.config.identity.uri
 
diff --git a/tempest/scenario/manager.py b/tempest/scenario/manager.py
index fe6fbf5..f968411 100644
--- a/tempest/scenario/manager.py
+++ b/tempest/scenario/manager.py
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 from tempest.common import log as logging
 from tempest.common import ssh
 from tempest.common.utils.data_utils import rand_name
-from tempest import exceptions
 import tempest.manager
 import tempest.test
 
@@ -76,11 +75,7 @@
         if not tenant_name:
             tenant_name = self.config.identity.tenant_name
 
-        if None in (username, password, tenant_name):
-            msg = ("Missing required credentials for compute client. "
-                   "username: %(username)s, password: %(password)s, "
-                   "tenant_name: %(tenant_name)s") % locals()
-            raise exceptions.InvalidConfiguration(msg)
+        self._validate_credentials(username, password, tenant_name)
 
         auth_url = self.config.identity.uri
         dscv = self.config.identity.disable_ssl_certificate_validation
@@ -131,11 +126,7 @@
         if not tenant_name:
             tenant_name = self.config.identity.admin_tenant_name
 
-        if None in (username, password, tenant_name):
-            msg = ("Missing required credentials for identity client. "
-                   "username: %(username)s, password: %(password)s, "
-                   "tenant_name: %(tenant_name)s") % locals()
-            raise exceptions.InvalidConfiguration(msg)
+        self._validate_credentials(username, password, tenant_name)
 
         auth_url = self.config.identity.uri
         dscv = self.config.identity.disable_ssl_certificate_validation
@@ -157,11 +148,7 @@
         password = self.config.identity.admin_password
         tenant_name = self.config.identity.admin_tenant_name
 
-        if None in (username, password, tenant_name):
-            msg = ("Missing required credentials for network client. "
-                   "username: %(username)s, password: %(password)s, "
-                   "tenant_name: %(tenant_name)s") % locals()
-            raise exceptions.InvalidConfiguration(msg)
+        self._validate_credentials(username, password, tenant_name)
 
         auth_url = self.config.identity.uri
         dscv = self.config.identity.disable_ssl_certificate_validation