diff --git a/fluent/handler.py b/fluent/handler.py
index f549f91..64eaad6 100644
--- a/fluent/handler.py
+++ b/fluent/handler.py
@@ -131,12 +131,12 @@ def _format_msg_json(self, record, msg):
             if isinstance(json_msg, dict):
                 return json_msg
             else:
-                return {'message': str(json_msg)}
+                return self._format_msg_default(record, msg)
         except ValueError:
             return self._format_msg_default(record, msg)
 
     def _format_msg_default(self, record, msg):
-        return {'message': record.getMessage()}
+        return {'message': super(FluentRecordFormatter, self).format(record)}
 
     def _format_by_exclusion(self, record):
         data = {}
diff --git a/tests/test_asynchandler.py b/tests/test_asynchandler.py
index 8c4024d..52d9182 100644
--- a/tests/test_asynchandler.py
+++ b/tests/test_asynchandler.py
@@ -239,6 +239,26 @@ def test_non_string_dict_message(self):
         # For some reason, non-string keys are ignored
         self.assertFalse(42 in data[0][2])
 
+    def test_exception_message(self):
+        handler = self.get_handler_class()('app.follow', port=self._port)
+
+        with handler:
+            logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
+            log = logging.getLogger('fluent.test')
+            handler.setFormatter(fluent.handler.FluentRecordFormatter())
+            log.addHandler(handler)
+            try:
+                raise Exception('sample exception')
+            except Exception:
+                log.exception('it failed')
+
+        data = self.get_data()
+        message = data[0][2]['message']
+        # Includes the logged message, as well as the stack trace.
+        self.assertTrue('it failed' in message)
+        self.assertTrue('tests/test_asynchandler.py", line' in message)
+        self.assertTrue('Exception: sample exception' in message)
+
 
 class TestHandlerWithCircularQueue(unittest.TestCase):
     Q_SIZE = 3
diff --git a/tests/test_handler.py b/tests/test_handler.py
index a712c58..45fea86 100644
--- a/tests/test_handler.py
+++ b/tests/test_handler.py
@@ -350,3 +350,24 @@ def test_non_string_dict_message(self):
         data = self.get_data()
         # For some reason, non-string keys are ignored
         self.assertFalse(42 in data[0][2])
+
+    def test_exception_message(self):
+        handler = fluent.handler.FluentHandler('app.follow', port=self._port)
+
+        with handler:
+            logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
+            log = logging.getLogger('fluent.test')
+            handler.setFormatter(fluent.handler.FluentRecordFormatter())
+            log.addHandler(handler)
+            try:
+                raise Exception('sample exception')
+            except Exception:
+                log.exception('it failed')
+            log.removeHandler(handler)
+
+        data = self.get_data()
+        message = data[0][2]['message']
+        # Includes the logged message, as well as the stack trace.
+        self.assertTrue('it failed' in message)
+        self.assertTrue('tests/test_handler.py", line' in message)
+        self.assertTrue('Exception: sample exception' in message)