diff --git a/nova-api-proxy/nova-api-proxy/nova_api_proxy/common/exception.py b/nova-api-proxy/nova-api-proxy/nova_api_proxy/common/exception.py
index 1070c5c7..5c86c430 100644
--- a/nova-api-proxy/nova-api-proxy/nova_api_proxy/common/exception.py
+++ b/nova-api-proxy/nova-api-proxy/nova_api_proxy/common/exception.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ class ProxyException(Exception):
     code = 500
     headers = {}
     safe = False
+    message = ("An unknown exception occurred.")
 
     def __init__(self, message=None, **kwargs):
         self.kwargs = kwargs
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ class ProxyException(Exception):
 
         if not message:
             try:
-                message = self.message % kwargs
+                message = self.message % kwargs  # pylint: disable=W1645
 
             except Exception as e:
                 raise e
diff --git a/nova-api-proxy/pylint.rc b/nova-api-proxy/pylint.rc
index 92b860ee..81243a47 100755
--- a/nova-api-proxy/pylint.rc
+++ b/nova-api-proxy/pylint.rc
@@ -116,9 +116,7 @@ enable=E1603,E1609,E1610,E1602,E1606,E1608,E1607,E1605,E1604,E1601,E1611,W1652,
 # W0703 broad except warning
 # Disable Python3 checkers:
 #  W1618: no-absolute-import
-#  W1645: exception-message-attribute
-disable=C, R, E1101, E1121, W0404, W0601, W0603, W0613, W0621, W0703, W1618,
-        W1645
+disable=C, R, E1101, E1121, W0404, W0601, W0603, W0613, W0621, W0703, W1618
 
 
 [REPORTS]