diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/dashboard/management/commands/git_add_course.py b/lms/djangoapps/dashboard/management/commands/git_add_course.py
index f588920e303d..7da8228922b1 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/dashboard/management/commands/git_add_course.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/dashboard/management/commands/git_add_course.py
@@ -40,9 +40,8 @@ def add_repo(repo, rdir_in):
     # Allow overrides
     if hasattr(settings, 'MONGODB_LOG'):
         for config_item in ['host', 'user', 'password', 'db', ]:
-            if hasattr(settings.MONGODB_LOG, config_item):
-                mongo_db[config_item] = settings.MONGODB_LOG.get(
-                    config_item, mongo_db[config_item])
+            mongo_db[config_item] = settings.MONGODB_LOG.get(
+                config_item, mongo_db[config_item])
 
     if not os.path.isdir(GIT_REPO_DIR):
         log.critical(_("Path {0} doesn't exist, please create it, "
@@ -119,8 +118,8 @@ def add_repo(repo, rdir_in):
     except CommandError:
         log.exception(_('Unable to run import command.'))
         return -1
-    except NotImplementedError, ex:
-        log.critical(_('The underlying module store does not support import.'))
+    except NotImplementedError:
+        log.exception(_('The underlying module store does not support import.'))
         return -1
 
     ret_import = output.getvalue()
@@ -148,7 +147,7 @@ def add_repo(repo, rdir_in):
 
         if os.path.exists(cdir) and not os.path.islink(cdir):
             log.debug(_('   -> exists, but is not symlink'))
-            log.debug(subprocess.check_output(['ls', 'l', ],
+            log.debug(subprocess.check_output(['ls', '-l', ],
                                               cwd=os.path.abspath(cdir)))
             try:
                 os.rmdir(os.path.abspath(cdir))
@@ -165,9 +164,7 @@ def add_repo(repo, rdir_in):
                                               cwd=os.path.abspath(cdir)))
 
     # store import-command-run output in mongo
-    mongouri = 'mongodb://{0}:{1}@{2}/{3}'.format(
-        mongo_db['user'], mongo_db['password'],
-        mongo_db['host'], mongo_db['db'])
+    mongouri = 'mongodb://{user}:{password}@{host}/{db}'.format(**mongo_db)
 
     try:
         if mongo_db['user'] and mongo_db['password']:
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/dashboard/sysadmin.py b/lms/djangoapps/dashboard/sysadmin.py
index 042ac4649c00..d46b9f894dc8 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/dashboard/sysadmin.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/dashboard/sysadmin.py
@@ -644,13 +644,10 @@ def get(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
         # Allow overrides
         if hasattr(settings, 'MONGODB_LOG'):
             for config_item in ['host', 'user', 'password', 'db', ]:
-                if hasattr(settings.MONGODB_LOG, config_item):
-                    mongo_db[config_item] = settings.MONGODB_LOG.get(
-                        config_item, mongo_db[config_item])
+                mongo_db[config_item] = settings.MONGODB_LOG.get(
+                    config_item, mongo_db[config_item])
 
-        mongouri = 'mongodb://{0}:{1}@{2}/{3}'.format(
-            mongo_db['user'], mongo_db['password'],
-            mongo_db['host'], mongo_db['db'])
+        mongouri = 'mongodb://{user}:{password}@{host}/{db}'.format(**mongo_db)
 
         error_msg = ''
 
@@ -659,10 +656,9 @@ def get(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
                 mdb = mongoengine.connect(mongo_db['db'], host=mongouri)
             else:
                 mdb = mongoengine.connect(mongo_db['db'], host=mongo_db['host'])
-        except mongoengine.connection.ConnectionError, ex:
-            logging.critical(_('Unable to connect to mongodb to save log, '
-                               'please check MONGODB_LOG settings. '
-                               'error: {0}').format(str(ex)))
+        except mongoengine.connection.ConnectionError:
+            logging.exception(_('Unable to connect to mongodb to save log, '
+                               'please check MONGODB_LOG settings.'))
 
         if course_id is None:
             # Require staff if not going to specific course
diff --git a/lms/envs/aws.py b/lms/envs/aws.py
index 0c777d1cda9a..4489403c3138 100644
--- a/lms/envs/aws.py
+++ b/lms/envs/aws.py
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@
 MODULESTORE = AUTH_TOKENS.get('MODULESTORE', MODULESTORE)
 CONTENTSTORE = AUTH_TOKENS.get('CONTENTSTORE', CONTENTSTORE)
 DOC_STORE_CONFIG = AUTH_TOKENS.get('DOC_STORE_CONFIG',DOC_STORE_CONFIG)
-MONGODB_LOG = AUTH_TOKENS.get('MONGODB_LOG')
+MONGODB_LOG = AUTH_TOKENS.get('MONGODB_LOG', {})
 
 OPEN_ENDED_GRADING_INTERFACE = AUTH_TOKENS.get('OPEN_ENDED_GRADING_INTERFACE',
                                                OPEN_ENDED_GRADING_INTERFACE)